5) Film Noir

Film Noir is an important part of producing thriller movies.

Film;

these are a few of the aspects which create/represent 'film'

Noir;

this is a few aspects which construct/represent 'noir'

To study Film Noir we watched part of Double Indemnity, and it was very clear it was film noir as it included aspects such as; 

• Dark shadows
• Back lighting
• Smokey atmosphere - covering faces
• Smoking
• Murderer
• Mysterious characters
• Characters wearing over-coats and top hats
• First piece of dialogue we hear is a murder confession
• Deciet
• Villain
• Hidden secrets

elements that make Film Noir distinct;

- City scene - shown through establishing shot at night creating mystery

- Crime scene

- Detective investigation

- Femme fatal - manipulative, and more dangerous than the murderer

- Shadows created from street lamp lighting, creating tension and suspense

- Dark setting

Will include characters such as;

- Heros

- Villains

- Detectives

- Agents

- Cynical, tarnished, obsessive, menacing, sinister, frightened and insecure character struggling to survive.

- The protagonist usually driven by their past or by weaknesses to repeat mistakes

Visual style;

- Deep focus/depth of field

- Disorientating

- Ominous shadows

- Skewed camera angles

- Unbalanced compostion

- Cigarette smoke

Setting;

- Low key lighting

- Gloomy

- Claustraphobic

- Dark alleys

- Shadows

Iconography;

- Detectives

- Police

- Murder

- Corruption

- Seductive female

- Guns

- False love

- Dark places

All of these aspects are important and some essential in creating thrillers and this work on Film Noir will help us to create ideas and set the scene and right characters to create a sinister atosphere for our own thriller in order to create tension and suspense for our audience.

Natasha