Film Noir Essay

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As the 1940s and 50s phenomena that was Film Noir grew in size, so did its audience base. People during the 1940s and 50s use to go to the movies just to watch crime pack Film Noir, but these film required an intense plot line, an intricate lighting process, perfect camera angles, and most importantly, great characterization. With out these four aspects of Film Noir, it would not have been as popular with the masses as it was. In Film Noir, the plot line in this type of movie are generally the same. The movie first starts out with a crime that often involves the murder of a person. From the murder, a detective or lawyer, the protagonist of the movie who has significant flaws, investigates the crime, but as they investigate, the viewer starts to understand that who the characters in the movie are and that a subplot is forming amongst them. This subplot that forms amongst the characters in the movie is the make the viewers more interested in the movie, yet never misguide them on the fatal future that is ahead. This fatal future for one to two characters is often caused by jealously and love, but it does tell the viewer, if not known already, that the film will not contain a happy ending. Story ends in satisfaction that some characters live on to have a happy life and that the ones whose lives were taken actually helped the people who …show more content…

During scenes where people are partaking in a conversation, the lighting within the film will be called “hard lights.” “Hard lights” is a term used to describe lights that illuminate strongly on a person and created a distinct, edgy shadow. Additionally, the use of barn doors for lights would focus the light on one person or object instead of a wide area. In scenes that evoke a mysterious mood, the lighting is dimmed down so that the viewer has a difficult time deciphering the objects in the picture. Therefore, creating a perplexing, intriguing mood within the

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