FILM NOIR

CONVENTIONS

CONVENTIONS OF FILM NOIR

CHARACTER ROLES

THEMES

ICONOGRAPHY & MISE EN SCENE

VISUAL STYLE

CHARACTER ROLES

MALE PROTAGONIST

FEMME FATALE

CORRUPT COPS

GANGSTERS/THUGS

DETECTIVES

MALE PROTAGONIST

THE MALE PROTAGONIST IS OFTEN HARD HEARTED

LONELY/ALIENATED

CYNICAL

PHYSICALLY STRONG

THE MALE PROTAGONIST OFTEN MEETS AN ENTICING, BEAUTIFUL FEMME FATALE THAT LURES HIM INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE ENVIRONMENTS THEY USUALLY WORK AND LIVE IN ARE DARK AND SCARY CITIES, OFTEN SUPPRESSED BY DEHUMANIZING SURROUNDINGS. THEY OFTEN HAVE A PARTICULARLY STRONG GIFT WITH REGARDS TO VERBAL WIT, DESPITE NOT BEING THE MOST INTELLECTUAL OF PEOPLE.

FEMME FATALE

THE FEMME FATALE IS AN ATTRACTIVE, SEDUCTIVE WOMAN THAT ULTIMATELY CAUSES THE DOWNFALL OF A MAN THAT BECOMES INVOLVED WITH HER.

SHE OFTEN USES HER SEXUAL APPEAL AND DESIRES TO MANIPULATE THE PROTAGONIST INTO SUCCUMBING TO HER – HENCE CAUSING THE PROTAGONIST TO BECOME A SCAPEGOAT – A PERSON WHO IS IS BLAMED FOR THE WRONGDOINGS, MISTAKES AND FAULTS OF OTHERS.

CORRUPT COPS

FILM NOIR OFTEN FEATURES A CHARACTER WITHIN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY. THEIR STATUS AND ROLE IS ABUSED FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL PROFIT. THIS IS REMINISCENT OF THE SOCIAL SITUATIONS AS CORRUPTION WAS ‘ON THE RISE’ IN THE 1950s.

THEMES

EXTORTION

GREED

MONEY

JEALOUSY

PARANOIA

DEPRESSION

DARKNESS

POWER

UNCERTAIN ROMANCE

LONE INTROVERTED HERO

CORRUPTION

LITTLE HOPE

SEX

FATALISM

BLEAK VISION OF THE WORLD

ALIENATION/LONLINESS

CRIME

ICONOGRAPHY & MISE EN SCENE

THE CITY

DANGEROUS

HOSTILE

LONELY BLEAK

ISOLATING PLACE

RAIN DRENCHED STREETS

NEON SIGNS

GUNS

CIGARETTES

ALCOHOL/ALCOHOLICS

VISUAL STYLE

USE OF FILTETRS – LOW KEY CHIAROSCURO LIGHTING

NIGHT SCENES

OBSCURED VISION

RAIN

TILT OR CANTED CAMERA ANGLES

CUTS FAVOURED OVER TRANSITIONS

SILHOUETTE

SHADOWS

SMOKE/FOG