Film Noir! Scary Shadows! Questions

1.    According to Schraeder, is Film noir actually a genre?  Explain your answer.

a.    According to Schraeder, film noir is not a genre because it is not defined by conventions of conflict and settings but rather it can be defined by subtle qualities of mood and tone.

2.    Identify two themes (content and ideas) that are often explored in classic film noir movies. 

a.    Passion for the Past and Present + Fear of the Future: Film noir heroes dread to look ahead, instead they try to survive by the day, and if unsuccessful at that, they retreat to the past. Film noir emphasizes nostalgia, loss, insecurity, and lack of clear priorities.

3.    What stylistic characteristics are prevalent within classic noir movies?  List at least 3 characteristics. 

a.    The majority of scenes are lit for night.

b.    Oblique and vertical lines are preferred to horizontal.

c.     The actors and setting are often giving equal lighting emphasis.

d.    Compositional tension is preferred to physical action.

e.    There seems to be almost Freudian attachment to water.

f.      There is a love of romantic narration.

g.    A complex chronological order is frequently used to reinforce the feelings of hopelessness and lost time.

4.    During what period of American history did film noir begin to gain notoriety?  What years are often said to define the classic noir period?

a.    During the period of American history known as the forties film noir began to gain notoriety.  The years that are often said to define the classic noir period are 1941 to 1953.

5.    What are the major phases of the classic noir movie era?

a.    1^st Phase (1941 – 1946): The Wartime Period

                                               i.     Phase of the private eye, the lone wolf, the lady in the lake, etc.

b.    2^nd Phase (1945 – 1949): The Postwar Realistic Period       

                                               i.     Focused on the problems of police routine, political corruption, and crime in the streets.

c.     3^rd Phase (1949 – 1953): Period of Psychotic Action and Sternal Action and Suicidal and Suicidal Impulse

                                               i.     The noir hero, seemingly under the weight of despair, started to go crazy.

6.    What is expressionism?  How is film noir fairly described as an “expressionist” genre? 

a.    Expressionism, with its German influence, relies on artificial studio lighting, which seems incompatible with postwar realism, and its harsh unadorned exteriors.
b.    Film noir is fairly described as an “expressionist” genre because its ability to weld seemingly contradictory elements into s uniform style makes it a unique quality of film noir.