1. Stylistics, Codes & Conventions
FILM NOIR
Stylistics, Codes
& Conventions

2. Film Noir: Cinematography 1
Film Noir cinematography is often distorted,
skewed and uncomfortable to look at, to put the
viewer at unease. This reflects the tone of noir.
Low & High Angles

3. Film Noir: Cinematography 2
Extreme Close Ups
Deep Focus (depth of field)

4. Film Noir: Cinematography 2
Reflections, views & faces obscured through objects
Use of Dutch tilts/Canted angles or irregular framing of shots

5. Composition and lighting
Shots of characters’ reflection in mirrors – suggests complexity of character
Night for night filming (instead of day for night)

6. Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 1
Urban settings, often the ‘wrong end of town’ and seedy areas
Rain and damp streets = pathetic fallacy and for purposes of emphasising the odd angles of light

7. Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 2
Low Key Lighting (Chiarascuro) Use of venetian blinds
High contrast images. Dark blacks & whites (few greys).

8. Film Noir: Mise-En-Scene 3
Everyday urban locations
Downbeat hero – jaded and cynical

9. Film Noir: Sound Film Noir sound was used to complement the feeling of
pessimism and foreboding that was reflected in the films.
Melancholy downbeat music
Use of quiet and silence
Often discordant and grating music
Sudden noises
Voice over of protagonist
Sound effects and ambience of the city & suburbia

10. Film Noir: Editing
Film Noir editing follows many of the traditional crime
characteristics but they are generally told non linearly.
Non –linear start at the end, then tell story in flashbacks
Use continuity editing generally. Some montage
Can and did use jump cuts and jarring juxtaposition
Occasional use of CU then move out to reveal action

11. Film Noir: Narratives “Which ever way you turn, fate sticks out it’s foot to trip you up”
Crooks
Amnesia
Black widow
Psychological
Heists
Double Crosses
Gangsters
Sin and punishment
Downward spiral
One wrong decision
Murder
Drugs
Whodunnit
Sexual obsession

12. Film Noir: Characters 1
Two Film Noirs characters that appear with regularity are the down at heel Private Eye and the deadly Femme Fetale.

13. Film Noir: Characters 2 Henchmen/Thugs Detectives Beautiful women
Film Noirs have a variety of characters but here are some that appear time and time again in film noir.
Henchmen/Thugs
Beautiful women
Police
Corrupt politician/govt
Crooked police
Detectives
Sam Spade/Marlowe
Gangsters
Millionaires
The “Fall Guy”

14. Generic Conventions Of Film Noir

15. Characteristics of gender representation
Corrupt Cops
Alienated Protagonist
Misogynistic Men
Hard-boiled attitude
Femme Fatale
The redeemer

16. Iconography Dark Sidewalks Rain Drenched Streets Flashing Neon Signs
City Is Villainous/Hostile
Alcohol/Alcoholics
Cigarettes
Guns
Trench Coats

17. Themes Transgression Of Social Norms
Someone Evil Going Against What You Would Normally Expect
Taboo
Guilt
Corruption
Seeking for redemption
Longing for escape
Running from and finally accepting fate

18. Settings Urban Setting – LA, New York, San Francisco and Chicago
Thought Of In The Sense Of A Labyrinth
Bars
Lounges
Nightclubs
Gambling Dens
Industrial Setting – Refineries, Factories, Train-yards and Power Plants

19. Narrative Devices in Classic Noir
Detailed (sometimes convoluted) storylines
Flashback structure
Voiceover narration
Often use of first person perspective (we know only as much as one character)
A tragic end is signaled from the start

20. Make a list of examples of the film noir influence on Blade Runner
These can be in:
Cinematic style
Genre conventions
Gender representation
Narrative devices