Film Noir

The term Film Noir refers to the stylish Hollywood crime dramas, which often emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. The classic film noir period is generally regarded as from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, which is commonly associated with a low-key black-and-white style, and dramatic shadows (chiaroscuro).

Film noir literally means "black film". This can be interpreted not only as the colour and visual style of the film, but the storyline too. The plots of Film Noir are very dark, mysterious and disturbing, and are often based upon crime.

This is a typical shot from a film noir.

The generic conventions of the film noir are presented in this shot: the extreme light on the heavy shadows. This use of chiaroscuro increases mystery and connotes confusion. Also, the use of the silhouetted character holding the gun intensifies the shot further to give a strong sense of danger and nightmare. The femme fatale is centered in the shot, and shown clutching onto the man. This shows how he is her protector. The facial expression of the two characters expresses their feelings of terror.