What Is “Film Noir”?

What is film noir?

Film noir is a stylized type of film characterized by pessimism, fatalism, and cynicism. The term was first used in France after World War II to describe American thrillers or detective films of the 1940s and 1950s. However, the history of Hollywood film noir can be traced back to the 1920s. Literally meaning “black film,” the term was coined by French critics to describe Hollywood movies filled with unprecedented darkness and pessimism.

It’s hard to say whether it is a genre or a style, and the noir elements listed below do not all have to be present for a film to be considered noir. But this style is extremely common.

Common elements of film noir:

• Antihero protagonist
• Femme fatale
• Tight, concise dialogue
• High-contrast imagery
• Postwar disillusionment

Film noir arose from an age of anxiety

This filmmaking style is marked by a painful period in history. The cynicism and pessimism of the Great Depression had taken deep root in the American psyche. Then came World War II: many men were sent to the front, and many women took over their jobs in their absence.

After the war there was a period of uncertainty. People returned from the battlefield traumatized, and the world had lost much of its innocence. One theory holds that when the men came back, they found that the roles of women had changed dramatically. Housewives had themselves become workers, so the gender roles that had existed for decades were perceived as having been disrupted.

To cope with this insecurity, film noir told stories of men used by powerful and sometimes even sinister women. Again, this is only one theory about how and why noir became such a prominent style/genre in the postwar period.

In fact, many of the iconic noirs Hollywood made in the 1940s were adapted from novels of the 1930s. Thus, one could say that World War II had nothing to do with the original material, though it may explain the later popularity of the films made from it.

Examples of film noir

What does cynicism in cinema look like? Is it dialogue full of irony and biting remarks? Or simply high-contrast imagery in every scene? Note the desolate feeling of these three classic noirs.

This suspenseful noir starring Humphrey Bogart has had a lasting impact thanks to its spectacular cinematography and sinister use of shadows.

Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Vincent Price star in this noir classic, whose outstanding performances are considered exemplary for the genre.

This noir murder mystery, featuring the hugely popular pairing of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The Blue Dahlia tells the story of a sailor who returns home to find his wife having an affair and their son dead due to her alcoholism. It is one of many noir films that reflect wartime disillusionment.

Many critics believe that the era of classic film noir ended with the 1958 release of one of Orson Welles’s best films, Touch of Evil. Today, some films are influenced by the genre (or style)...

Almost everything David Lynch does seems to echo noir. The look and feel of Mulholland Drive are undeniably influenced by film noir.

Every scene in “noir” carries a touch of madness. The stark lighting and copious flashbacks capture the exhilarating feel of that era, while the frequent murders only intensify the prevailing pessimism.