What is film noir according to Hirsch?
Hirsch, as one who has taken the position that film noir is a genre, argues that these elements are present “in abundance”. Hirsch notes that there are unifying features of tone, visual style and narrative sufficient to classify noir as a distinct genre.
What are the aesthetics of film noir?
The aesthetics of film noir are influenced by German Expressionism, an artistic movement of the 1910s and 1920s that involved theater, photography, painting, sculpture and architecture, as well as cinema.
Why are film noir films seen as inherently corrupt?
The films are seen as depicting a world that is inherently corrupt. Classic film noir has been associated by many critics with the American social landscape of the era—in particular, with a sense of heightened anxiety and alienation that is said to have followed World War II.
What are some classic horror films that are noir in style?
The Universal horror film that comes closest to noir, in story and sensibility, is The Invisible Man (1933), directed by Englishman James Whale and photographed by American Arthur Edeson. Edeson later photographed The Maltese Falcon (1941), widely regarded as the first major film noir of the classic era.
What kind of characters smoke in film noirs?
Certain archetypal characters appear in many film noirs—hardboiled detectives, femme fatales, corrupt policemen, jealous husbands, intrepid claims adjusters, and down-and-out writers. Among characters of every stripe, cigarette smoking is rampant.
What is classic film noir?
Classic film noir has been associated by many critics with the American social landscape of the era—in particular, with a sense of heightened anxiety and alienation that is said to have followed World War II.
What is a good book on film noir?
Voices in the Dark: The Narrative Patterns of Film Noir. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-06056-4 Thomson, David (1998). A Biographical Dictionary of Film, 3rd ed.
Is film noir a genre or mood?
Other critics treat film noir as a “mood”, characterize it as a “series”, or simply address a chosen set of films they regard as belonging to the noir “canon”. There is no consensus on the matter.
What are some common plot elements in noir films?
False suspicions and accusations of crime are frequent plot elements, as are betrayals and double-crosses. According to J. David Slocum, “protagonists assume the literal identities of dead men in nearly fifteen percent of all noir.” Amnesia is fairly epidemic—”noir’s version of the common cold”, in the words of film historian Lee Server.