Film Noir

Film Noir Collage

How film noir originated

Classic film noir developed during and after World War II, taking advantage of the post-war ambience of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion. It was a style of black and white American films that first evolved during the 1940s. The name Film Noir was developed by French film critics who noticed many times how downbeat and dark the black and white films looked and themes were of many American crime (particularly murders and drugs) that were released in theatres around France following the war. Examples of film noir: Laura (1944), The Woman in the Window (1944), Murder, My Sweet (1944), The Maltese Falcon (1941).

Themes and Styles

The primary moods of classic film noir were moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia. Noir film's would always have heroes, villains and corrupt characters, these may be: cops, gangsters, murderers, socio-paths, a lover, femme fatales, crooks or just bad guys. These characters were  morally-ambiguous low-lifes that represented and lived in the gloomy and dark underworld of violent corruption and crimes. Most film noir characters struggle in this violent underworld to survive and in the end, ultimately losing.

Storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting. Narratives were frequently complex and maze-like and would almost always contain a murder, drugs, alcohol, thiefing, prostitutes or anything that is looked down on - like the characters that play in the film noir. They are typically told with background music, flashbacks, dialogue and first-person voice-over narration. 

Once Upon a Time Notes

Trailer of The Killing (2007)

Generic conventions of the film are reflected in the trailer:

Locations

There are several generic conventions of locations used in the trailer for the Killing. The woods, being one, is a very efficient thriller location as it's almost like a maze. This is because it can be so big and confusing to get out with all of the trees in the way, thus, the darkness and moonlight shining onto the wet leaves of the ground creates a  very mystical feel, fore-shadowing the mystery throughout the series.

Lighting

At the start of the trailer, there are lots of moving torchlights around the woods creating confusion and disorientation, it is then followed with a girl running through the woods. The confusion of the lights could represent how the girl is feeling; confused and lost. Throughout the trailer there is a  lot of noir lighting which is a typical thriller light, used mostly in dark genre and old movies. From the noir lighting at the beginning of the trailer, straight away we, as an audience, can recognise that it's a thriller/mystery genre.

Characters

The main character, Sarah Lund, is a dominant female inspector which is unusual and is not the cliche inspector of a man in a suit. She is a very strong character and this idea of having an independent female inspector playing such a dominant role in an intricate job, challenges the thriller genre. Lund's character shows how much society has changed and how it is now acceptable and is seen as the 'norm' to have the main role whilst being  such a strong, autonomous character with a dominant role.

Props

Sarah Lund wears a very casual patterened  jumper in the trailer and throughout the film. This defeats the stereotype of an inspector as they normally look more 'serious' and dress formally to represent this. However, Sarah Lund shows that she is taking her job seriously by not caring about what she wears and is only focused on the investigation itself.

Sarah Lund's independent and strong female dominated character as created many female fans and not only do they look up to her but she has created a very well know stylish jumper that has become a fashionable item of clothing and has been replicated and is sold in shops in different styles and colours.

 

What is the difference between the genre thriller and action?

Thrillers

 Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax. Sub-genres are that are too, sucha as: crime, drama, action thriller etc. which makes the more believable and real. However films that bring aliens, paranormal and robots are less real and therefore don't give out a 'thrill'. There are many thriller films such as: Psycho, Pulp Fiction, Casino Royale, Jackie Brown, The Matrix, Kill Bill and many more.

Adventures

Adventure films, however, are dramatic and energetic throughout. They can normally be too dramatic and energetic that it's almost not believable and is deemed as unbelievable. ory and character development are generally secondary to explosions, fist fights, gunplay and car chases. The main characters of action films are usual deemed as powerful men, however, some rarely do have a powerful woman too. G.I.Joe is an example of a powefrul hero in the action genere. The earliest action filmes origienated in the mid 1920s and 1930s. These films were based on the Western theme with "swashbuckling" characters and fights with swords. Later on action developed into cowboy/spy actions with gun fights and horse chases.



What is a Femme Fatale?

Femme Fatales are usually the main woman in a film, they can be identified in different film genres such as thrillers, horrors and action films. They can be described as seductive and mysterious. Femme fatale in french means dangerous woman. Their beauty can be used as an advantage and can be dangerous to others, especially men because their looks can be deceiving. 

A good example of femme fatale is Rita Hayworth who stars in the Film 'Gilda' as Gilda. The character of Gilda complicates the concept of the femme fatale, Gilda is not a bad person in the film, nor does she does anything bad like commit a murder. However, she is punished and is thought of as bad  by the men in the film. This could be the way in which she dresses and acts. She wears very revealing clothes as you can see from the image above where Gilda is displaying her leg and chest very confidently. Also in the clip of 'put the blame on mame' performance at the end she says "I'm not very good with zippers.... but maybe if I had some help" suggesting to the men in the audience that she wanted them to help her undress. This shows her vulnerability and is probably why people look down on her as a bad person.

Another example of a femme fatale is Eve from Once Upon a Time. However, Eve is the innocent character that is made vulnerable because of her looks, glamour and innocence. We can tell that Eve is the femme fatale of the iflm straight away because of her looks. Eve has glamorous eye make-up and bright red lipstick, she also wears lots of pearls and from this we can tell straight away that she's a very ravishing and sweet character.

Lauren Bacall performs "How Little We Know" in the noir themed film To Have and Have not in 1944. Her charming personality and the way in which she is glamerously dress and her glamerous hair style indicates that she is the femme fatale straight away. She is highlighted by critics as a menancing, father-fixated, unstable, and deranged, darkly alluring femme fatale. 

Lauren is clearly a strong and powerful character that has an effect on other people. There is lots of evidence for this on websites such as youtube.

Rita Hayworth's famous performance hase been cross-referenced in a number of other films as well.One of which is Jessica Rabbit's 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' scene by which Jessica, the Disney character, performs 'Why Don't You Do It Right?' in the same style as Rita Hayworth

Essex Boys

Essex Boys was directed by Terry Winsor and was released on the 14th July in 2000 and is an English film, filmed in the UK. The plot is based around drug dealing and gangster life in Essex. The cast vary from Sean Bean, Larry Lamb, Charlie Creed-Miles, Alex Kingston and more.  

Locations

One location that is used in the film is the underground tunnel. The vanishing point of the tunnel represents an entrance into danger and the claustrophobic space shows that there is no way out of it. The 'stay clear' sign on the road acts (not shown in the screenshot but it shown soon after) as a warning to Billy to not go any further and get involved. Glistening of the roads also relates to a scene in the film 'Once Upon a Time in America' where the roads glisten from the rain with three dead bodies laying across the ground (image on the left). The glistening road in the tunnel could signify the death or danger. The tunnel could also metaphorically represent the barrel of a gun which fore-shadows future events. 

This tracking scene shows a clear image of a bleak location in Essex creates the realism  of the urban area and sets off the feel for rest of the movie; morbid and dismal. The rain on the ground also creates the glistening effect on the ground used in Once Upon a Time. 

Lighting

Noir lighting in the beginning shot sets the mood and makes the mise en-scene become tense and mysterious straight away. The ambient, slight lighting of the lamp is a sharp blue colour which gives off an eerie and cold colour that reflects on the damp ground like the moon. The slight light also shines into the garage and identifies the claustrophobic spacing and the idea that there is no way out.

Sound

The soundtrack to Essex Boys is "Butterfly" performed by Sylvia Powell. This is ironic as butterflies are deemed as sweet and pretty. However, the 'Essex boys' are very dangerous and sinister. 

Characters

The characters throughout this film show today's modern gangsters. The main character 'Jason' played by Sean Bean wears a very bright, yellow, patterned shirt that break from the tradition of being 'bright' and 'happy'. Winsor may try to portay a different personality to what may be confound in the expectations of wearing bright, patterned clothing. The way Jason is positioned like this in the back of the car shows how relaxed and laid back he is, considering that he just came out of prison.

Camera shots/angles

As the two drive through the underground tunnel, the reflection of the lights on the window which are reflected onto the car could represent bars from a prison, which creates tan enigma. And the fact that Jason has just  come out of prison, the reflection shows that he may be driving his way into prison again. 

The dirt on the window in front of Jason represents that he is shifty and deceitful person. This mise en-scene is the way that Sean Bean is introduced as Jason Locke Jason into the film. Straight away from this scene we can see what sort of person he is. The lamp above his head could also symbolize a spotlight on to Jason as he's the main character ans there is a lot about this specific character and his importance in the film. 

How Leone Establishes Genre in Opening Scene to Once Upon a Time in America

How Leone Establishes Genre in Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America (directed by Sergio Leone in 1984) is film set in New York between the 1920s and mid 1930s during the end of the alcohol prohibition (1920-1933) in 1984. The film pays tribute to classic 1940s films such as 'The Deer Hunter'.

Characters

As soon as the scene opens it begins with non-diagetic/diegetic background music of 'God Bless America' and as soon as the non-ambient light is drawn the femme fatale character is suddenly exposed. We can tell that she is the film's femme fatale straight away from her pearls, heavy make-up (red lipstick especiall), rings and red nails. Not only do pearls symbolise bad luck and tears but the use of red lipstick and bright red nails suggests blood or danger. As soon as the femme fatale if shot and murdered it suddenly makes the intro song of 'God Bless America' convey ironey as the film is about gang life and corruption at the time.

All the men wore Trilby hats and overcoats which suggest that they are most likely going to be policemen or gangsters. They also carry guns which suggest they're very serious and dangerous.

Lighting

 

The beginning of scene starts off with very dim and dark lighting until the noir lighting is broken with the turning on of the bedside lamp which is a similar shade of colour to the femme fatale's complexion. As the non-ambient lighting is adjusted it makes her face more clearer and the fear in her face is suddenly expressed as she can sense that something is not quite right. As she turns to look around the room the lighting glistens on her pearls and acts as an indicater of tears.

Camera Angles

 

Close ups and extreme close ups are used mainly throughout the first section of the first scene in 'Once Upon a Time in America' as it indicates tension and suspense. You can feel the suspense during the close ups of the femme fatale as you can see and feel her emotions and you know from her facial expressions that there is not something right. Further on into the opening scene there is a use of worm's eye viewed from the man who had been shot. This angle creates disorientation and gives a stunning view of the killer aiming his gun at another character which makes the scene much more dramatic.

Locations

 

The film 'Once Upon a Time in America' uses locations such as liftshafts and outdoor space in the rain creating gleaming streets which gives off a gloomy and noir feel. At one point there is a shot of the femme fatale and all three policemen/gangsters standing in the doorway. The door frame is very grand and stylish and it creates a frame of the three characters in the middle of a dispute.

Sounds

As the phone starts to ring this starts inigma and a 'mystery feel' triggered. 'God Bless America' is the intro soundtrack to the opening scene of the film which is non-diegetic and also is used referencing to another film 'The Deer Hunter' where 'God Bless America' is played towards the end of the film, to make the audience feel slightly clever if they identify this also. The background noise of people talking is a natural sound (diegetic) within the mise-en-scene.

Working Title

•          Working title has a set of genres in which they specialise. Comedies (Mr Bean’s  Holiday),  Rom-coms

  What Kind of Films do Working Title Produce?

  Genres:

  
  • Comedy (films such as Paul, Mr Bean)
  • Rom-Coms (Love Actually, Nottinghill) 
  • Spoof-Comedy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)
  • Literary Adaptations (Bridget Jones)
  • Historical Drama (Anna Karenina, Elizabeth)

  Working Title spread their film genres to appeal to a wide range of audiences and not just targeted at one specific group. 
  
  

  Production 

  Cast and crew:
  • Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Paul, Shaun of the Dead)
  • Hugh Grant
  • Rowan Atkinson
  • Keira Knightley
  • Colin Firth
  • Richard Curtis
   (Love actually, The Holiday) and dramas (Anna Karenina)
• ·        They use actors /writes/directors that they have worked with before because of previous successes that they want to thrive again. Actors such as Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley etc.
• ·        Working Title create mid-to-low budget films such as Bean. Bean uses mainly one actor and doesn’t focus on other actors; it is also set in day-to-day locations like the beach, shopping centre etc. instead of expensive locations such as London or New York. However, these mid-low budget films are very popular with different audiences.
• ·        Their films focus on writing/acting/cinematography rather than special effects/CGI (computer generated imagery). A film that proves this is Anna Karenina as they focuses mainly on the outfits, acting and the way that it’s been set up (in an opera theatre). They do not focus on large action, modern and expensive films such as the Batman.
• ·         Working Title is based in the UK and are independent with up to 25 million pound autonomy.
• ·        They’re parent companies are USA’s Universal (chief funding) and France’s Studio Cannel. Both of these are parented by Vivendi which is also French. Vivendi is the parent of them all.

Key Terms:

•         CGI – computer generated imagery such as green screen.
•    Distribution – company/individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing (DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, Television)
•    Horizontal Integration – companies all on the same level as funding, production and distribution that depend on others to help the film to be accomplished.  
•          Vertical Integration – companies that can fund, product and distribute. More independent for a film company to work vertically integrated. No parent company.
•     Sister Company – A company which is owned by the same parent company as another company. One parent company can have one or many smaller companies, which all are sister companies to each other.
•           Funding – a sum of money or other resources set aside for a specific purpose: a pension fund or just the available money/ready cash
•           Production – the process of producing
•           Investment –the use money in the hope of making more money.
•       Globalisation –is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.
• Independent – free from the influence, guidance, or control of another or others; self-reliant: an independent mind and not determined or influenced by someone or something else; not contingent:
•            Autonomy – Independence

What Kind of Films do Working Title Produce?

Genres:

• Comedy (films such as Paul, Mr Bean)
• Rom-Coms (Love Actually, Nottinghill) 
• Spoof-Comedy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)
• Literary Adaptations (Bridget Jones)
• Historical Drama (Anna Karenina, Elizabeth)

Working Title spread their film genres to appeal to a wide range of audiences and not just targeted at one specific group. 

Production 

Cast and crew:

• Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Paul, Shaun of the Dead)
• Hugh Grant (Love Actually)
• Rowan Atkinson (Bean, Johnny English)
• Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina, Love Actually)
• Colin Firth (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spym Love Actually, Bridget Jones)
• Richard Curtis - writer and director (Nottinghill, Four Weddings)
• Coen Bothers (Low budget American Films)

Cost/Budget:  All costs between £15 million and £35 million.