1. What is film noir?

2. Made in the U.S.A. American films produced by Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s B movies Common themes of loneliness, alienation, despair, violence Character types: Anti social loner and femme fatale Style:-Dark (long deep shadows) -Filmed on location (night scenes shot at night) -Unusual camera angles -Oblique and vertical lines -Romance -Complex chronology -Narration -Rain -Light and dark used to identify hero and villain -Normal people get involved in crime -Femme fatale (woman who uses seductive charms to draw men into danger) -Filmed mainly in cities -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8uCuKxe4ykhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8uCuKxe4yk

3. The American Dream “All men are created equal” with the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” American Declaration of Independence “The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work, not by chance. Both native-born Americans and American immigrants pursue and can achieve the American dream.” https://archive.org/details/Immigrat1946

4. WW II America entered the war on 7 th December 1941 Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home. At the end of the war there were major concerns that the numbers of men returning would lead to another depression because of a lack of jobs Women had to go back to a domestic role https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8kJzBJrOkU

5. Noir conventions

6. Key Light Main source of light which is directed on characters from above and to one side. It produces defined shadows.

7. Fill light Lighting which comes from near the camera, soft, diffused light that ‘fills in’ the shadows created by the key light.

8. Back light Light which comes from behind an actor, adding interesting highlights.

9. Low key light This was the type of lighting most commonly used in noir films. It gives the protagonist an element of power, whilst causing areas of high contrast and shadows.

10. Lit for night Much of the action in noir films takes place at night. Where in the past such scenes had been lit to allow the audience to see the action, noir films were not. This increased the feeling of realness and heightened the tension, as the audience were not sure what lurked in the shadows.

11. Points of light Individual points of light were often used in noir films. This centred the audience on a particular point whilst plunging the rest of the scene into darkness. Again this left the audience wondering what was in the shadow.

12. Oblique and vertical lines These were inspired by German ExpressionismThis is a still from ‘Double Indemnity’

13. Femme Fatale Film noir highlights the concern felt by much of American society around the traditional roles of women. It provides a picture of post war America in which there is no family or only very dysfunctional ones. The women have neglected their domestic role and transformed into selfish creatures intent on destroying both their husbands and the family unit. The femme fatale typically is a wife who kills her husband and uses her sexuality to manipulate weak men into evil. She represents what women become when they are liberated. Thus women outside of the role of wife and mother are seen as a threat to society.

14. The city Most noir films were set in cities. The American audience believed that this was where the seedy and dangerous world of crime and violence hid. This allowed the middle classes to feel safe in the suburbs. It also symbolised the evil that lay below the surface of American life. The settings were realistic so that audiences could believe the action and understand that the problems faced by the characters could be visited on them. Rain washed streets were popular as this created the dark miserable look that is part of the noir genre.

15. The hero Noir heroes are often anti social loners but even when they have jobs they seem unhappy and lonely. They are unlikely to have family or friends and exist in an empty sad world. The jobs that they have make them faceless and anonymous, as they work in huge workplaces where no one stands out. This explores the issues of many men returning from the war. The America they left had changed and their own experiences in war had changed them. This left many feeling isolated and alone and highlighted America’s fear that there might be another depression when society would crumble into chaos. The hero’s descent into crime (led by the evil femme fatale) suggests what might happen if men are not given back their role as provider, in meaningful work.

16. Voice over and flashback The first person voice over was very common in film noir and the narrator was normally the weak powerless hero who tells the story of his past failures. This narration is often a confession to an authority figure. Thus allowing the man to admit his sins and be redeemed, unlike the woman who has died without any forgiveness. The chronology of the films was often that of flashback. The beginning of the film introducing the tortured hero who then goes on to tell the audience how he got into his current position. The audience know from the start that there will be no ‘happily ever after’ ending. Just like real life, bad things can happen to good people.