Film Noir in Historical Context. “M” and “Double Indemnity”.
The begging of World War II not only changed countries, economic structures and politics but also had an enormous influence on different sides of life of people and societies. Well-known from the historical experience is the fact that every single of such size as World War always has its resonance on arts, as culture is an inseparable part of people’s lives. Talking of WWII, the response within artistic communities was so strong that artists became a part of the ideological war of the time (Martin). The position of lots of creative people was at the same time very fearful, as they found themselves in occupied countries under the threat of totalitarian regimes and had to immigrate
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and find new places to live. Germany and neighboring countries felt this threat much more than others because of the spreading of Nazis fascist movement. High censorship, use of art for propaganda reasons and restriction of free word and modern art made lots of European artists migrate from their native countries, and filmmakers were no exception. A large number of directors and cinematographers moved to America in order to escape from the terrors of war and afterwards had a great influence on the film industry in U.S.A. Among the new and representative trends in the film production of that time was the emerged “film noir”. Today it is hard to say, whether “film noir” is a film genre, movement, tone, period or visual style as the very term appeared after the appearance of the group of films. The term “film noir”, which translates from French as "black film", was first coined by French critic Nino Frank in 1946 about Hollywood films of the time (Jackson). And still, it was long before the industry actually recognized this term in the 1970s. The most important question among historians and film critics, however, is not the time-frame of this movement, but rather the question of where “film noir” came from originally and what are its features as a distinct film genre. This essay will further explore the historical and social context and reasons associated with the appearance of this group of similar film works in the industry and, using two of the most representative examples of “film noir” look into the features and details that exemplify and form “film noir” as a separate film genre. Talking of historical background, the first point of history that “film noir” is usually associated with is the time frame of World War II. This association has a well-reasoned motive behind it, as the emergence and rise of this particular genre not only corresponds in time frames with the beginning of wartime (the 1940s), but is also said to have its origins in the effects of war, or so-called “WWII trauma” (Ritter). But on the other hand, as it can be clearly seen from detailed historical analysis, “film noir” and its first films were produced in the world long before America joined World War II. One of the first movies that can be associated with this style was Fritz Lang's M, shot in 1931 in Germany (Garncarz 219-23). This way, “film noir” that emerged in America not long after that can be seen more as a manifestation of despair, loneliness and fear at the core of nation’s life long before the war began. Of course, the experiences that WWII made people overcome had a certain influence on the themes and overall development of “film noir” after the war was over. Still, the origins of this stylistic movement and reasons for its popularity and development are much more complex and include more factors than just the effects of WWII and any other sociopolitical crises, such as the Great Depression and the Cold War. One of such factors is the influence of German expressionism, which brought not only the knowledge of psychology and its motifs but also the use of techniques such as low-angle shots, use of lighting and special lenses. More than that, as German expressionism had a very high influence on Hollywood horror film creation, we can say that “film noir” also borrowed specific features from the horror genre. “Film noir” is also known to have used some characteristical features of the French poetic realism, that was present in French cinema films in the 1930s. The idea of the dark trapped universe, usage of low-key lighting and fatalistic themes most certainly influenced the appearance of “film noir”. The melodramas, created at the chosen period of time, and that afterwards would be called “film noir”, were about the dark side of people, about the criminality, paranoia and nihilism that was intrinsic and typical for that period. Film noir's origins can also be rooted in the existential despair that had come from the time of the Depression. This despair not only touched the film industry but also the literature world and painting art (this can be clearly seen, for example, in works of Edwards Hopper or Cornell Woolrich) (Diemert; Levin). Talking of literature, many critics as well see the origins of “film noir” in the pre-WWII hard-boiled novels of such writers as James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler (Diemert). All these theories about the origins and historical influences that launched the creation of “film noir” are an effort of critics to define this certain form and identify it within the film history and as a separate genre with its own features. In order to identify the main features of “film noir”, this essay will take a look at various details of two films, that are considered representative of this particular film style (Wexman 119-120).
The first movie I would like to concentrate on is the film that is considered to have started the development of the genre – M by Fritz Lang (1931). Born in Germany and originally starting his career there, Fritz Lang shot this film in Germany as well, before moving to the U.S. later in life. This film was also later translated in the United States in 1933 (Garncarz 219-25). Although, earlier in the 20th century Hollywood had already produced a number of films that had similar features to “film noir” (among them are Nosferatu (1922) and Sunrise (1927)), but which still were shot more in the stylistic traditions of horror (Wexman 49). This film (M (1931)) was also the first one to start a whole line of black and white movies with similar characteristics and techniques used in them. Although color movies have already taken their established place in the film industry, the decision to shoot films in black and white was a creative technique that provided films with a certain atmosphere and allowed using more denominated shadows and light accents. Everything in this film, from complex, maze-like narrative which includes crime, police and court and leitmotif as a background music to the shadows on the columns and in the windows and simple shots that presuppose something horrifying. Lang also explores an unsavory subject in his work which is now considered one of the features of “film noir” (Brégent‐Heald 125-38). M’s plot and narrative shifts from protagonist’s to antagonist’s point of view (the viewpoint of Hans and the cops trying to catch him), blurring the boundary between
them. The second movie that also stands in the list of most influential and representative films of the “film noir” style is Double Indemnity (1944) by Billy Wilder. This film has full “film noir” aestheticism to it. Some of its features, such as its low-key lighting, witty dialogues and oppressive music make this movie a “film noir” classic. The plot is also based around a crime as in the previous example of M (1931) but, in this case, the crime of passion and adultery. This film already features immorality in terms of main protagonists which is conveyed through low-key lighting and use of shadows (Corrigan, White 340). Besides, women characters are displaying their sex-appeal through clothing and movements, which creates the typical for “film noir” presence of ''femme fatales'', while men are wearing dark suits and smoke heavily. More importantly, Double Indemnity creates a specific “film noir” mood of danger together with attraction. Drawing a conclusion from the following arguments, although generally referred to 1940s and 1950s, “film noir” development had started long before WWII time, slowly acquiring its features from different social and political situations as well as previous cultural and art movements. Taking into consideration masculinity, psychoanalytic, spectatorship and genre studies that were and are made today to analyze and identify “film noir”, one can say that this movement was born from the combination of influences from various cultural movements and historical events. The features of “film noir” can be identified more clearly than the context of it. We can see these features even in some of the modern movies: use of ''femme fatale'' characters, low-key lighting, protagonists with questionable state of mind and with dark-side of inner-self. “Film noir” became a representative factor of a historical period in film and art and undoubtedly influenced many filmmakers and artists even after its pick of popularity.
Calhoon, Kenneth S. “Horror vacui.” Peripheral Visions: The Hidden Stages of Weimar Cinema. Wayne State University Press: Detroit, 2001.
Modris Eksteins presented a tour-de-force interpretation of the political, social and cultural climate of the early twentieth century. His sources were not merely the more traditional sources of the historian: political, military and economic accounts; rather, he drew from the rich, heady brew of art, music, dance, literature and philosophy as well. Eksteins examined ways in which life influenced, imitated, and even became art. Eksteins argues that life and art, as well as death, became so intermeshed as to be indistinguishable from one another.
Film noir, by translation alone, means dark film, and by that measurement Sunset Boulevard certainly fits the genre. A gloomy story that follows a jaded and sarcastic protagonist, Joe Gillis from his initial dire circumstances to his untimely death, Sunset Blvd. earns the description “dark” several times over. But there is more to film noir than crushingly depressing plotlines. There are common motifs and icons that are found in most film noirs, such as crime, dark alleys, guns and alcohol. Deeper than this, film noir features certain visual elements, character archetypes, and themes that create a unique style of film. Although some have argued that Sunset Blvd. fails to represent some of these elements, it has become known as one of the most iconic film noirs ever made. Sunset Boulevard (1950), written and directed by Billy Wilder exemplifies the film noir style through its use of visual elements (lighting, shots and angles), memorable characters, themes and overall structure of the film.
During World War II many places and artworks came to be of historical and artistic significance. Lots of ...
Hicks, Patrick. "War, Literature and the Arts." War, Literature and the Arts. An International Journal of the Humanitie, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. .
Film Noir is a genre of distinct and unique characteristics. Mostly prominent in the 40s and 50s, the genre rarely skewed from the skeletal plot to which all Film Noir pictures follow. The most famous of these films is The Big Sleep (1946) directed by Howard Hawks. This film is the go to when it comes to all the genre’s clichés. This formula for film is so well known and deeply understood that it is often a target for satire. This is what the Coen brothers did with 1998’s The Big Lebowski. This film follows to the T what Film Noir stands for.
Janey Place and Lowell Peterson article “Some Visual Motifs of Film Noir” establishes noir as a visual style and not a ...
In Classical Hollywood Cinema, the plot moves forward mostly by the conflict between order and chaos. This is the case for most of the Film Noir movies, a popular genre that started in the 1940s. In The Big Sleep (1946) and Chinatown (1976), the two main characters, private investigators, are associated with order while all of the “femme fatale” characters bring chaos to the narrative of the films.
Film Noir is a fairly self-explanatory name. French for “Dark” or “Black Film”, this style (not genre) of film is pretty much summed up in those two words. These films started being made in a 1940’s, Post WWII paranoia, with the threat of nuclear missiles looming over the heads of all United States citizens, Hollywood included. This paranoia led to disillusioned attitudes and existential feelings, which in turn were reflected in Film Noirs through things such as characters, with the two most prominent types being hardened male protagonists and femme fatales. Also, the “Darkness” of Film Noirs was not just a metaphor for the content of the film, but also a fairly literal description of the visual style was like. Taking influence from German Expressionism, among other things, the visuals of film noirs were often of gritty city streets, dark alleys, or smoky, cramped-looking rooms. To add to the dark appearance, the lighting included heavy use of chiaroscuro, a style that is characterized by a dark environment with single-source, high contrast lighting on the subject. While many film noirs fall into the crime genre, as well as detective, there are some exceptions, such as the drama/black comedy Sunset Boulevard. Despite it’s setting and characters being a bit unconventional for the Film Noir style (the film was a fairly realistic account of what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood), Sunset Boulevard is definitely a Film Noir, due to it’s use of an archetypal Film Noir hero, a femme fatale, and conventional film noir cinematography and storytelling.
Before the Second World War began Hollywood’s purpose lied within entertainment for the American people. After the war started, the main focus shifted to wartime propaganda. Film was used to display the war in a way that did not show its true colors—including the censorship of soldier causalities and other negative connotations that are a simple fact of war. There was even a time in which some actors became better known to America than politians. Through films, Hollywood began to make a statement of their anti-Nazi beliefs. They began to make motion pictures for American recruitment into the Army as well as many that supported the war effort, and intended to make other Americans more aware of the war’s effect on the United States, and how people can get involved. Many European countries banned these Hollywood films, as they began to affect not only America but many other countries that were involved in the war as well.
The link between expressionism and horror quickly became a dominant feature in many films and continues to be prominent in contemporary films mainly due to the German expressionist masterpiece Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari. Wiene’s 1920 Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari utilized a distinctive creepiness and the uncanny throughout the film that became one the most distinctive features of externalising inner mental and emotional states of protagonists through various expressionist methods. Its revolutionary and innovative new art was heavily influenced by the German state and its populace in conjunction with their experience of war; Caligari took a clear cue from what was happening in Germany at the time. It was this film that set cinematic conventions that still apply today, heavily influencing the later Hollywood film noir genre as well as the psychological thrillers that has led several film audiences to engage with a film, its character, its plot and anticipate its outcome, only to question whether the entire movie was a dream, a story of a crazy man, or an elaborate role play. This concept of the familiar and the strange, the reality, the illusion and the dream developed in Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari, is once again present in Scorsese’s 2010 film Shutter Island.
During the late 1800’s there were two extremely short silent films that began the addiction of gothic horror. The earlier of the two was an eighteen second long film entitled The Execution of Mary Stuart which was produced by Thomas Edison in 1895. There much debate over the matter of this film actually classifying as the first horror movie because of its short duration. (Trick Films) The second horro...
“Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness.” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.
Thesis: The French Revolution transformed not only the French society, but also had a huge influence and marked impact on what the purposes of the arts and their expression were now, making profound changes in what they would supposed to be used for, in the form of the Neoclassic works of art that made their appearance prior to the French Revolution, in which very special emphasis is given to the patriotic, the nationalist feeling, together with a strong sense of self-sacrifice that should be present in every person’s heart.
This essay will be examining the genre of Horror, its conventions and origins. A dark genre that aims to unsettle. Wholly unique in the aspect that traditionally film often attempts to lull the audience into a comfortable sense of detachment. A voyeuristic element of disconnect from the screen, yet Horror's appeal is it's aim to immerse. Mise en scéne, the use of lighting and sound all common film techniques. Used to play upon the audience's most basic instinct, fear.