Do you know those detective story movies that you watched when you were a kid? The ones in black and white (well, this might depend on your age). They called the genre ‘hardboiled’ because of its underlying heavy tone and interesting plot line and plot twist. The hardboiled genre style has often appealed to many film enthusiasts, giving birth to the film noir genre.
The sci-fi movie Blade Runner is a great example of this particular film genre. Noir is characteristically placing moody lights, a palette of dark colors and overtones and camera angles that are often scenic and moody. They are often characterized by combinations of long and close up shots, as well as witty dialogue.
Why I like noir is because it depicts a gritty yet glamorous location. Noir’s dialogue as well as plot is the most important parts of the genre. The dialogue often evokes the intelligence of the characters in the film. The mood shows the reality of the situation (as depressing or as hopeless as it is). The production design revolves around classy, posh locations to sleazy alleyways and chases in the night.
Noir has been also a staple in video games. I recently recalled I played Max Payne on the computer. I know it’s a decades-old game, but I played it for the first time. This was actually my firsthand experience with the noir genre. It was gritty, violent and awesome. The awesome twist when you see all the pieces of clues fit together to tell the story of a killing or an act of revenge is just something you can’t pass up.
Well, I hope this made you curious about film noir! I’ll be writing for you again next time!
-Victoria
Recent Posts:
The Types of Painting Strokes
Some Open Source Graphic Design Software
Music Writing and the Frustration of an Artist