GENRE - FILM NOIR

Genre - Film Noir

1. Where did genres come from?

Genres began in 1920 when Edison had created the camera. Within 20 years film became very popular. around this time there was about 5 studios mostly situated in Los Angles. The film industry created a lot of money over a short period of time. The film creators can be known to make the same films again and again as they will make more money  for example, they take a particular genre of film or a film they have created before and make more of them or create a series out of it so that they make more money as they have been popular before.


2. How did the 'Golden Age of Hollywood' re-enforce genres?

The 'Golden Age of Hollywood' re enforced genres because the film makers were able to see what films were popular and then create more of them based around the storyline that they had previously used. People expressed what type of films they liked so the film creators would continue to make them for the public.


3. Which genres became popular in Hollywood?

Horror

Romance 

Slapstick comedy 

Thriller 

Film Noir
Musicals

4. Why do audiences like genre films?

Audiences genre films because it gives them the choice of what they want to watch and they know whether heh will like it or not. Also, they can relate to what they have watched before so they know what oa going to happen. Some audiences like a sense of security when watching a film. Most genre films will have a similar storyline so by knowing roughly what is going to happen they can gave an idea of whether they want to see it or not.



The Codes and Conventions of Film Noir

There are different moods that are shown in a Film Noir. Each mood represents how the character is feeling and what they are thinking.

Melancholy - this is a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

Alienation - the state or experience of being isolated from the world around you.

Bleakness - this can be seen as being depressing or lacking a sense of warmth or willingness for the people you are with.

Disillusionment - this is a sense of disappointment after discovering that something is not as good as you believed it to be.

Moral corruption - this is not knowing what is good and what is bad and only focusing on your own way.

Pessimism - this is where someone believes that the bad things in life outweigh the good things.

Guilt - this is when someone feels bad for something they have done that isn't right.

Paranoia - this is when someone is always conscious of what they are doing and what they look like and care what other people are thinking about them.


The Characters in Film Noir

In the genre Film Noir there are usually a male and a female character. The male character is usually a hero/anti hero such as a detective or a police officer. The detective usually wheres a stereotypical detective costume, involving a long coat, a trilby had and usually smoking or holding a pipe or cigarette. They can also be gangsters, war veterans, killers/socio-paths or shady, underworld figures.

The woman is usually known as a femme fatal. They are also stereotypically mysterious, duplictous, double crossing, gorgeous, manipulative and desperate. On the other hand, they can also be dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving.


The Sound and lighting in Film Noir