.A. Noire/L.A.

Confidential Opening sequences

GENRE: Both Clips are extremely conventional For the Genre film Noir. Both
use An
American City, in this case Los Angeles which is one of the
most used Cities in film setting in any genre as their setting. However
specifically for this genre cities such as Boston and New York are also used
frequently. Both Clips also Start By describing said city, as a perfect place
where crime barely exists. (Which is obviously not true). Both also use a
conventional soundtrack to frame our expectations of the stories through the
connotations of said music (jazz).

MISE EN SCENE: Both Sequences use high contrast imagery to create a sense
of Vibrancy and danger, but also to Highlight certain aspects of the sequences
that may be more important than others to the plot. The costumes used in both
sequences are old fashioned, Formal and Professional in the case of Police
uniforms and suits. The use of shadows and lighting is also used to reflect
certain characters moral standing and creates themes of evil and corruption,
whilst also connoting, In certain cases moral good and justice. Specifically in
the L.A. confidential clip, lighting is used to highlight the importance and
flamboyancy of who we assume to be the main focus of the clip.

REPRESENTATION: In both clips, the Police and criminals are represented very
conventionally. Police are shown as being humble, family men who are morally
pure whereas Criminals are shown to be glamourized, fun-loving and Formal.
The representation of women is also very simplistic, as both are set in a time
where women would have typically not had the same jobs as men, if jobs at all.
This means that it is easy to create a sense of opposition between two strong
characters, fighting to be the alpha male. Often these two characters are
portrayed as the leaders of crime and police respectively. This typical
representation reinforces conventions of this genre, and creates a very
simplistic juxtaposition between the two groups.
VOICE OVER: The voice overs used in both clips frames our expectations of the
two clips as we are given a characters first hand perspective of a specific city
which is very typical of this genre. We expect to see a Police officers view of
crime and its influence or vice versa. Through the voice over, themes of conflict
and corruption are introduced, whilst also giving us a personal connection to
the character in question, this develops our understanding of the tones
surrounding the clips and helps to build a more comprehensive introduction.