Codes and conventions of Film Noir
Lighting
Lighting is a major part of film noir. The lighting is usually from only one or two sources, this makes the lighting very low key. The lighting usually follows a character or enhances certain features of them, this is usually to help create the image that the character (usually a middle aged make) prefers to be in the dark and has a dark side to them. Blinds are also used inside most buildings, this again makes the lighting seem more ow key. The low key lighting throughout the films make them feel like there is something wrong and that there is danger.
Sound
The soundtrack is usually composed to match the action, this is to create a lasting atmosphere. There are also very dull and soft sounds throughout most of the movie. Voice overs are used to advance the story and are usually played with an establishing shot. Voice overs are also used to portray the characters thoughts without saying it out loud this is usually used to explain what the characters think and there feelings towards each other.
Narrative
The plot devises used in Film Noir are usually simple and straight to the point. There is an enigma that is usually brought in the by femme fatale whom i will talk about later. The enigma adds a mystery to the plot that the hero must solve. The hero will always solve the problem in the end and save the day, this reflects the time in which the genre was made popular. The mood is always very mysterious, this is created using a combination of the other codes and conventions. There is an overall depressing and confusing mood at the beginning and this then evolves slowly into a action like mood. The hero us usually a hard bitten detective, this gives mystery to his character too, the audience wants to find out what has made him act like that and what has gone wrong in his life. The detective will also realize that he is being manipulated just in time and stop her plans, this is known as the spider and the fly.
Iconography
There isn't a wide range of props used in film noir. The first is guns, there is a large presence of guns in film noir, this is because of the time film noir was made. Film noir was made in the times when people didn't have much money this meant that there was a large amount of violent crime. Cigarettes were also used a lot in film noir, they also reflect the times in which the films were made. Cigarettes were fashionable and people thought that the people that smoked them on the big screens were rough around the edges. There are also a lot of blinds used, this may sound weird at first but what i mean by this is blinds that fit over windows. The blinds helps create the lighting that was talked about earlier by blocking a large amount of the light that comes into the rooms.Trilby's are also worn by the detective and other male characters a large amount in film noir, this is to hide their faces and create added mystery to the characters. The male characters also wore large cotes, this made them look larger and more powerful but at the same time made it look like they were hiding something. The gloves were also wore by a lot of the characters this showed distrust in one another, even when they shake hand they don't touch each other meaning there is no evidence that the have been together.
Use of the Camera
There are a lot of close shots to show peoples expressions and avoid letting people see the backgrounds, this is because the studios that made the films usually had little money and couldn't afford big backdrops and props. There is also a large amount of smoke used to hide the background, this is created by using dry ice, this was also used to try and distract people from the backdrop the shots.
Iconography
There isn't a wide range of props used in film noir. The first is guns, there is a large presence of guns in film noir, this is because of the time film noir was made. Film noir was made in the times when people didn't have much money this meant that there was a large amount of violent crime. Cigarettes were also used a lot in film noir, they also reflect the times in which the films were made. Cigarettes were fashionable and people thought that the people that smoked them on the big screens were rough around the edges. There are also a lot of blinds used, this may sound weird at first but what i mean by this is blinds that fit over windows. The blinds helps create the lighting that was talked about earlier by blocking a large amount of the light that comes into the rooms.Trilby's are also worn by the detective and other male characters a large amount in film noir, this is to hide their faces and create added mystery to the characters. The male characters also wore large cotes, this made them look larger and more powerful but at the same time made it look like they were hiding something. The gloves were also wore by a lot of the characters this showed distrust in one another, even when they shake hand they don't touch each other meaning there is no evidence that the have been together.
Use of the Camera
There are a lot of close shots to show peoples expressions and avoid letting people see the backgrounds, this is because the studios that made the films usually had little money and couldn't afford big backdrops and props. There is also a large amount of smoke used to hide the background, this is created by using dry ice, this was also used to try and distract people from the backdrop the shots.
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