How does Casino Royale use conventions of 'Film Noir' and what meanings/connotations are created?

In the opening of the movie 'Casino Royale' (bond movie) it uses a completely different style to the rest of the movie adopting conventions of the genre noir. Apart from the obvious black and white colours used it also uses a ranges of techniques and styles to really create the feel of noir. Here are some examples from the opening, explaining what and how they have used these:

1. A low angle shot of a supposed detective 

This picture is shot at an obscure angle. Normally, in movies this angle might not be used in account of people's faces due to the un-flattery it possesses toward the person, however fitting into the noir theme it works quite well as the noir genre deals with tilted and odd angles to make buildings and people seem more eery and distorted to the viewer. The shadow across his face creates moral ambiguity, fitting in nicely with the dark theme that noir holds. Not only this but the shadow across his face is also echoed upon the building as a shadow is created on the right side of the man, creating an eery setting. From this we can see that artificial light is being made upon the building and man which is also another key aspect of the noir genre.The costume the man is wearing is classic 50's with: a bowlers hat, shirt, tie, and coat all leading to the suggestion that he is some sort of detective, which is also a key aspect of the noir genre.


2. Shot of the supposed detective, in an office, pointing a gun

This image uses a wide shot so that you can see more of the setting around him. However, the left side of the image (the lamp, which is a prop used commonly in noir films to create artificial light) is blurred so that the focus is drawn to the man holding the gun (another prop commonly used in noir films). The expression the man holds is serious and sombre, setting the dark atmosphere that noir is famous for. Another classic noir trait is the status of the higher class, this is portrayed in the image as we can see a view of lots of different tall buildings, giving the effect that the office is quite high up meaning that the man is of a high status/rank. Along with this, across the walls are yet more shadows, used in almost every scene in a noir movie, caused by artificial lighting to create a horizontal split of black and white.



3. Hero in some sort of room, looking pained 

This image is not stereotypically a noir image, however it does hold some of the qualities. One thing it does not possess is shadows, however the harsh colours of the black and white together brings across a very dark realisation, going hand in hand with the expression on the mans face. This in itself is a trait of the noir genre, as the image is focusing less on the visually obvious way in which noir is portrayed and more a deeper meaning. The shot is a close up, which instantly draws us to the face of the character, which, said earlier, is a rather dark expression upon his face. The clothes in which he is wearing is supposedly a suit, showing that he is of some class and fitting in well with the status aspect of the noir genre. And with an added prop on the left hand corner, blurred so that the focus is still on the character, that is the end of the similarities with the noir genre.



4. Long shot of the detectives office

This shot offers a lot of noir features. As a first, the view from the window suggests that the room is quite high up and so the person who owns it must have a lot of money to afford it and therefore of a higher class, fitting in with the status aspect of the noir genre. The angle used is that of an obscure nature, with a high angle, slightly looking down upon the room so that we can see all that's in it. The stereotypical office scene is put across here, which would fit that of a detective often used in the noir genre of film. The obvious shadows are flittered across the room, from artificial light coming from above, this is a very important aspect of noir. Also, the artificial light creates a divide to the room with one side being light and the other being dark, so we get a nice contrast.


5. Obscured shot of building

In this wide shot, it is angled at an irregular almost tilted angle to give the building a more sinister/surreal look. Enigma is created in the scene with the low dim lighting throughout the whole image and the artificial light from the lamp post creates a glow  at the front of the scene, using the noir technique of artificial lighting. The shadows across the building uses the noir aspect of shadows, making the building look more sinister and almost frightening. All of this adds mystery as to what this building is, and who is in it, leading into the darkness of the noir genre.


Conclusion
The use of noir conventions in the scene establish Daniel Craig's 'Bond' character at the start of the film as quite a disturbed character. At first we see him in the office of the so called detective, giving the image that he may be the antagonist of the scene. This is then reiterated by the sequence of Bond assaulting another man. Here, he preys on a (at first impressions) a innocent victim and kills him. However, the disturbed look that crosses his face afterwards reminds us that he has a conscience. We could compare this to a situation such as Jekyll and Hyde, as the characteristics are shown in the reactions of Bond. We see the cruel side of Bond (menacingly and quite brutally murdering a man whom we have no knowledge of) and then the heartbreaking face of a man facing the reality that he's just killed another human being.
All of this contributes to making Bond seem like he has a split personality, very noir however not very Bond. This is where the similarities soon end between the two movies.