Published on the Yahoo! Contributor Network
I consider Film Noir the most unique form of art within cinematography. Rooted in the German Expressionist's film age, the Noir genre was first coined by films' critic Nino Frank in 1946 to depict a new cynical and melodramatic black & white genre that took inspiration from the years of the Depression and the new American Crime Fiction School.
Fully defining the genre comes as a challenge though, as several critics like to emphasize on the attributes of the characters and the stories, whereas others more on the visual effects and the settings that create the typical atmosphere of the genre. Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton defined "Noirs" as dreamlike movies and sometimes brutal in their 1955 'Panorama du film noir américain 1941-1953', allowing inclusion within this category of a very broad fiction's spectrum.
Some directors are true icons of the Noir genre and left a remarkable legacy; from Fritz Lang, to Michael Curtiz and later Jean Renoir and to certainly the best known of all, Alfred Hitchcock. Despite the strong ties to the European cinema culture of the '30s and '40s, Hollywood hosted some of the biggest classics of the genre.
There is something typical about film noirs, which has been so well depicted by the pioneers of this cinematographic style: powerful atmospheres which take you to the extreme of human social conditions, hidden and suggested behind intense and thrilling stories.
The characters are often going through an introspective journey, which most of the time culminates in extreme actions such as murders.
A very good example of such characteristics is in Jean Renoir's 1938 'La Bête Humaine', based on the respective 1890's novel by Emile Zola where Jean Gabin's acting is strongly pushed to a state of powerful authenticity to reveal a touching character taken to commit extreme actions in the name of his secret love.
Hitchcock's first US production, 1940 Rebecca, offers again a very interesting adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel where the traits of the characters strongly focus on the fear of remembrance and the fear of living in the shadow of a souvenir: this is what takes the young Joan Fontaine to fear the image of Rebecca, deceased, but still alive in everybody's mind.
1964 'Marnie' is also a great example of a striking performance by Edren who is forced through an introspective journey and an understanding of her condition by Connery.
Michael Curtiz's 1945 'Mildred Pierce' once again takes Joan Crawford through a tortured journey where she finds herself caught between a greedy daughter and a murdered husband.
Fritz Lang's 1936 'Fury' offers a wonderful Spencer Tracy caught within a net of flimsy evidence accusing him of child kidnapping. A truly shaking story on the
sway and irrationality of mankind.
Noirs, however, are not to be confused with Horror and Action movies, as they are not primarily centered on special effects' technology and extreme science fiction. They have led to a modern version of the genre, proving how much the first wave has actually influenced Hollywood.
Neo-noirs have taken over some of the great spotlights in Hollywood in the '80s, '90s and 2000s.
From De Palma, to Tarantino, to Lynch and Scorsese just to name a few, neo-noirs have indeed acquired Technicolor technology, but the importance of characters' personalities and their tortuous introspective journeys are still the leitmotiv of new productions.
Hanson's 1997 'LA Confidential', sets the scene for one of the most influential neo-noirs where LAPD gets involved in a filthy investigation rotating around corruption, narcotics, sex and political involvement. Kim Basinger simply seems to appear as the new Crawford… or Hayworth.
David Lynch's 1997 'Lost Highway' takes the spectator through a mysterious surrealistic thriller, where reality and dreams simply seem to merge to the point where reality is not important anymore: the only thing that matters is how characters perceive their own version of the truth.
Similarly, his 2001 Mulholland Drive depicts a captivating Naomi Watts who gets lost within her feelings for another woman, until her imagination takes over to leave us with the eternal question of which is the actual ending of the story, which is the truth.
Brian De Palma's 2006 'The Black Dahlia' probably marks one of the latest typical neo-noirs where Hartnett surrenders to his obsession and passion while investigating Kirshner's murder. The story highlights the difficulty of separating personal emotions when involved in a case that becomes part of your life.
Noirs are powerful emotional movies where characters are shown acting in the name of their deepest feelings and fears. Settings seem to become a supporting detail, carved by their own imagination where technology and special effects are not required. A truly unmistakable genre that has become a true form of art.
I consider Film Noir the most unique form of art within cinematography. Rooted in the German Expressionist's film age, the Noir genre was first coined by films' critic Nino Frank in 1946 to depict a new cynical and melodramatic black & white genre that took inspiration from the years of the Depression and the new American Crime Fiction School.
Fully defining the genre comes as a challenge though, as several critics like to emphasize on the attributes of the characters and the stories, whereas others more on the visual effects and the settings that create the typical atmosphere of the genre. Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton defined "Noirs" as dreamlike movies and sometimes brutal in their 1955 'Panorama du film noir américain 1941-1953', allowing inclusion within this category of a very broad fiction's spectrum.
Some directors are true icons of the Noir genre and left a remarkable legacy; from Fritz Lang, to Michael Curtiz and later Jean Renoir and to certainly the best known of all, Alfred Hitchcock. Despite the strong ties to the European cinema culture of the '30s and '40s, Hollywood hosted some of the biggest classics of the genre.
There is something typical about film noirs, which has been so well depicted by the pioneers of this cinematographic style: powerful atmospheres which take you to the extreme of human social conditions, hidden and suggested behind intense and thrilling stories.
The characters are often going through an introspective journey, which most of the time culminates in extreme actions such as murders.
A very good example of such characteristics is in Jean Renoir's 1938 'La Bête Humaine', based on the respective 1890's novel by Emile Zola where Jean Gabin's acting is strongly pushed to a state of powerful authenticity to reveal a touching character taken to commit extreme actions in the name of his secret love.
Hitchcock's first US production, 1940 Rebecca, offers again a very interesting adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel where the traits of the characters strongly focus on the fear of remembrance and the fear of living in the shadow of a souvenir: this is what takes the young Joan Fontaine to fear the image of Rebecca, deceased, but still alive in everybody's mind.
1964 'Marnie' is also a great example of a striking performance by Edren who is forced through an introspective journey and an understanding of her condition by Connery.
Michael Curtiz's 1945 'Mildred Pierce' once again takes Joan Crawford through a tortured journey where she finds herself caught between a greedy daughter and a murdered husband.
Fritz Lang's 1936 'Fury' offers a wonderful Spencer Tracy caught within a net of flimsy evidence accusing him of child kidnapping. A truly shaking story on the
sway and irrationality of mankind.
Noirs, however, are not to be confused with Horror and Action movies, as they are not primarily centered on special effects' technology and extreme science fiction. They have led to a modern version of the genre, proving how much the first wave has actually influenced Hollywood.
Neo-noirs have taken over some of the great spotlights in Hollywood in the '80s, '90s and 2000s.
From De Palma, to Tarantino, to Lynch and Scorsese just to name a few, neo-noirs have indeed acquired Technicolor technology, but the importance of characters' personalities and their tortuous introspective journeys are still the leitmotiv of new productions.
Hanson's 1997 'LA Confidential', sets the scene for one of the most influential neo-noirs where LAPD gets involved in a filthy investigation rotating around corruption, narcotics, sex and political involvement. Kim Basinger simply seems to appear as the new Crawford… or Hayworth.
David Lynch's 1997 'Lost Highway' takes the spectator through a mysterious surrealistic thriller, where reality and dreams simply seem to merge to the point where reality is not important anymore: the only thing that matters is how characters perceive their own version of the truth.
Similarly, his 2001 Mulholland Drive depicts a captivating Naomi Watts who gets lost within her feelings for another woman, until her imagination takes over to leave us with the eternal question of which is the actual ending of the story, which is the truth.
Brian De Palma's 2006 'The Black Dahlia' probably marks one of the latest typical neo-noirs where Hartnett surrenders to his obsession and passion while investigating Kirshner's murder. The story highlights the difficulty of separating personal emotions when involved in a case that becomes part of your life.
Noirs are powerful emotional movies where characters are shown acting in the name of their deepest feelings and fears. Settings seem to become a supporting detail, carved by their own imagination where technology and special effects are not required. A truly unmistakable genre that has become a true form of art.
