Film Noir

What is it?
Film noir is french for "Black Film". Film noir is primarily used to describe Hollywood crime dramas. The classical film noir period is seen to be from the 40's to the 50's.

Characters:

• Conflicted hero
• Private eye, police detective
• Femme fatale - beautiful woman who knows what she wants and how to get it (manipulative, dangerous)
• Police detective or private detective
• Criminal
• Victim

Plots:

• Crime
• Usually murder

Story telling devices:

• Rarely have an optimistic ending
• Frequently involve flashbacks
• Techniques that often interrupt the narrative sequence

Cinematic conventions:

• Low key lighting
• Shadowy photography
• Foreboding background music

Setting:

• Urban setting