Film noir

• What historical event led to the emergence of American Expressionism in film?

  The flight of German Expressionist filmmakers from Nazism to the US
• How did the stylistic innovations of Orson Welles and John Alton influence film after WW2?

  They were applied to the Crime Genre and became Film Noir
• What are the typical characteristics of a Film Noir movie?

  • Creates mood through visual style
  • Inventive use of lighting, canted angles, and unusual framing
  • Explores a creative partnership between Director and Cinematographer
• Who pioneered the creative partnership between Director and Cinematographer in Film Noir?

  Orson Welles
• What is the typical narrative structure of a Film Noir film?

  • Adapted from crime novels
  • Investigative narrative structure
  • Confessional narrative with 1st person voiceover
  • Story told in flashback
• What kind of world does a Film Noir narrative typically depict?

  A corrupt and threatening world, often described as an existential nightmare
• How does lighting contribute to the themes in Film Noir?

  It emphasizes entrapment
• What are some key visual styles and iconography associated with Film Noir?

  • Femme Fatale
  • Anti-hero
  • Unusual low 'Jimmy Valentine' lighting by John Alton
  • Odd framing techniques
• Which modern films have been influenced by Film Noir?


  Blade Runner, Se7en, Sin City
• What are three key visual characteristics of Film Noir?


  Low-key lighting, Dutch angles, urban settings
• How does low-key lighting contribute to the mood of a Film Noir movie?


  It creates deep shadows and contrast, enhancing mystery
• Why are urban settings often depicted at night in Film Noir?

  To emphasize isolation and danger
• What is the effect of Dutch angles in Film Noir?


  They create a sense of unease or disorientation