Characteristics of a Classic Film Noir Movie
What is film noir, and how do you know if you're watching a movie from this much-lauded genre? Noir means "black" in French, and this fact alone should give you some clue into the nature of classic film noir cinema. Morally ambiguously, rich in shadows and mystery, and stocked with prototypical femme fatales and anti-heroes, a good film noir will have you guessing the whole way through, and rooting for characters that are hard to defend but fun to watch. Here are seven characteristics of a classic film noir movie.
1. Darkness and shadows. Most classic film noir movies are rich in shadows and darkness. Picture the seamy side of town after midnight. Much of the action in classic film noir movies takes place at night. This works on two levels: our protagonists are usually involved in some kind of shady enterprise that requires them to moonlight after hours, and the dark setting creates the perfect undercurrent of menace and mystery.
Although there are certainly a number of contemporary movies that adhere to the main tenets of film noir, most critics agree that classic film noir is shot in black and white. Shooting in black in white allowed cinematographers to exploit the shadows and shades inherent in black and white filmmaking. Imagine cigarette smoke curling from a protagonist's cigarette, a long silver stream that cuts against an otherwise black frame, or dark shadows draped along an empty city street at night.
See The Third Man.
2. Our main character, the antihero. There are no true heroes in classic film noir movies, but there is usually at least one antihero. We can't exactly root for the protagonist in the way we would for the conventional movie hero. The classical film noir antihero is a loner, detached from social conventions, a drifter, outsider, and usually involved in some kind of criminal activity. Many film noir antiheros struggle with moral dilemmas, and may fall prey to the criminal life, even if they are trying to "go legit."
See Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past, and Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity.
3. A beautiful but deadly femme fatale. Most classic film noir movies have a femme fatale. The femme fatale is a female character who is often the catalyst for a turn of events. She is beautiful, but deadly, whose allure is capable of undoing the main character.
See Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity.
4. The dark side of city life. Although there are some notable exceptions, most classic film noir movies take place in the city. Los Angeles and New York are classic film noir settings. The city is the place where sinister dealings take place, especially after hours.
See the streets in Los Angeles in Double Indemnity and He Walked By Night.
5. Sexual tension, and the feeling of impending sin. Almost all classic film noir movies are injected with sexual tension and the feeling of impending sin. Usually, this tension exists between our antihero and the femme fatale, who are most commonly engaged in an illicit affair of some kind. Relationships in film noir movies are not romantic in nature. They are on the steamy side, full of intrigue and broken promises.
See Body Heat starring Katherine Turner and The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
6. Suspense and detective work. The film noir genre was born out of classic detective tales. Most classic film noir movies involve some kind of detective work. They are also rich in suspense and intrigue, and it's not surprising to find characters that lie about their identity, who betray each other more than once, and who will stab one another in the back for a suitcase full of money.
See The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart. This film is often credited as one of the first true film noirs.
7. An unhappy, yet fitting ending. Most film noir classics do not end in the "happily ever after mode." Don't expect a conventional Hollywood ending. Rather, the ending may appear to be unhappy, yet also fitting. The characters usually reap what they sow, and since most film noir characters are up to no good, their final destiny is not a happy one.
See Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder's classic film noir, where greed, ambition, and avarice abound. Starring William Holden.
