Film Noir

 Blog #2

Definitely, film noir captured audiences attention with it's dark and powerful scenes. As seen in American Cinema documentary: Film Noir, the director and producer of Force of Evil, Abraham Polonsky, said, "If the writers, actors, are reflecting this general sense of jeopardy in life, which is what exists in all film noir, then it is a correct representation of the anxiety caused by the system... how circumstances become more and more unendurable and yet you must endure"(6:00). In the film The Postman Always Rings Twice, the two characters Cora Smith and John Garfield played by Frank Chambers and Lana Turner threw themselves into a predicament in which would lead to their stressful way of living. Polonsky hit the nail on the head when describing the feeling of Film Noir. The Postman Always Rings Twice was filled with darkness, tension, and circumstances building on each other till the very end. Frank Chambers handled the hand he was dealt with the strength he could, and still persevering through the wavering relationship with Cora Smith. Anxiety was filled throughout the film sexually, and non sexually. As events roll on, it seems hopeless and tiresome to deal with relationships, society, as well as personal emotions. 

Now, Film Noir contains different stock characters. One of the personalities contains a strong female character named as the femme fatale. Scholar Janey Place stated, "She's very smart, powerful, and she's extremely sexual... The spider woman of the Film Noir is identified in obvious ways. First, through her sexuality. They tend to be characters with long hair, tight clothes, long fingernails that are actually composed as claws. They often smoke, which has always been the sign of the woman of loose morals...they have visual dominance." Cora is very strong, sexual, and in control of the situation between herself, John, and her husband. The story was essentially moved and influence by Cora's ambition to have the store and John to herself. Her selfishness led to her husbands death as she complied to the murder with John Garfield. Cora Smith in general fits the mold that Janey Place describes. However, Marie Windsor describes the femme fatale as "a woman that's getting a man into bed and then into trouble." This description does not match Cora Smith because she never forced herself on John, or got him into trouble because of their relationship. So she fits the mold in appearance and personality, but not the motive or actions against a man. She's the typical Femme fatale with large tweaks in her relationship with John.

As you see in the previous pictures, the contrast between shadows and light are very prevolent. It gives the scenes an atmosphere of a dark ominous cloud over the actors. As you see in the picture of Cora, there is little decorations in the room. However, the shadows add to the look of the walls and stairs around her. The shadows and light bring a certain attention to the actors as they stick out in the scene, a certain feeling as if they are slowly being engulfed by darkness as you see in the later seen when they are in the car. Much of the scenes are filmed with extreme contrast, even in the shadows. For example, Force of Evil had an extreme contrast in light and shadow where it looks as if the character has no where to go and trapped in a sense and can't get out. However, directors also use outdoor settings in other Film Noir because the controlled lighting and the deep darkness that you will notice in the background leaving the audience to imagine what is in the distance. The streets gives a dark and mysterious path for the characters. Deep focus is also used where there are people or objects in the foreground and background to where it creates a unique effect. It basically created to equally share attention and showing characters in environment. It also was a money saver by being able to have two characters or more sharing a shot and carrying on a conversation without having to use more than one shot and not looking at each other. The music also creates environment for the characters, it would be dramatic for an action seen, or romantic music will go on to create tension in the scenes. The music created ambiance for the content in the scene. Film Noir has so many elements that makes it unique and it makes me want to watch it. 

Force of Evil: extreme contrast

As filming technology has advanced to color and better quality in film, Film Noir has become a dying craft. However, there are films made in tribute to Film Noir and the are known as "neo-nior". Movies born into color still being made based on the style. Martin Scorsese made a film called Mean Streets and  he tried to make the film as close to the Film Noir. The style, of course, has a lot of shadows and darkness, design is not too heavy, and it is showing the reality of life. The difference in "neo-noir" and the classic style is that the color brings the picture of reality, since the black and white pictures were showed that it is an obvious world of fantasy. As color comes into the film industry, a new level of reality enters the movies. For example, Blade Runner dealt with a fantasy of the future, however the style of Film Noir was demonstrated through the film. The mise-en-scene of playing with shadows, the dark concept of people wanting to meet their creator and to live longer or creating life and then  destroying it, the crime and moral values, and the dark seductive characters of the "replicants" and humans living on a fine line, spread throughout the film. The music in the film is dramatic and fit the content of the scene and even develop the future ambiance. The Blade Runner was, overall, an interesting movie. It even reminded me of the style of The Fifth Element, but with a whole level of darkness and shadows intertwined.