The settings used in Film Noir, are low-key lightning and a lot of classic films are associated with stark light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadow patterning. Quite a common theme is when Venetian Blinds are used in some scenes. This is a good visual as when the shadows are cast upon an actor or on the set, it can give a good visual of the scene and add certain elements to it such a sinister or dark. These settings tend to be used and represent the visual places on screens, such as real cities and the moderness (of its time). Faces may be partially or mostly obscured by darkness, this is common in a lot of Hollywood movies. Film Noir is also known for its use of low-angle, wide-angle and skewed angle shots.
Costume would also take a big part in Film Noir, as it would give characters their own identity. In most films, women would wear variety of costumes, depending on the character. In some, if the woman were a working character, she would wear work clothes. This would be typical for her look, as it would represent her social rise of the protagonist (leading character) from middle class to upper class. Other costumes may be dressed in usual black clothes as they correspond to the usual fashion that was around in the 40’s. Men’s clothes however, are slightly different, as they would tend to wear suits, to represent the job they were in or as a standard upper class figure.
This is a good clear summary, Jamil. However, "The shadows of certain objects, cast upon an actor, a wall, or an entire set, are an iconic visual noir and had become a cliché well before the neo-noir era" is from the wikipeda. Re-write in your own words.
ReplyDeleteWell re-written.
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