Film Noir
Choose A Dame With A Past And Hero With No Future
1) Is Film Noir in your head already? What does the narrator mean by this?
The narrator means by this is that,has anything stayed in your head. What has stayed in my head is that the darkness and mystery. The seductive women have also stayed in my head.
2) What are the woman like in Film Noir?
In Film Noir the women are shown as extremely seductive and exposes alot of themselves.Also the women always looks majestic. The women are shown superior and powerful. A phrase that is used to describe women is Femme Fatale, this means deadly women. You can never trust the women. The more blonder the women is, the more bad she is inside. The women is shown to take the man through betrayal.
3) What are the 'heroes'/protagonists like in Film Noir?
The heroes are shown a innocent people, that get swayed towards the seductive heroine. They are doomed from the beginning. The men are shown as not earning much, spending their time drinking too much and smoking too much. The men are shown that they are living a life full of struggle.
4) What are the endings like in Film Noir?
The endings are unhappy endings. In the endings they show that the women has trapped the man. Also usually there is a death at the end.
5) Why were they popular in the 1940's?
They were popular because they were cheap to make as most of the money was going to the war and war effect.
The narrator means by this is that,has anything stayed in your head. What has stayed in my head is that the darkness and mystery. The seductive women have also stayed in my head.
2) What are the woman like in Film Noir?
In Film Noir the women are shown as extremely seductive and exposes alot of themselves.Also the women always looks majestic. The women are shown superior and powerful. A phrase that is used to describe women is Femme Fatale, this means deadly women. You can never trust the women. The more blonder the women is, the more bad she is inside. The women is shown to take the man through betrayal.
3) What are the 'heroes'/protagonists like in Film Noir?
The heroes are shown a innocent people, that get swayed towards the seductive heroine. They are doomed from the beginning. The men are shown as not earning much, spending their time drinking too much and smoking too much. The men are shown that they are living a life full of struggle.
4) What are the endings like in Film Noir?
The endings are unhappy endings. In the endings they show that the women has trapped the man. Also usually there is a death at the end.
5) Why were they popular in the 1940's?
They were popular because they were cheap to make as most of the money was going to the war and war effect.
Use No Fiction But Pulp Fiction
1) What is Pulp Fiction?
Pulp Fiction is about tough detectives that get into hot waters. The detectives have gotten in trouble
2) What does 'Hard Boiled' mean?
Hard boiled means a story that is a lot more harder and nastier then normal. The story line is more grittier and more brutal.
Pulp Fiction is about tough detectives that get into hot waters. The detectives have gotten in trouble
2) What does 'Hard Boiled' mean?
Hard boiled means a story that is a lot more harder and nastier then normal. The story line is more grittier and more brutal.
3) Who are the famous writers of this style of writing?
Famous writers of this style are Raymen Chandler and James M Cain. James M Cain has written such amazing novels such as Double Indemnity.
4) What are the writer Dashiel Hammet's ideas?
Dashiel Hammet is also known at the daddy of Film Noir. He has been a detective and he knows alot about crime. He wants to tell people that the system is corrupt. He wrote a book called the Red harvest. Which influenced a lot of movies in the 1929's. The opening line of his book is 'I first heard Perosnvile called Poisenville' shows that it is a violent mystery novel from the start.
5) What is a Hard Boiled character?
A hard boiled character is the main character. Someone who gives a flat delivery and who is very tough guy. A man who is unsentimental and lethal.
6) Why is a voice-over good in a Film Noir?
Voice-over is really effective in Film Noir as when the main character has died. The main character can continue to tell the story with mixed emotions in his voice, not revealing much to the audience. The voice-over gets people psychological, it gets their minds unsettled which makes them not expect the unexpected. The voice-over is very pessimistic and it is not happy at all. Also the voice-over lets you understand what is happening inside the head of the hero.
Make It Any Colour As Long It's Black
1) What is the difference between realism an Film Noir?
The difference between realism and film noir is that film noir is exaggerated. It is over the top but it is also effective as it is shown in the dark with strange camera angles.
2) Why are shadows used so much in Film Noir?
The shadows make you seem doomed and trapped in your nightmares. The shadows add a factor of mystery and it is intriguing for the audience because they want to know more.
The difference between realism and film noir is that film noir is exaggerated. It is over the top but it is also effective as it is shown in the dark with strange camera angles.
2) Why are shadows used so much in Film Noir?
The shadows make you seem doomed and trapped in your nightmares. The shadows add a factor of mystery and it is intriguing for the audience because they want to know more.
3) How many light sources are used and at what angle typically?
The light is very limited and typically there is mainly 1 light source. Having just 1 light makes a better shadow, that makes the scene more sinister. Sometimes the lights are down low which creates shadows above them, which makes the actor look much taller and powerful. That make it very intimidating
4) Describe the overall look of Film Noir
The overall look is characters that live by themselves. The location of Film Noir makes Film Noir real and not a drama. A lot of it is shot at night and in dark alleys or narrow streets. The weather is always misty and foggy. Also Film Noir is always set in towns and cities for example Los Angles.
The light is very limited and typically there is mainly 1 light source. Having just 1 light makes a better shadow, that makes the scene more sinister. Sometimes the lights are down low which creates shadows above them, which makes the actor look much taller and powerful. That make it very intimidating
4) Describe the overall look of Film Noir
The overall look is characters that live by themselves. The location of Film Noir makes Film Noir real and not a drama. A lot of it is shot at night and in dark alleys or narrow streets. The weather is always misty and foggy. Also Film Noir is always set in towns and cities for example Los Angles.
Classic Noir Openings
1) Describe the look in the opening of these 2 Film Noir
The first movie the Killers is traditional Film Noir, it is old, black and white , also it is not showing much. In addition to this it also looks quite simple and mysterious. In the trailer of The Killers there is a beautiful women who is acting very seductive. The second movie Sunset Boulevard is also very traditional Film noir. The title in the opening scene is very bold and in your face. It gets your attention. The opening scene has a tracking shot and it does not reveal much to the audience.
2) Describe the characters in them
In the movies the characters are very aggressive and confrontational. Between the hero and femme fatale they have a love&hate relationship. They both have physical act in violence. The men are wearing big coats which shows them as threatening. The femme fatale are very seductive but dangerous.
3) Describe the storyline and action.
The storyline are similar in both of the films. They both have police sirens, which means there is some sort of crime going on. Also sometimes the body is shown at unusual angles.
4) Describe the language used and how characters
The language used between male characters are quite aggressive. Also the women are not scared of the men. The women are more in power and they are not scared to threatening the doomed heroes. In addition to this, in Sunset Boulevard the doomed hero is killed off in the beginning but he continues to tell the story in voice over. He doesn't give much away to the audience.
The first movie the Killers is traditional Film Noir, it is old, black and white , also it is not showing much. In addition to this it also looks quite simple and mysterious. In the trailer of The Killers there is a beautiful women who is acting very seductive. The second movie Sunset Boulevard is also very traditional Film noir. The title in the opening scene is very bold and in your face. It gets your attention. The opening scene has a tracking shot and it does not reveal much to the audience.
2) Describe the characters in them
In the movies the characters are very aggressive and confrontational. Between the hero and femme fatale they have a love&hate relationship. They both have physical act in violence. The men are wearing big coats which shows them as threatening. The femme fatale are very seductive but dangerous.
3) Describe the storyline and action.
The storyline are similar in both of the films. They both have police sirens, which means there is some sort of crime going on. Also sometimes the body is shown at unusual angles.
4) Describe the language used and how characters
The language used between male characters are quite aggressive. Also the women are not scared of the men. The women are more in power and they are not scared to threatening the doomed heroes. In addition to this, in Sunset Boulevard the doomed hero is killed off in the beginning but he continues to tell the story in voice over. He doesn't give much away to the audience.
Student Film Noir Openings
1) Which student film opening did you find most successful?
I found Desirable to be most effective as the femme fatale was strong and seductive. Her point was clear to the audience and from the start we knew that the hero was doomed.
2) Which did you think had the most recognizable Noir characters?
I think in Desirable as the Femme Fatale was acting very seductive. She was acting quite flirty and was smoking. Her clothing and her behaviour made it very recognisable also. In addition to this the doomed hero is recognisable by his style of talking and his actions
3) Which do you think uses the Noir storyline evidence?
I think The Phone Call uses the storyline most effectively because they used a lot of film Noir techniques, such as showing the love-hate relationship between doomed hero and Femme Fatale.
4) Which do you think uses Noir talk/language the best?
All three of the openings use Noir language quite well, they all use the aggressive language at some stage. Also they show the Femme Fatale being quite intimidating and talking quite aggressively which is famous in Film Noir movies.
I found Desirable to be most effective as the femme fatale was strong and seductive. Her point was clear to the audience and from the start we knew that the hero was doomed.
2) Which did you think had the most recognizable Noir characters?
I think in Desirable as the Femme Fatale was acting very seductive. She was acting quite flirty and was smoking. Her clothing and her behaviour made it very recognisable also. In addition to this the doomed hero is recognisable by his style of talking and his actions
3) Which do you think uses the Noir storyline evidence?
I think The Phone Call uses the storyline most effectively because they used a lot of film Noir techniques, such as showing the love-hate relationship between doomed hero and Femme Fatale.
4) Which do you think uses Noir talk/language the best?
All three of the openings use Noir language quite well, they all use the aggressive language at some stage. Also they show the Femme Fatale being quite intimidating and talking quite aggressively which is famous in Film Noir movies.