- The term “film noir” was created by French film critics and literally means “black film.”
- World War II (1939-1945) caused Americans (and most of the world) to become more cynical and jaded.
- As a result, many Hollywood films in that time period had that similar style.
- Since France was occupied by Nazis during WWII, France was unable to see these films as they came out. As a result, they were bombarded with a backlog of films that now had a gloomy, pessimistic worldview (because of the war); much different than the glitzy, sunny films prior.
- Gritty, Urban Setting
- Twisted, Complicated Plot
- Morally Ambiguous Protagonists
- Low-Key Lighting, Contrasting Shadows
- Femme Fatale
- Corruption/Greed
Read a terrific article that tries to define the genre...
Watch a great montage of film noir images...
To get a sense of the classic film noir genre, we will watch Double Indemnity. There is a viewing guide that goes along with this film...
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