The article of “The Neo-Noir 90s”
provides quite a good description of the content and visual elements that film
noir included during its classical period. After reading the article I got a
better understanding of film noir. The style of film noir got its starts during
good times in the US when storytellers stopped worrying about cheering up the
country during depression. The style of this film evoked feelings of suspense
and dread to its viewers with its settings, costuming, and dialogue. The visual
style was inspired by Germans and Austrians who fled the corruption of the
Nazis bringing with them a sad corrupted image of history. The settings of
these films are always dark and gloomy where the name “film noir” may have been
derived from. Dark places full of sins and illegal actions like bars,
nightclubs, or lounges may be the pinpoint settings of film noir. It is
certainly not a bad thing to assume that in a film noir it will always be dark
and no doubt there will be rain. One of the most common elements in a film noir
is the “femme fatale”, a provocative dangerous woman who knows how to get what
she wants by seducing and trapping men into doing what she desires. The plot
will always include some type of crime that would lead to investigation carried
on by a private slick detective who may be wearing a long black suit and a fedora.
And as of the dialogue, it is quick and smart; hard to keep up with but worth
it in the end.
