Film Analysis: Film Noir

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Ashley Seymour Film Noir Paper #2 Due: May 5, 2014 Mise-en-scene: Paranoia, Ambiguity, and Shifting Values Three quintessential films featuring elements of noir include: The Big Combo, Stranger on the Third Floor, and Out of the Past. The Big Combo is about protagonist and police lieutenant, Diamond, who is investigating mob boss Mr. Brown. Even though Diamond is ordered to cease the case, he makes one last attempt by going after Mr. Brown’s girl, Susan Lowell. The Stranger on the Third Floor is about a reporter, Michael Ward, who is a witness to the murder of a café owner allegedly committed by Joe Briggs. The film is about Michael’s struggles to overcome his guilt that Joe Briggs may in fact be innocent. Lastly, Out of the Past is about Jeff Bailey, a man with a mysterious past that catches up with him. Jeff must confront his past, including coming face to face with Whit Sterling, a man encompassing corruption and danger. These films embody the characteristics of a noir film, as they portray similar aesthetic choices, especially mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene consists of the lighting effects, the arrangement of scenery, and the use of urban settings in a noir film. For example, these films use: rain and damp streets, low-key lighting – also known as chiaroscuro – high contrast images, obtuse shadows, endless nights, and stark light/dark contrasts utilizing blacks and whites. These effects make the noir films emit distorted, skewed, and dark moods, which are prominent characteristics in film noir. In Out of the Past, one of the most evident uses of mise-en-scene is with the addition of chiaroscuro. For example, the character Kathy Moffat portrays this in the scene when she double crosses Jeff Bailey for the second time, as she at... ... middle of paper ... ...-en-scene to emphasize the films themes and emotions. It can even be taken into consideration that cinematographer’s use of light isn’t just important when it is used, but also when it is not used. Visually, mise-en-scene allows cinematographers to help guide the audience through the story, making the story powerful and memorable, whilst portraying the mood, tone, and dimensions of the imagery. These techniques also underscore the themes of paranoia, anxiety, and angst, as well as underscoring double identities and shifting values. In essence, mise-en-scene is successful in that it undercuts the typical shot in film, and then creates a visually unstable environment by splashing the screen with low-lighting, shadows, and ambiguous scenery. This visually impelling sequence and imagery evoke all principles of safety and security, thus creating a noir-esque atmosphere.

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