 French phrase meaning “black film”  Film Noir was identified in 1946 following World War II and the German occupation of France

 France received all the films America had made during the war  The influence of Film Noir emerged out of the two pre- existing film movements: German Expressionism and Italian Neo- Realism

 Film noir became known because it started a non-linear movie trend starting with its flashbacks

 Because of the Hays Code, nudity, homosexuality, suggestive acting, and profanity were prohibited in film noir

 Typically the 1920’s  Old-fashioned city  Colors: commonly black and white  The dark set design is used to express psychological state of characters

 Protagonist: usually an average man who is framed  Men are usually tricked  Women are especially important -femme fatales- mysterious, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, manipulative, desperate

 The women featured in Noir films threatened the image of the traditional role of women because they often worked in offices and wished to bring harm to other characters.

 Usually conflict between protagonist and society  Murder or crime is involved  Detectives  Typically ends unhappily; there is no winner

 Dark  Fixed character types  Predictable narrative patterns  Serious or dramatic facial expressions

 Twitching lips  Shifting eyes  Camera close- ups  Verbal wit

 Dark  Mysterious  Corruption and suspicion

 Low-key lighting  Low angle  Wide angle  Unbalanced compositions

 High-contrast photography  Deep focus cinematography  Camera angle and low-key lighting also help express the psychological state of the characters

 The meaninglessness of life  Futility of individual action: for example, a murder that does not result with the intended conclusion

 Romance film noir -femme fatales Ex.: Double Indemnity (1944), Detour (1945)

 Documentary-style film noir -docu-noir Ex.: T-men (1948), 711 Ocean Drive (1950)

 Prison Noir -set in prison or jail cells Ex.: Fury (1936), Brute Force (1947)

 Menaced-women noir -homme fatales (women are manipula- ted instead) Ex.: Gaslight (1944), Laura (1944)

 Neo-noir -updated film noir Ex.: Chinatown (1974), Sin City (2005)

 The Maltese Falcon (1941)  2qc2IY

 Flashback (5:50)  Hays Code (16:30) – a lot of symbolism  Facial expressions (1:39)  Verbal wit - ?v=Gz-5wKegyOw ?v=Gz-5wKegyOw

 Crime  Murder  Black and white  Voice over  Symbolism  e.com/watch?v=v D6wNNKreug e.com/watch?v=v D6wNNKreug  e.com/watch?v=O 5zgg3WCiWk e.com/watch?v=O 5zgg3WCiWk

 Flash-forward (0:00-1:00)  Low-key lighting with occasional bright light  Brendan is isolated  Verbal wit (6:55, 55:00)

 Manipulative women such as Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) and Esmeralda Villalobos (Angela Jones)

 World War II  Film industry was weak  War films  Office of War Information

 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) -starring Spencer Tracy about Lieutenant Doolittle who carried out the raid on Japan

 The Story of GI Joe (1945) -about the invasion of Italy during World War II

 Modern Times (1936)  The Great Dictator (1940) -directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin

 Casablanca (1942)  To Be or Not to Be (1942)  Lifeboat (1944)

 Towards the end of World War II  Dark and cynical  “black film”

 Double Indemnity (1944)

 The Killers (1946)

 Kiss of Death (1947)

 Revived  High Sierra (1941)  To Have and Have Not (1944)  Key Largo (1948)  White Heat (1949)

 High Sierra (1941)

 To Have and Have Not (1944)

 Key Largo (1948)

 White Heat (1949)

 John Huston (director) -captured classics -adapted to modern

 Known cartoon characters are born such as…

 Bugs Bunny  Tom and Jerry

 Woody Woodpecker  Mighty Mouse

 Casper

 Walt Disney began to produce classic animated movies that have been very well-known since their releases…

 Pinocchio (1940)

 Fantasia (1940)

 Dumbo (1941)

 Bambi (1942)

 Native Americans  Women, disregarding the Hays Code

 They Died With Their Boots On (1942) -Crazy Horse

 The Outlaw (1943) -almost canceled due to Jane Russell’s attire -released for a week in rereleased in 1946, again in 1947

 Duel in the Sun (1946) - “Gone with the Wind” -eight million dollars in the box office

 Escape the horrors of the war  Upbeat and jolly music  End of World War II in 1945  Successful in the box office

 Thrill of a Romance (1945)

 Anchors Aweigh (1945) -Frank Sinatra -Gene Kelly

 The Harvey Girls (1945) -Angela Lansbury -Judy Garland

 State Fair (1945)

 The Dolly Sisters (1945)

 Up in Arms (1945)

 Economy strengthened in 1946  Broadway to the big screen  Television, blacklisting, McCarthyism, unions, inflation, anti-trust rulings

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  American Cinema American Culture – Third Edition by John Belton