Conventions of Film Noir

This is an image of a classic Film Noir.                                   This is an image of a neo noir/tech noir

 

 

 

Most film noir's have stereotypical conventions of the following:

• Dark scenes
• Rain/ bad weather/mist
• Femme fatail character- An alluring, mysterious woman.
• Smoke/ smoking
• Shadows
• Urban Surroundings- cityscape's
• Costume- hats (trilby/fedora), trench coats.
• Chiaroscuro (low key lighting)
• Reflective & mysterious first person narrative
• Pathetic fallacy
• Time period of 40's-50's
• Male Protagonist
• Distorted camera angles

I have researched into some actual film noir films, and watched trailers of the following..
commenting on the conventions i have come across within these:

Memento

• Mystery
• Flashback
• Non-linear plot
• Partly black and white
• Untrusted female
• Powerless hero

 

Machinist

• Disorientated camera angles
• Monotone voices- expressionless voice
• Black and White - desaturated colours
• Secrets/suspense
• Flashbacks- de-ja-vu
• Sounds to highlight the flashback

Brick (2005)

• Captions surrounded with smoke/ disappearing into smoke|
• Black and white/ bleached out colours
• Camera angles
• Protagonist voices
• Monotone voices
• Darkness/bad weather
• Femme fatail