Film Noir contains several classic movie traits that separate it from the other numerous genres in the industry. The movies The Big Sleep and Chinatown are examples of Film Noir for their femme fatale, hardboiled detective and the use of Mise en Scene throughout the films. After viewing The Dark Knight the Rises, I have come to the conclusion that it too falls under the category of Film Noir for using the same traits as the previously mentioned films. Femme fatales or characters that deceive and lie to the protagonist to provide for their own self interest, must be present in a movie for it to be considered Film Noir. In The Big Sleep, the clear femme fatale is Vivian because of the lies she continuously tells Marlow regarding Shawn Regan. Near the end of the movie she claims …show more content…
Shawn went away to Mexico and is doing well there.
Vivian lies to Marlow in order to protect herself from him finding out that she killed Regan, potentially sending her to Jail. The only thought she has, when attempting to lead Marlow down the wrong path, is ensuring her own safety. Chinatown also incorporates a femme fatale into the plot of the movie, Evelyn Murwray. Evelyn lies to Gittes throughout the entire movie to protect her secret child from him. For example, after having sex, Evelyn tells Gittes she must go and refuses to tell him why she must departe so suddenly. She keeps the truth from Gitties for the sole purpose to protect herself and her deep and shaming secret. The Dark Knight Rises femme fatale is Selina Kyle or Catwoman for her deceiving acts against Batman in order to obtain safety for the numerous crimes she has
committed in the past. For instance, after helping Batman get to Bane’s hideaway, Catwoman proceeds to lock the door behind Batman when he enters the cave to ensure no escape, even if necessary for the hero. Catwoman comites this act to attempt to insure her own personal safety and in the process disregards the well being of others. Similar to the aforementioned femme fatales, Catwomen is a powerful figure that will lie to authoritative men to ensure her own well being. In addition to femme fatales, Film Noir must be center around the burning desire of the hardboiled detective to find the truth and stop at nothing until he achieves his goal of realizing the truth. The Big Sleep is a perfect example of how the hardboiled detective, Marlowe, cannot be deterred from finding the truth. After Marlowe solves the mystery behind who was blackmailing Carmen, Vivian attempts to pay him money to stop looking for Shawn Regan. Marlowe could have easily taken the money, considering he wasn't hired to find the whereabout of Shawn, but his moral code turns down the fortune to find the truth behind the mystery. Gittes in Chinatown draws many similarities to the previous example by also not being deterred by problems he encounters when searching for the truth. When the Gitties visits the spot where the water dumping is occurring, he encounters Noah Crosses henchmen and gets his nose nearly cut of when they confront him. Instead of cowering away from pursuing the mystery, he continues with his quest despite his life being threatened. Furthermore, The Dark Knight Rises implicates similar qualities into the movie's detective, Batman. When Batman first fights Bane, he gets his back broken and is put into a prison referred to as “hell on earth” for crushing men's spirits and hopes. Despite this circumstance, he will not stop on his mission to save Gotham City and manages to claw and scratch his way out of the hole. Batman, just like Marlow and Gitties, cannot be denied the truth because of his immense passion for justice. Lastly, Film Noir has a very specific type of lighting, Mise en Scene, that is unique to its genera of film by portraying shadowy figures typically in the dark. In The Big Sleep, the dark is periodically used to show danger. For instance, Marlow is jumped in a dark alley and beaten badly. When this happens shadows cast over his face giving the scene an eerie feel to it. The diminished lighting adds a effect to scenes that makes it seem important and climatic. Also, in Chinatown one of the opening scenes incorporates Mise en Scene into the film. When Mrs. Mulwray enters gitties office the blinds cast a series of shadows over her face. This lighting effect shows illustrates how she is a sneaky liar to protect herself and her secret child. The Dark Knight Rises very obviously uses Mise en Scene throughout the movie by incorporating darkness in nearly every scene. In Batman’s first physical encounter with Bane, Batman hacks the lights to shut them off in order to hide in the shadows. Batman uses the dark to hide his identity and attempt to gain an edge on his opponents. The lighting and shadows used in The Dark Knight Rises have a similar meaning when comparing the other two films to it.
While there are many different ways to classify a Neo-noir film, Roman Polanski’s, Chinatown captures many. The 1974 movie consists of many of these elements, including both thematic and stylistic devices. One of the main themes of neo-noir film that is constant throughout the film is the deceptive plot that questions the viewers’ ideas and perceptions of what is actually happening in the film. Every scene of Chinatown leads to a twist or another turn that challenges the practicability of the film’s reality. All of the never-ending surprises and revelations lead up to the significant themes the movie is trying to convey in the conclusion of the film.
Films that are classified as being in the film noir genre all share some basic characteristics. There is generally a voice-over throughout the film in order to guide the audience's perceptions. These movies also involve a crime and a detective who is trying to figure out the truth in the situation. This detective usually encounters a femme fatale who seduces him. However, the most distinctive feature of the film noir genre is the abundance of darkness.
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.
portrayed as the “femme fatale” and also “mother,” the “seductress” and at the same time
It’s a dark and rainy night. Our hero is hiding behind a wall with a revolver in hand. A crack of light, illuminates half of his face. He’s shaking nervously because he only has one bullet left. He turns the corner, and a sudden gunshot hits our hero. Who shot him? None other than his partner, who’s secretly in love with the very same dame that our hero fell for. You can consider this an example of a classic film noir ending. Film noir is a term used in cinema to describe a visually styled crime drama. Where did it come from? What are the key elements in a film noir? Why did this kind of cinema emerge when it did? What affect did it have in the film world? And finally, where is film noir now?
Film noir (literally 'black film,' from French critics who noticed how dark and black the looks and themes were of these films) is a style of American films which evolved in the 1940s. " The Internet Movie Database LTD. Film noir typically contains melancholy, and not so moral themes. Another characteristic of film noir is just because the main character has the title hero, that does not mean that he will always be alive at the end of the book, or that the hero is always "good." Marlowe in The Big Sleep is a prime example of this concept.
Some of the roles that women play in films are the supporting character, a character who dies a painful death, the evil creature, but seldom the main character. When women play the supporting character, they are usually just acting as a love interest for the male main character. Based on our idea of gender roles, women are considered to be inferior to men, which is why females follow the males in the films and not the other way around. Another role that women typically play is a victim that dies at the hands of an evil creature. When they play these characters, not much background information is given about them, since they will inevitably die, and usually within the first half of the movie. When women play the role of the evil creature, they often have feminine characteristics to emphasize their gender, usually dressing in all black to present them as an evil widow. They are also often portrayed as mothers who want revenge for their children, or simply an evil woman to add a more terrifying effect to a scene that a man could not. Another role that a woman can play is the lead character, and when they play this role, they can either be portrayed as an empowering woman who survives the entire film and saves the day, or as a fragile woman who dies in the end because she can longer outrun the
In retrospect, the woman is portrayed as a femme fatale, as she is initially regarded as the one who can attain infinite beauty and destruction. The artist’s resolution of forging a masterpiece on her is interpreted as him digging his own grave. Also, the woman metaphorically transform into a black widow; a creature symbolizing beauty and destruction. The woman is indeed portrayed as destruction.
The movie Spy intends to emphasize that women can play an important role in today’s society and work environment; however, it does not accomplish this goal as the main protagonist is a woman who has an unattractive appearance and overly comical characteristics. Due to her appearance and behavior (which is the opposite of everything the media emphasizes is ideal for a woman), Cooper (Melisa McCarthy) is constantly doubted and discriminated against instead of being respected. Ultimately, the lead character’s central purpose is to provoke laughter, not admiration.
women played versatile roles, where one could be the femme fatale and then the mom while
Both Cordelia and Warshawski display great ability as women to enter a world of hate, lies and murder and take on roles that traditionally only men dared to enter. But, as they sift though evidence left behind by unknown assailants and pry into the lives of dead and living strangers, are these women really living lives of their own or are they becoming to emotionally entangled in a web of self destruction. Putting their lives in harms way in search of justice, an oath that they as private detectives have never took.
they state, "Like the Cowboy in the Western, the hard-boiled detective is a loner." (351)
Any fan of Batman knows that “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” are two of the best Batman films made in the seventy-eight years that Batman has been around. The plots really make you look deep in yourself and show the true and more real sides of the characters of the Batman world. Each movie shows the evolution of Batman and shows only a few of the many crazy and intense adventures of this mysterious hero. These two movies are the first two in the dark knight trilogy, created by the amazing Christopher Nolan. These movies were heavily praised for their astounding realism to the real world, and its pros and cons. But they were also extremely liked for their possibility for
On July 20, 2012, James Holmes purchased a ticket to The Dark Knight Rises premiere in Aurora, Colorado.
During the 1900s the role of women and the definition of femininity was changing. The Cult of Domesticity was fading away and the idea of womanhood was exploring new directions. Women were voting, working, and, in Anaïs' case, even acting as the traditional male role of a relationship. As women changed so did the femme fatale, evolving past the simple idea of the temptress Eve as a foil of the virgin Mary. This modern femme fatale frightened the general public because it was the personifications of their fears. During the nineteenth and twentieth