Choosing My Genre - Film Noir

I have decided to create an opening sequence for a film belonging to the film noir genre. I have conducted research into the following aspects of the genre, so that I can see how these are implemented in existing opening scenes from the genre, and so that I can consider how to put noir-ish elements into my opening sequence.

• Iconography and film language
• Narrative structure
• Character types
• Themes

Iconography and Film Language

Typical iconography of the film noir genre includes props such as cigarettes, guns and alcohol, all reflecting the crime and the anxiety of the genre's central protagonist (often a cynical private investigator). 

The lighting within the genre is typically low-key, with lots of side lighting and backlighting, to create a chiaroscuro effect, casting ominous shadows across the frame; this style of lighting reflects the dark and murky worlds that the characters operate in and creates foreboding expectations for the spectator. 

Often the male characters wear sharp suits, hats and overcoats, though these frequently become more dishevelled as the plot progresses and the pressure mounts on the characters. 

Female characters, the femme fatales, often wear outfits that are seductive, reflecting the danger that the pose to the male protagonist. 

There is often also some kind of fabled object, a prop that the protagonist must urgently find.

 

In terms of film language, the non-diegetic music is often sinister and threatening, or melodramatic, whilst the editing is frequently slow and suspenseful, with the inclusion of montages and, in particular, flashbacks; the disjointed, fractured narrative structure helps maintain mystery and enigma, requiring 'active' spectatorship from the viewer as they try to piece together narrative events. These flashbacks are often accompanied by the voiceover or narration of the main protagonist, which serves two purposes; firstly, to help align the audience with the central character, so that they sympathise with the struggles they are facing, and secondly to deliver exposition as noir films often have plot twists or a narrative structure which creates mystery, enigma and intrigue.

Narrative Structure

Movies from the film noir genre often follow a non-linear narrative structure, where the audience witness 'effects' (such as a murder) before they see the 'cause'. This rejection of causality is often used to unsettle the audience, to create mystery and intrigue, effectively placing them in the position of the person investigating what has happened (often the male protagonist, who is frequently a private detective). There are often flashbacks, with framing devices of the protagonist in the present, before the flashback reveals how the character has reached this point in the narrative. Quite often, almost the entirety of the film is a flashback. Similarly, plot twists are very common in the genre.

Character Types

Common character types within the genre include the femme fatale figure, a dangerous, seductive, cunning and morally ambiguous female character who has devious motives, often wooing the male protagonist into a dangerous trap for her own benefit. 

The genre also frequently contains cynical heroes, who are commonly male and frequently private detectives, employed (and then seduced) by the femme fatale figures. It is common for the narrative of a film noir to be told from this character's perspective, through a voiceover. The genre also frequently contains crooked businessmen and dubious, or ineffective authority figures.

Themes

Common themes within films from the film noir genre include murder, revenge, corruption and deception. There is often a sense of fate within the genre, with the protagonist unable to deviate from the dark path that they are on. The idea of being out of control of one's destiny is a common theme.