Film Noir - Similar Products: Definition and Conventions

Definition
Film noir is a term used in French, which translates from English to French, "Black Film/Cinema". This cinematic term is used to primarily describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas in which particularly emphasize pessimistic attitudes and sexual motivation. The period in which some of the critically best Film Noir texts were made come from around the 1940's to the 1950's.  Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.

Conventions
Within Film Noir productions there are 5 concepts which distinguish this genre from others. These effects and ideas contribute to Film Noir productions to give a noticeable different from other genres from around the time period. Although many conventions are used to define a Film Noir production, sometimes a film with some mutual elements is hard to categorise as similar aspects can be tweaked and changed yet still keep the
The 5 main convention sectors are:

• Costume
• Characters/Actors and Actresses
• Lighting
• Camera Angles
• Location

These are just the main borders of the conventions, sub-segments are also incorporated into an average Film Noir production. A massively noticeable and one which defines the genre altogether is the concept of being in black and white. No colour is used in the productions which follows the tone of the genre which is can range from being an urgent tone to a more depressed feeling as murder is usually used within the plot.

Costume is a big part for the aesthetic side of a Film Noir production. Generally speaking the male characters wore suits and an iconic top hat which in itself gives Film Noir a personal appeal already to the genre. The male characters also would be seen smoking cigars or cigarettes to give them even more of an iconic look. Here is a picture of Humphrey Bogart, a well known Film Noir actor, smoking with the iconic suit and hate being worn.

Alongside the male characters, females are also introduced. These are usually dressed extremely glamorously and sometime provocatively too. This allows the female dominance within the production stand out as the actresses playing the characters are always very attractive. By having these powerful roles within the production, the Film Noir genre is even finer defined. When film posters for the films were constructed, the female character usually showed much dominance and stood out more due to her attractive looks. This next photograph shows the attractiveness of one of the female characters used in a Film Noir production.

The next convention which does link into what I have already discussed, is the characters in Film Noir. It's common feature in Film Noir that there is a male lead detective trying to solve a crime, usually murder or hiding from his past etc. Other male characters serve as accomplices or enemies to this main detective and protagonist with their true identities unfolding as the story develops. Anti-hero are also a common convention when it comes to characters. They usually are on the back foot and reveal all when the time is suited to them. The female characters in Film Noir always dominantly attractive. They supply a real sense of dominance when entered into the plot, their strong roles usually entwine with the protagonist and either help him or deceive him. Other storylines intale the plot of other mysteries and crimes but murder is the is the common theme when it comes to most storylines.

The next common convention which plays a massive roles in the film noir movies is the lighting. Film Noir productions are filmed in black and white (apart from modern day Film Noirs in which some colour is used, such as in Sin City, a lady's dress appears red in colour) Lighting in film noir is used to emphasise a character's personality or the mood in which the shot is trying to be portrayed. If a bad guy that is trying to disrupt the protagonist's actions is in a shot then lighting will be at a minimal but the character is still easily visible. The darkness shows the mood as the character moves around the scene. This in turn is the opposite for the protagonist, who is usually a good detective. The lighting will be clear and distinct showing that there is some good in him, if not all. Lighting also is used to emphasise important aspects of a scene. For example, if there is a noticeable clue which will aid the protagonist in a room, then the lighting will be positioned so that the object(s) are easily seen which draws the audience's attention to that area.

Camera angles are known in Film Noir for being conventionally 'strange'. Tilts, low angle and high angle shots were used to cause disruption and confusion with the audience's perception of the film. These shots are primarily used to create uncertainty amongst viewers so that hidden secrets can be kept secret until the time is right to be released. This next picture is a good example of a high angle shot in a Film Noir scene;

The final convention that I shall discuss is the location. The location of film noir productions are conventionally within a major city. Especially in this shot below, the cityscape makes the character look small and defenseless in comparison to the vast heaving city in front of her. The high angle also contributes to this effect which also relates to film noir conventions. Also, the location adds to the drama of film. For example, with a city being as big as it is gives a conventional detective as the protagonist a much harder and entertaining job (for the audience) for solving a msytery or crime such as a muder. The shot below is from the movie Sin City - a modern take on the Film Noir genre. It shows a very attractive female character looking down on a major city.