The Remarkable Elements of Noir Films

What is Film Noir? There no one definition. However, it is generally agreed-upon by cinephiles and professionals that noir films are full of pessimism, cynicism, and fatalism. Noir films often date back to the 1920s in America, but the genre really took off after World War II. But how can you tell if a movie is under the Film Noir category? Here are the distinct elements of film noir:

1.      Characters

One of the major aspects of film noir is the characters. The cast is often led by a no-nonsense, anti-hero male protagonist. Typically, he is a cynical, gruff detective or gangster with tragic flaws. He is followed by a “femme fatale,” an equally bad and just-as-beautiful female character. Sometimes, there is a secondary female character. However, she is the complete opposite of the first female lead. The second woman is good, but unfortunately, quite bland.

2.      Plot

The second element of a film noir is the fatalistic, complex plot. It often presents a bleak, resigned view of the world and humanity. The characters are often obsessed with their past and are heavy drinkers and smokers. The story is also located in an urban location, major cities like Los Angeles, New York, etc. A film noir’s dialogue or script is often poetic, fast-paced, and concise.

3.      Cinematography

People often think that the most important aspect of a film noir is that it is in black and white. That is not true since framing and composition do play a large part. Film noir often presents an imbalanced, asymmetrical composition—characters upfront are larger than the ones in the back. Secondly, while typical films focus sharply on the characters in the front, film noirs also highlight characters in the background. Finally, another essential element of a film noir is deep contrast lighting -Plenty of shadows, and no fill light. Other characteristics of film noir cinematography include extreme close-ups and extreme angles.

These are just some of the distinct elements of a film noir. Unfortunately, because of the age of this film genre, it is often difficult to look for physical copies of film noirs. Your best bet is to look for them from select license acquisition and MMOD or Movie Manufactured on Demand agencies.