Setting and Costume in Film Noir
Film Noir is renouned for the classy, silhouette style. The whole style consists of contrasts between the costume and the setting, which is heavily aided by the lighting.
The fims focus on either detectives, gangsters or generally other organised criminal activity, so the dress code is normally a black, grey, brown or pinstripe three piece suit, accompanied by a fedora of a similar colour.
Normally, a cigarette or cigar would be present; the smoke seems to contribute effectively to the contrast of the entire image.
Not from a film, but this picture of Al Capone sums up everything the Film Noir era embodied in film. The films imitate the real life image of the gangster/cop 40s conflicts. The style refers to the classy suit style of the '40s; grey, pinstripe or black suits. The fedora hats and cigars/cigarettes. The image of the characters is the biggest part of the visual experience, as the dark clothing of the protagonists or characters in the lighting of film noir creates great black shadows behind, complete silhouetting of the character, or the overly illuminated foreground effect.
The women wore very glamorous 1940s dresses. The theme of class was always present, which is normally expressed through the medium of clothing. The reality is, the dresses would be in deep reds, blues or purples, but due to the greyscale/black and white filming of the Noir era, they always come out as grey, giving an extra sense of sophistication. Yet again, cigarettes were often present.
Generally, Film Noir settings seem to be in prohibition period cities; Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. However, they could take place in small towns, suburban settings, rural areas or the open road. The buildings they take place in tended to be bars, lounges, nightclus, gambling dens, houses, stairways, offices, jails or bedrooms. The typical ending took place in visually complex, often industrial settings, such as refineries, factories, trainyards and power plants.
One Film Noir film we looked at was Double Indemnity.
In the "I killed him" scene at the start, traditional setting and costume is summarised. Walter Neff (portrayed by Fred MacMurray) is sitting in an office, smoking a cigarette. He is in a suit and a fedora hat, as is the style.
Also adding to the Film Noir setting is the fact that he's discussing a murder; another crime film. The shadows in the background are heavy, and Walter is very well lit, setting the mood for the scene, putting all the focus on him.
In the "I killed him" scene at the start, traditional setting and costume is summarised. Walter Neff (portrayed by Fred MacMurray) is sitting in an office, smoking a cigarette. He is in a suit and a fedora hat, as is the style.
Also adding to the Film Noir setting is the fact that he's discussing a murder; another crime film. The shadows in the background are heavy, and Walter is very well lit, setting the mood for the scene, putting all the focus on him.
This is too brief to be of A Level standard, Felix. "this picture of Al Capone sums up everything the Film Noir era embodied in film" - now go on to say what these things are. You give no detail and offer no significant discussion.
ReplyDeleteThere is insufficient detail here and this would not receive a grade at A Level. Develop your points further and give examples. Refer to the images you've embedded.
Name a film noir. There is a lot to add here.
It looks like you've added greater detail in your discussion: there are specific points about the features of the costume and props, and you're beginning to make links to create an effective overview.
ReplyDeleteYou could take this further by commenting on how these features appeal to the audience.