FILM NOIR

Joe Nichols

WHAT IS FILM NOIR?

The Film Noir genres refers to mainly mystery and crime dramas
produced from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. These types of
movies are mainly shot in black and white and feature stories
involving detectives, murderers, heroes and anti-heroes.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

OF FILM NOIR
1. First-person voice-over narration.
2. Film Noir locations use the everyday urban settings to make what was happening more real to the
viewer
3. Low key lighting
4. High contrast images. Dark blacks and whites (Few greys).
5. Usually, the male in film noir wishes to get rid of his mysterious past, and has to choose what path
to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).
6. Long tracking shots and deep focus
7. Obscured scenes
8. Urban settings filmed mostly at night
9. Crime & violence
10. False accusations & betrayal

CHARACTERS
Femme Fatale

A femme fatale is an appealing and seductive women who's charms often trap the protagonist which makes him
face danger situations.
1. Driven
2. Deceitful
3. Selfish
4. No Morals
5. Predatory
Protagonist
The protagonist is often the main character of a story. And usually gets trapped by the famme fatale, which
makes himself face dangerous situations due to the trapping of femme fatale.
6. Drinks/Smokes
7. Desperate
8. Easily Seduced
9. Lives in the world of crime
10.On the edge

REFERENCES
Brian Mitchell. (2015). Conventions of Film Noir.
Available: https://prezi.com/diffwuyjqrfk/conventionsof-film-noir/. Last accessed 11th Oct 2016.

sma2mkillick. (2012). Codes and Conventions of

Film Noir. Available:
http://sma2mkillick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/code
s-and-conventions-of-film-noir.html. Last
accessed 13th Oct 2016.