What is Film Noir?

The style of film noir can be defined through common characteristics and styles that run through all or most of the films in this genre. The elements of lighting, camera work, plot, role of gender in the story and moral ambiguity can all be observed in the films The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Big Sleep (1946), The Lady From Shaghai (1947) and Touch Of Evil (1958).

There is an essential lighting scheme used in any Film noir. There are stark contrasts between the black shadows and white lighting, for example on a characters face, in a scene. The shadows of blinds, stairs or buildings on the characters are quite common. This creates a sinister sense of drama and tension and can be noted in all of the above features.

Film noir is also recognised for the way it is shot on camera. The angles are often low or wide-angled, again created a dramatic atmosphere. It was used, and still is in modern film, to subtly point out villains in the plot. In film noir, ‘femme fatale’s’ in particular. These camera angles and contrasting lighting methods combined together develop drama and are key to arousing suspense and trepidation in the viewer.

As well as these notable visual elements, the plots of this genre and the behaviour of its characters are also easily recognisable. They tend to have rather complex plot lines, often drawn out by lengthily phone conversations, flashbacks and narrative scenes. This narration method has also been carried on into modern day film-making as means of explaining or concluding story lines.

The characters are driven by jealousy, instability, greed, lust and unhappiness toward violence and death. The protagonist is the hero of the film; the one who unearths the truth and gets the girl like Detective Phillip Marlowe in The Big Sleep or Miguel Vargas in Touch Of Evil. Film Noir takes these flawed characters and throws them to explore the darker sides of everyday living, family and love. It can often be difficult to judge the characters as it is likely that by the end of the film, a truth will have been discovered that makes them the villain or at least not as innocent as they may have first seemed. This is what is meant by femme fatale in film noir; a woman who at first seems to be innocent and distressed but then changes through the course of the film to become dangerous and lustful. This is also what is meant by moral ambiguity. In film noir, it is also difficult to work out what a character’s motives are and this creates an air of pessimism within the genre.

For example, the motives of Ms. Rutledge in The Big Sleep. A lot of the characters in these films seem corrupt and alienated, in a way from the rest of the more optimistic section of society. Film critic, Robert Ottoson,once described the film noir genre as “overwhelmingly black”. The women in these films are submissive and typical ‘damsel-in-distress’ characters that often use their apparent weakness to lure in the protagonist and take advantage of them.

Most film noir takes place in an American city like New York, Chicago or San Francisco. The action often takes place in a bar, club or an office set deep within the city streets. A lot of scenes are shot at night-time which suggests drama and ambiguity of what’s going to happen.

All of the above elements of film noir can be observed in The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor in 1941. This is one of the most widely recognised films of the film noir genre as well as one of the first. The story follows Detective Sam Spade (Bogart) as he tries to unveil the truth behind the murder of fellow detective, Miles Archer. He meets the duplicitous and clever Brigid O’Shaughnessy and discovers there is a lot more to the case than he first thought. The basis of the crime is due to a very expensive and historical statue; the Maltese Falcon.

The film is set in San Francisco, while Brigid O’Shaughnessy claims she is from New York. Most of the shots we see of the city are at night, as with most of scenes. We see a city bustling with people; racing around in the evening darkness. It is noticeable that every man is wearing a hat. This makes the atmosphere even more tense as our protagonist Spade cannot identify villains in the crowd.

The hats cast dark shadows over a characters face making them seem dark and mysterious. Untrustworthy maybe. The lighting on the streets comes from dim street lanterns and glitzy 1940’s billboards. This dull light makes the appearance of shadows all that more dramatic. For example, when Spade gets the phone call informing him of Archer’s death, we do not see his face. Instead he camera stays on the telephone which gleams in the reflection of the streetlights. This light is cast in through a billowing net curtain on which the dark shadows of the window frame are visible. Effective lighting is also evident when Spade goes to the scene where Archer was shot.

As he stands on the ledge looking down at the fallen body, there are camera flashes down below where the body is. This makes the atmosphere grim, dramatic and authentically film noir. There is also noticeable shadows from Venetian blinds in a few of the scenes, including that in which Brigid tells Spade the first few pieces of truth in her hotel room.

The camera angles also create suspense and quietly analyse the characters. For example, the scene in Sam’s room where they are discussing the whereabouts of the Maltese Falcon and who’s possession it has fallen into. The camera holds a wide lense shot Brigid while it holds a low-angle shot on Sam and also on Cairo.

Moral ambiguity is also to be noted in this film. The first example of this arises when Sam is questioned after Archer’s death. He is asked about wanting control of the firm that he and Archer had which led to suspicion that he may have killed him off to do so. Also, the day after the shooting, Sam instructs his assistant to have ‘Spade & Archer’ removed from the office window and ‘Samuel Spade’ up instead. The audience is left wondering whether or not he in fact killed his colleague.

But the most questionable moral is that of Brigid O’ Shaugnessy. She continuously misleads Spade and makes up all kinds of tales to explain the murder of Archer and Thursby. She is a demonstration of the classic ‘femme fatale’. She introduces herself to Spade as looking for her lost sister but by the end of the film he is sending her to the arms of the police after she admits she was the one who killed Archer. Also, Joel Cairo demonstrates a change in moral and personality with Sam.

Women in film noir are treated in almost a condescending kind of manner, often called ‘good girl’ and ‘little angel’ by the male characters. This treatment was usual in the 1940’s but also reinforces the female character’s vulnerability in dramatic situations. They seem distressed by something or another and this allows for the strong, male protagonist to step in. It is also a vital trait for the femme fatale to possess in order to lure and manipulate her prey. Sam notices Brigid’s false façade immediately, referring to her “schoolgirl act - blushing, stammering and all that”.

This type of female character is also present in then 1946 film The Big Sleep, also starring Humphrey Bogart but this time with Lauren Bacall as the classic film noir femme fatale. Bacall plays Vivian Rutledge, another damsel-in-distress who’s not as naïve as she lets on. Rutledge latches onto Marlowe firstly because she wants to know what her father, General Sternwood, has asked him to do for him. He has hired Marlowe to search for a his companion and bodyguard, Sean Regan.

There are many complications and additional information to the case for Marlowe. Similar to the plot in The Maltese Falcon, the femme fatale turns out to be the killer. For the first dozen scenes of the film, one would imagine it is Vivian’s’ sister, Carmen, who is the dillusioned villain. As time passes, Marlowe discovers that Ms. Rutledge has a lot more to do with Regan’s disappearance than he first thought. It turns out the she was responsible for Regan’s disappearance only the ending to this film isn’t as negative as The Maltese Falcon; Marlowe and Rutledge decide to put the case behind them and put their love first as we hear sirens arriving outside Geiger’s house which they are in in the scene.

As with the women in The Maltese Falcon, they are all vulnerable (or at least appear to be so) and seem to be taken by Marlowe’s status immediately; a typical falling-for-the-hero situation, like when Marlowe waits in the bookstore for Geiger’s arrival as he shares a drink with the smitten shop worker.

There is also the question of moral ambiguity in this story. We are unsure of what Vivian’s motives are and why she is choosing to involve herself with the case and with Marlowe so deeply. She is in fact devoted to her family as she says she doesn’t want her father to know about any of the happenings her and Marlowe have become wrapped up in because he is sick and frail. At least the viewer is led to believe this is why she is hiding it from him. She also seems loyal to her sister, Carmen so it is clear that family is important to her.

The lighting and camera angles are also similar to The Maltese Falcon with low and wide-angle shots of the characters, as well as dark, contrasting shadowing of stairs, furniture, doors and curtains. There are also shadows on the characters faces again from the hats.