What are the origins of film noir?
Film noir is not easily defined. The actual words come from French and mean “black cinema.” It was in France during the post-war years that the term was used to describe a certain set of Hollywood films that were saturated with a darkness and cynicism that was not seen before.
What era is film noir?
Nevertheless, the golden era of film noir—the late 1940s through the early ’50s—is regarded as a benchmark period in American filmmaking, as well as a strong cultural checkpoint for the values of postwar America.
When were film noir invented?
Film noir first evolved in the 1940s, became prominent in the post-war era, and lasted in a classic “Golden Age” period until about 1960 (marked by the ‘last’ film of the classic film noir era, Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958)).
Which movement influenced noir films the most?
German Expressionism
The aesthetics of film noir are influenced by German Expressionism, an artistic movement of the 1910s and 1920s that involved theater, photography, painting, sculpture and architecture, as well as cinema.
Why is Casablanca not a film noir?
Casablanca is not a film noir per se, but it reflects many elements of the genre, mainly its setting, mood, cinematic style, and typical romantic lone hero. Most of the action takes place in the title city of Casablanca. In the world of Casablanca feelings and concern for others are dangerous.
How did German expressionism influence film noir?
These social and psychological concerns are expressed in film noir through stories and styles hugely influenced by German Expressionism – claustrophobia, obsession, madness, peculiar narrative frames and importantly, chiaroscuro lighting and the juxtaposition of light and shadow.
What is the best film noir?
The 20 best noir films ever made
- Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947)
- The Asphalt Jungle (John Huston, 1950)
- In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1951)
- The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941)
- Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
- The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)
- Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)
When did neo noir start?
Film noir was an American cinema movement that flourished after World War II in the 1940s and 1950s. During the 1970s, studios began releasing new kinds of film noir movies, eventually dubbed neo-noir.
How did German expressionism influenced film noir?
Summary. German Expressionism is called one of the most important influences on American film noir so often as to seem self-evident. Caligari (1919/20) and the dark distinctiveness of the best-known films of the Weimar Republic that followed, from 1919 to early 1933, the end of World War I to the Nazi regime.
What genre is Casablanca?
Romance
WarDrama
Casablanca/Genres
What elements of film noir does Casablanca use?
The use of low-key lighting, urban settings, and unconventional camera angles helps to define Casablanca’s noir style. Later films like The Grifters and The Matrix would borrow from the style and lighting techniques used in Casablanca, but none would define space in quite the same way.
How many periods does Schrader break film noir into?
Film noir can be subdivided into three broad phases: The first, the wartime period, from 1941-46. The second phase was the post-war realistic period from 1945-49 (the dates overlap and so do the films; these are all approximate phases for which there are many exceptions)