Paul Shilcock

The style of Film Noir has been strongly influenced by a artistic, theatrical and cinematic movement popular around early 20th century: German Expressionism. As the growing studios in Hollywood began to show an interest in this dramatic and lightfocused style of film, and also due to the increasing Nazi influence over Germany, many German directors and Expressionism practitioners emigrated from Germany, taking with them, their Expressionism roots.

After the most successful film noir directors began throwing out the earliest forms of noir, the Hollywood industry was producing competition in the form of early Horror Films, such as the 1931 production of Dracular The influence of doomed heroes stemmed from the Poetic Realism, popular in the 1930s in France; the title Film Noir is French for Black Film although many of the narratives come from early American crime dramas.

The central figure of the film can vary in character, but the film should at no point mislead the audience into thinking that there will be a happy ending. Classic plots include characters that start as law-abiding citizens but turn into a life of crime, or even just a victim of circumstance. Film Noir plots are often split between actual time of events, and remembered time: diverting between the two throughout the film.

The overall look of Film noir is very typical: dramatic lighting, dark shadows, atmospheric settings and alleyways. A strong piece of Film Noir content is smoking: nearly all the characters in a film noir are smokers, although some films exaggerate this habit more than others.

Although the main character in Film Noir will be dominant male, there is nearly always a woman, either manipulative or trustworthy who has a crucial role in the narrative. The Femme Fatale, or the manipulative character was derived from the early antiheroine vamps, who were evil temptresses, with large bosoms in dark and erotic films.

The Femme Fatale is often shown wearing fur: often red, and will smoke- alike the other characters. The point of the women in Film Noir is to look sexy- with revealing clothing and a keen eye for desperate men. No matter what situation the woman is in, she will always attempt to look perfect, many famous Femme Fatale death scenes show a miraculously- placed body after a shocking death.

The men is Film Noir are dressed smart- suit and tie etc. Their language is often simple and strongly accented subject to location and they will have contacts with many different characters. The men will usually have children, who they want nothing more for than for them to be protected.

Many Film Noir pictures are shot in black and white, and those which arent are shot to look as though there is a distinct lack of colour. There will be nearly no colour besides the back lights of cars, and the red dresses of the deceptive Women.

Film Noir, although derived from traditional French writing styles is the most American film genre of them all- with so much doom and gloom there is no other society that could create such a thing. The New York settings in many Film Noir style films creates another sense of america- with the NY gangster style talk and content, as well as the countless number of alleyways and the back doors of posh clubs.