The Film Noir Period's Cynicism

The Film Noir, “The Third Man”, showed the evident effect that World War 2 had on people. Since this film was produced in 1949, after World War 2, it reflected the social fears and cultural changes that have plagued people during post war. Before the war, there was the ideology of the strong American family. This family portrayed strong values such as happiness, hardworking, and optimism. However during post war, there was a shade of darkness as fear, greed and evil lurking. ‘The Third Man’ portrayed the social, economic and moral corruption which reflects off the social evils during the post war era.

Robert A. Rosenstone certainly has a critical eye for films based on historic people and events. He captures the spirit of various discussions we’ve had in our Film As Social History class over the course of the semester. In an excerpt from his book, Visions of the Past, he critically examines historical film, and how its dramatic representations of the past shape our own perceptions. Some points of particular interest included exaggerated history films being more engaging than factually based ones, films can focus on groups as opposed to individuals, and sensory and emotional emphasis in films, “...altering our very sense of the past,” (Rosenstone, Excerpt Pg. 2). Inherit the Wind, Norma Rae, and Good Night, and Good Luck all provide evidence for and against Rosenstone’s perspective.

Film Noir Film noir is not a genre, but can be described as a style or mood for films made in the early 1940’s during the Great Depression time period, in which Hollywood went noir. Just the word Noir itself means “darkness or black” in French. This meant all the films showed dark aspects of modernity, murderers, political corruption, and organized crime reflected on the disappointment of the times. Film noir is characterized by elements such as Dark and shadowy lighting, flashbacks and voice over, and cynical men and women. All films have similarities and differences in which they accomplish falling into the Noir genre, for example “Raw Deal” and “Out of the Past”, two very different films but fall into the same category.

“The Pathos of Failure,” is Thomas Elsaesser’s diagnosis of an ideological trend that occurred in mainstream Hollywood in the 1960s - 1970s. During this time, the American film industry saw an unprecedented, revolutionary detour in stylistic experimentation, and thematically, a focus on “the somewhat sentimental gestures of defeat,” (Eleasser 234). This shift represented a departure from Classical Hollywood’s idealized vision of America, the films of which reproduced aspects of dominant American ideology subject to increasing contempt among audiences. Interesting parallels can be drawn between The Graduate (1967) and The Parallax View (1974) in relation to Elseasser’s analysis. ‘The Pathos of Failure’ is felt acutely in both films, not only thematically, but also in the craft of the films themselves: non-linear, episodic, unresolved narratives and complex, counter-cultural, marginal male protagonists, whose goals are ill-defined and ultimately unattained (Hehr 85). Perhaps the allure of these films was that they required a degree of critical engagement from the audience, reflected by wider society’s growing cynicism towards “American institutions and their basic pillars,” (Hehr 31). There is a certain comfort, I will argue, in honestly acknowledging both internal conflicts and greater societal defects through the medium of cinema. Where the Classical Hollywood film would typically offer a solution to the problems established, the Hollywood Renaissance film, via irresolution

Film noir is a cinematic term used to describe stylish crime drama movies. They usually involve cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.” All film noir movies are shot in black and white giving sense of moral corruption, evilness or desperation. A dark-themed music is played making the movie more mysterious. The world inside the film noir movie is filled with doom, fate, fear and betrayal. The factor in the movie “Out of the past” that proves it is film noir are atmosphere of movie, presence of character as femme fatale and doomed character.

Coined in 1946 by the French, Film noir, translated literally to mean “black cinema or film,” defines early to middle 20th century film that reflects a trend of dark and grim emotions as art seen on screen in post-war America (Dirks 2016). Stylistics such as people presenting themselves as something they really are not, criminal activity, entrapment, corruption, grim city settings, characters that operate on the margin of society are littered throughout film noir. There are many common narratives presented in film noir. Rational versus evil, femme fetal, investigations, private detectives and atomic anxiety are all narrative patterns embodied through this genre. Film of this era often utilized visual effects that were clear reflections of the emotions many viewers held during this time. Dark shadows, framing of characters, bar motifs, obscure lighting and focusing techniques were all put into motion during this period, creating a space for audiences to connect emotionally to the film they are viewing.

The term “noir” was first used by French film critic Nino Frank in his response to the release of four crime thrillers – The Maltese Falcon, Murder, My Sweet, Double Indemnity, and Laura - in France after WWII (Spicer 2002, p.2). The label noir has since been retroactively applied to a number of films constructed between 1941 and 1959 sharing a darker photographic, artistic and thematic style, influenced by post-WWII disillusionment and realism, the influx of Germanic emigres in Hollywood, American hard-boiled and pulp fiction, and anxiety caused by the Communist scare and atomic age (Spicer 2002,

The beliefs and sentiments of society are often reflected in films of the time. Films noir and the prominence of a femme fatale character first became readily apparent

The film is about a group of 5 people fighting to find and keep the

Throughout American history, film and filmmakers have turned to society for insight to new ideas on films. Huge movements and monumental points in history, such as The Great Depression, race movements, women’s rights and other points in time are often portrayed through creative films and cinematography. The gangster film was deeply embraced at a time in history where capitalism appeared to be failing, and the traditional concept of the “American Dream” appeared to be far out of reach. Throughout the great depression era, the gangster film genre was heavily relied upon by studios in the 1930’s, as profits slid and it became increasingly difficult to convince moviegoers to spend their hard-earned nickels on a trip to the theater ( ). The fact that the movie industry intended to rely upon increased sex and violence in its features is a striking example of just how perverted the “American Dream” had become.

The film noir genre first appeared in the early 1940s and has grown since their first appearance on screen. While there are various definitions and aspects that can define this genre, it is usual depicted as having an anti-hero set in a realistic setting while trying to fight inner demons and the outer world surrounding problems simultaneously. As any genre, it has noticeable tropes that can place it within this spectrum. Over the years, since the first decade of film noir, society has changed, causing the genre to adapt. The changes are not limited to being on film, but also to those within other forms of media, such as television and literature. Rather than focusing upon one area, it is better to look on it as a whole. Headhunters is a more

“It has always been easier to recognize a film noir than to define the term” (Naremore 1995). This is an accurate statement which pertains to the difficulty of forming an adequate description for film noir. Although it may not be easy to describe, it is easier to point out the typical characteristics of noir films. Noir films are notorious for their dark, pessimistic, and corrupt moods as well as for crime and ambiguity. Based on noir characteristics, the film Skyfall is a film noir.

For the African American community, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, their representations in film were often negative stereotypes and the wants of black audiences were almost completely ignored during this time period. While there was an extreme increase in the number of films being made featuring black casts, they were not well made films. The LA Rebellion’s aim was to create cinema that accurately portrayed the black life and combat these negative portrayals. On such way was by “redefining the relationship of history to the structure of the family.” (Clark) And while “blaxploitation” came to an end, filmmakers did not abandon the goal of the LA

Across all noir periods there exists a unifying set of traits that link them all together and at the core of that set is the desire to destabilize and unsettle the audience while also portraying a world in which light and dark are in constant battle. As the 21st century furthers technological advancements in the film industry the boundaries of what-can-be-noir become even more blurred, giving way to what many scholars call the post-modern neo-noir, or postmodern-noir era. A fundamental aspect of postmodernism is a propensity to destabilize the genre’s realistic grounding. Postmodern film noir involves a “fundamental shift in the conception of artistic production in which creativity is no longer conceived in

How is Black coal thin Ice (Dian Yinan, 2014) influenced by film noir genre such as The Third Man; and how the social realism is represented in the film with reference to a changing society in modern China?