Codes and Conventions of Film Noir

Characters: Film Noir movies tend to have a specific set of character types. Typically characters include:

• A male protagonist who is disillusioned and cynical (stereotypically he is a detective)
• A femme fatale. The detective falls for her seductive charms but she will usually double cross him/have sinister and dishonest intentions. She maipuates the protagonist into becoming the fall guy. The women were often shown to be this way because of their new found independence due to the war - during the war, women had to do the jobs that the men used to do, this highlighted to the world that women were just as able as men and was a large step towards women's independence.
• The main villain character will more often than not be the boss of less important bad guys. His charcater is usually a drug dealer/mob boss/ bank robber/murderer type of character, however, his 'minions' will do the dirty work for him.

Lighting: One of the things that makes Film Noir films so easily recognisable is the lighting used in them. Lighting is typically high contrast and is used to create silhouettes and shadows. Silhouettes and shadows are used to highlight the juxtaposition of good and evil in the film. Often when shooting, for example, an office scene strong strong light would be blasted through venecian blinds, this projects shadows and streams of light across the characters face which can often be used to draw attention to the eyes to show emotions and thoughts.

Voiceovers: Film Noir films often include a voice over usually from the protagonist. This helps to explain the, often complex, plot and reveals to the viewers what he is thinking and feeling.

Common prop usage: Smoking was a very common occurrence in Film Noir movies. Characters would often light up a cigarette in most scenes, the smoke acts as fantastic visual effect as it can create a mysterious atmosphere and allows for some very smooth transitions between cuts. Mirrors were also very common as part of Film Noir sets as were venecian blinds. The usage of venecian blinds shows the period in which the films were made as they were popular around the 1940s. This type of blinds allow for some rather creative lighting as they are great for creating strong shadows and harsh streams of light.