What is film noir?

Film noir is a dark style of film that does not show pure happiness, but does come to some sort of plot resolution. It is focused around crime, twists and usually follows a character who asks questions and tries to find truth. The character may never find truth, but rather a satisfaction or a justification. There are many characteristics that are followed within film noir. The characteristics with *s are the ones that I think need to be in a film in order for it to be considered film noir.

Some of the characteristics I've gathered from the films I've seen are:

*Crime: Each film noir story involves crime and solving crime in some kind of way.

*Suspense: Suspense is a large part of film noir. Sometimes things in a film noir movie may seem to be moving kind of at a slow pace, but it really isn't...it is building suspense. There are usually one or more points where the suspense culminates and the audience feels pressure from the film. The ongoing pit it the stomach feel is incorporated throughout the film.

*Water: The use of water in many forms is vital. Some examples are:
Double Indemnity: fishbowl, rain, talk of rain
Touch of Evil: Under the bridge at the end
Brick: The stream and tunnel where Emily died--water running underneath her body and over her hand
Blade Runner: Rain the entire film

*Night sky/cloudy/dark skies: Sunshine does not find its way into film noir very much. A lot of action takes place at night. When it takes place during the day, like in the film Brick, it is usually very cloudy and gray.

Desolate: There is kind of an aspect of feeling totally alone--physically, spatially, mentally, emotionally. Some examples:
Touch of Evil: the landscape was very desolate and even though the film was in black and white, I pictured everything to be brown and dying. There was dust, bare trees, etc. Not a whole lot of people were around in the Mexican town or other places.
Brick: desolate, brown, gray, barely anyone around EVER even on school property. Use of open parking lots, open fields, etc.
Blade Runner: Even though it was in a city with crowds and crowds of people, there was a definite disconnect and isolation. The buildings were tall and towering over all of the action.

Use of the outdoors and walking transportation: A lot of action takes place outside. The character who is trying to figure out the crime does a lot of traveling and it outside a lot. The character is seen walking around-- lurking and hiding from others. It's kind of like a "fancy footwork" characteristic because they walk a lot--the stride of the character's walk is strong or strong/reserved even if they are injured. Also, the use of foot chases are important--there is a lot of running around through the jungle of open space or city streets.

*Romance: There is always a lot of romance or sexual tension... it's usually hindered by the crime or it is dark and tragic in some kind of way. I think this is a main characteristic to film noir. There was huge discussion about this in class. And I'd like to comment on that. It was said that by including this romance/sexual tension of the female character is just like saying that people are a part of film noir. I think that is completely inappropriate. The role of the female characters in film noir is much deeper. They are characters who agonize the dominant main male character--film noir would not be the same without the female character sexual romance tension aspect. I think that it is important to recognize that males have dominated film as they have dominated most aspects of society and culture. And in film noir, males dominate the genre with characters and I am guessing also directors. It is important to see the intricate role of the romance sexual tension of the female characters. The films we watched in class had sexual tensions surrounding females that could not be taken way. Sure, if the male character were taken away was well there would be no film...however, if you took the female character away, it would still be a film--and in that case, I do not think it would be film noir anymore... Yes, sex and romance are incorporated into almost every film genre, however to some genres it is impertinent. A romantic comedy would not be a romantic comedy without the sexual /romance content. I don't think film noir would be the same either.
Double Indemnity: The crime was based on the romance between Neff and Phyllis. Phyllis used romance to her advantage to get Neff to do what she wanted.
Touch of Evil: Mike and Susie just got married and Susie got wrapped into the crimes within Mike's job. Hank attempted to frame Susie for murder.
Brick: Emily was the person killed. Brendan was a previous boyfriend to Emily as were many other male characters involved in the crime/solving the crime.
Blade Runner: Rick fell in love with Rachel, one of the replicants, who quite possibly could have been the person who revealed to Rick that he was a replicant.

*Smoke/Cigarettes/Cigars: Smoking is always a part of film noir. The characters smoke cigarettes or cigars, smoke curls up around characters faces. Extra smoke on the scene is used. Smoke is huge. Smoke adds to the mysteriousness of these films.
Double Indemnity: The main characters smoke. Keyes always asks Neff for a match.
Touch of Evil: Hank smokes large cigars nonstop. Mike smokes and so do the other characters.
Brick: Characters smoke. Laura's cigarettes were an important prop to the film.
Blade Runner: Many characters smoke. Laura smokes while Rick does the replicant test on her.
Smoke or steam is everywhere on the streets and it comes from everywhere.

Social Blcoking/Silhouettes/Shadows: Social blocking can be seen the way people are positioned in certain scenes (this is seen a lot in Brick). Shadows go along with the dark/night aspect, but shadows of men with hats are important, or just shadows and use of light versus dark in general are important.Silhouettes are also important.
Touch of Evil had a beautiful shot of the silhouette of the person in a window looking at Susie. The silhouette was there, then they turned on a flashlight.
Brick used silhouettes when Tug killed Tode.