Film Noir
What is Film Noir?
Film Noir is a term used to describe an era of crime and drama movies from Hollywood that are often focused on problems involving crime and money in people's lives. They were mostly made from the start of the 1940's to the end of the 1950's in the United States, and they were filmed in black-and-white. The term "film noir" comes from the French term for "black film". Film noir movies used many different genres of movies, such as having themes of gangster, police, and detective movies as well as developing their own characters, language and views on the world.
Film Noir uses the elements of light to add to the suspense and tension of their films. They use shadows to create an abstract view of people's faces and dismembers them. It allows some of the character to remain hidden to the audience showing that they are possibly shady and hiding something. They also use blinds to block out sight and create an imperfect view. As well as using light, they also use sound to cause tension. There is a lot of music used to set the scene. In bars, there is often a band and/or a piano playing creating a jolly, social and happy atmosphere whereas in houses or places where conflict happens there will usually be slow and low tempo music playing.
Film Noir is part of the Classical Hollywood Style. These were a time before the 1960's when films stuck to a routine formula. They would often stick to a similar narrative where characters who are seen as selfish, believe in every man for himself and are lead by sex, violence and money have a problem which they have to overcome to achieve a certain goal e.g. win back a lover. The main characters would consist of the hero/antihero and his woman. The woman would also be slightly dodgy and have a dark past that would be linked to the main plot. This is often seen in a three act structure: start of the problem, solving the problem, resolving the problem. They are often set in populated cities formed on Capitalism in order to be relatable to the audience in places where everyday people went to such as bars.
The setting plays a large part in bringing the film to life. The directors of the films use the mise-en-scene to add extra details to it and make it seem as if it a real place. The mise-en-scene includes props, light, sound and everything that can be seen in the image. Each aspect has the ability to add to the plot and the mood of the film. The mise-en-scene is a huge a element to the old studio system.
The Old Hollywood Studio System is the phrase used to describe how films were made between the 1930's and 1950's. All of the films,whilst being set in different locations, were filmed on a sound stage in a studio. The studios had power over the film and would make the big decisions. In their films they would often contain the same actors playing the same sort of roles. This was because the actors signed long-term contracts with the studios agreeing to perform in their films. The old studios also produced a lot more films then they do today often putting out around 200 a year. The films were often very patriotic due to America's involvement in World War II. The Old Hollywood Studio System eventually died out in the 1950's due to the uprising of television.
Film Noir uses the elements of light to add to the suspense and tension of their films. They use shadows to create an abstract view of people's faces and dismembers them. It allows some of the character to remain hidden to the audience showing that they are possibly shady and hiding something. They also use blinds to block out sight and create an imperfect view. As well as using light, they also use sound to cause tension. There is a lot of music used to set the scene. In bars, there is often a band and/or a piano playing creating a jolly, social and happy atmosphere whereas in houses or places where conflict happens there will usually be slow and low tempo music playing.
Film Noir is part of the Classical Hollywood Style. These were a time before the 1960's when films stuck to a routine formula. They would often stick to a similar narrative where characters who are seen as selfish, believe in every man for himself and are lead by sex, violence and money have a problem which they have to overcome to achieve a certain goal e.g. win back a lover. The main characters would consist of the hero/antihero and his woman. The woman would also be slightly dodgy and have a dark past that would be linked to the main plot. This is often seen in a three act structure: start of the problem, solving the problem, resolving the problem. They are often set in populated cities formed on Capitalism in order to be relatable to the audience in places where everyday people went to such as bars.
The setting plays a large part in bringing the film to life. The directors of the films use the mise-en-scene to add extra details to it and make it seem as if it a real place. The mise-en-scene includes props, light, sound and everything that can be seen in the image. Each aspect has the ability to add to the plot and the mood of the film. The mise-en-scene is a huge a element to the old studio system.
The Old Hollywood Studio System is the phrase used to describe how films were made between the 1930's and 1950's. All of the films,whilst being set in different locations, were filmed on a sound stage in a studio. The studios had power over the film and would make the big decisions. In their films they would often contain the same actors playing the same sort of roles. This was because the actors signed long-term contracts with the studios agreeing to perform in their films. The old studios also produced a lot more films then they do today often putting out around 200 a year. The films were often very patriotic due to America's involvement in World War II. The Old Hollywood Studio System eventually died out in the 1950's due to the uprising of television.
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