German Expressionism When studying the origins of such genres as horror and film noir, it is necessary to be aware of the influence of German Expressionism, a style of film making developed during the years in Germany, particularly in 1920's Berlin.
German expressionist movies tended to emphasise cinematography above plot and narrative (focusing on the images being shown rather than the words spoken); often very slowly paced, for example, they were generally beautifully photographed, and this visual clarity had a pronounced effect on later German cinema. Danish cinema in particular was seen as being hugely influential, both in terms if style (lighting, scenic design and camera placement) and content (urban setting, focus on the criminal underworld and designed to deliver visceral thrills).
Images from German Expressionist movies
German film, in common with that of other nations, started to become more of an 'art form' in the years after world war 1 but, although the film industry was booming, the Germans could not compete with huge American budgets. As such, directors such as Lang and Murnau experimented instead with light and shadow (leading to the chiaroscuro style of lighting (essentially very low-key lighting designed to emphasise extreme pockets of light and dark) which is possibly the key feature of film noir, and, as such, much neo-noir and, more generally, horror and crime genre film ever since). In keeping with the shadowy aesthetic, themes tend to be dark (something of tradition in German literature); crime, soulessness and, in general, the darker side of human nature are emphasised. The influence was driven forward when Nazis took control of Germany and many of the directors, cinematographers and so on who had crafted this style fled to America.
The texts most commonly used as examples of German Expressionism (or heavily influenced by it) are those by Fritz Lang 'Metropolis' (1972) and 'M' (1931).
Here is an example of German Expressionism, from the movie 'Nostferatu' by Murnau (1922).
Collage of images from the noir genre.
Style/Aesthetic look of Film Noir
Film noir offers a lot of aesthetic pleasing to the eyes, as it focuses more on the visual effects than anything else. It does this by effectively using shadows anywhere they can: the characters faces, buildings, walls, lamp posts, anywhere they can they create a shadow in the image. This creates enigma to the scene and adding mystery to the story line. The lighting throughout is quite dim, so that everything seems a lot more eery. A lot of artificial light is used in the mise-en-scene to make the image a lot more disfigured and disorientated, confusing the viewers. This compliments the mood of noir, as even from the name (the french word for black) it's a very dark, somber atmosphere in the movies, so dark lighting and misty shadows can draw out the unusual darkness that the genre is trying to put across.
An example of these visual effects is this image:
This uses dark/dim lighting to create a mysterious background for the character, then in the background we see the artificial light from the lamp posts (another common prop used in noir movies), then on the wall we see the classic shadow. However this time the shadow is quite sharp, this could mean that he's the only one there? As the rest of the shot is blurred out, making the character the main focus.
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.
''Between the Great Depression and the start of the Cold War, Hollywood went noir, reflecting worldly, weary, wised-up under current mid century America. In classics such as Laura, Sweet Smell of Success and Double Indemnity, where the shadows of L.A. and New York pulse with killers, corpses, and perilous romance, failure is not only a logical option but a smart-talking seduction.'' - Vanity Fair March 2007
A brief summary of the 'Noir' genre
Film Noir originated from the french, meaning 'black cinema'. It was popularised in the 1940's-50's widely in Hollywood, with the early black and white films such as 'The Maltese Falcon' 1941) and 'Double Indemnity' (1944). This genre of film saw the opening of dark, disturbing visual and thematic content to stir the thoughts of the consumers. It confronts a range of status values (focusing mainly on the higher class) and does not focus on the family life, quite like the many movies made before this era. Within the genre, criminal intent is found to be most prominent as well as incompetent in many the case (as in some of the films an innocent man is found guilty). The genre, containing all of this controversy in the dark theatrics after a war that stirred the world, also adopts some stereotypical views within the makings. Meaning, as well as using all this dark, deep, imagery and story line they also keep the familiar stereotypes of women being the damsel and the men being the hero.
The conventions of the noir are sectioned quite neatly into four main sections: Mise-en-scene, characters, themes and moods and camera work. Within these sections the genre can clearly be identified by prominent features that are echoed nowadays in crime thriller movies. With lots to comment on within each section I'm going to start with characters. Characters Within the noir genre there are key characters that make the story line and really build together the genre as a whole, these are:
Cops
Suspects
Detective
Love Interest
Hero
The love interest is always a woman, as well as the man always being the hero. The Noir films divide women into three main categories, each depicting a different stereotypical view of how women should act within society.The first, the femme fatale: an independent, ambitious woman who feels confined within a marriage or a close male-female relationship and attempts to break free, usually with violent results. The next, the nurturing woman: a dull, featureless, and, in the end, unattainable, giving the man a chance at conventional marriage within the movie only to be denied. And finally the ''marrying type'': a woman who threatens the hero by insisting that he marry her and accept his conventional role as husband and father. Complimenting society's view of women, the stereotypical view of a man is also projected through the movies placing the man as: hero, detective, criminal, and husband. All main parts throughout the noir genre, as a woman's place was supposedly at home.
From left to right: Femme fatale, nurturing woman, 'marriage type'
The use of cops/detectives/suspects is very americanised, and being made in Hollywood, this has really projected in the characters. These characters are put across as very hard and careless to anyone's emotions. The detective in particular plays a role of great importance as he figures out the plot and makes use of it, unlike the cops who are his minions as such, trying to do his work but only really going round the basis of it. The detective is very particular, taking care of every detail put across to him, which echoes the noir genre. I mean this in a sense that the film is in black and white therefore we are focusing less on the colour and whats going on around the setting to more on the specific detail of what the characters are doing and saying and to what the plot might be.
Camera Work The camera work for this genre is very pronounced. It uses obscured and unusual shots, with extreme angles to emphasise the point they're trying to get across. Common shots used are:
Close up/Extreme close up
Extreme long shot
Tilted shot
The camera work goes hand in hand with the theme, as this is what helps to intensify the mood/atmosphere along with the characters. The close up/extreme close up is used for the emotional response of the characters, which comes up quite often in noir movies. Also, with the close up and extreme close up it can make something being said seem much more important. For example: the detective is explaining what he has found about the suspect in matter, with a long shot and with the camera switching to a close up as he gets to the crucial part of explaining where everything fits in and starts to make sense, the atmosphere becomes more intense and we take more notice of what he is saying.
This clip is an example of a close up used in the movie 'Mildred Pierce' (1945) an early noir movie. Here we see her walk through the shadows and we get a close up of her face as the camera turns to see what we suppose is her husband/lover with another woman. By going into a close up of her face, we take in the emotions she is feeling. And with any woman that catches her husband cheating? It's not a happy response. In contrast, an extra long shot is used quite effectively. Whether between two characters or with just one, this shot creates suspicion within the scene as dim lighting will compliment the scene. With the use of two characters however, the angel creates space between the two, and with distance, suspicion arises as to why there is space between the two?
The tilted shot/obscured shots are used more with buildings, cars, and more the setting than the actual character. This is because it makes the setting seem more surreal, dark and mysterious. The obscured shots can also make the buildings/vehicles seem much larger than they are, and in effect make the building more of a focus than the character. Themes/Moods From a first glimpse at one of the noir movies the main themes that are emanate are:
Discovery
Bleak/Hard boiled
Crime
Status
Lust
Darkness
Deceit
Gender
Betrayal
Enigma
All of these themes/moods direct us to the crime/thriller era which noir consists of majorly. With the reference to the movies being: 'Bleak/hard boiled' and 'Enigma' it refers to the bluntness of the content of the movie. Unlike today where we have special effects and different techniques used to drag situations out for example a simple technique such as making something into slow motion. Noir uses none of this, and gives you the movie as it is, in content and production.
The reference to lust, betrayal, gender and status is quite stereotypical in content as it doesn't really need an explanation, they speak for themselves as such. There will always be a female character to lure the hero in (quite like a siren), somewhere along the line someone will betray another in information or love wise. The gender reference is relevant to the point where the set roles are the men out to work, and the women at home. And finally status, as in most Noir films the characters are that of high class in society, as to even have a detective working on a case must give it of some importance and therefore the status most follow suit. Mise-en-scene The mise-en-scene is what makes the scene, and this is split into four categories:
Set/Location
Lighting and colour
Costume
Props
Within the noir genre the main locations that there tend to be are: in street by a lamp post, on a staircase, on a bridge, and in an office. All of these settings are set to be very claustrophobic, making the character seem much larger and therefore more important in every scene of the movie. The setting usually has quite obscured shots, from worms eye view and mainly focusing on low angles to make buildings in particular seem much larger and surreal than they actually are.
On the right are two examples of settings used within the noir genre of movies, the top demonstrating an obscure shot and the second showing a eye level shot, to show a good contrast between the two.
Following on from the locations is lighting. The lighting and colour compliment the setting quite well. Being 'noir' as a genre, the black and white colour goes without saying. However the lighting emphasises the harsh colours, making the images quite sharp. The strong theme of lighting that runs throughout any noir film is the harsh shadows that follow the characters, in almost every night scene a very pronounced shadow will follow the character, giving a sense of eeriness and that someone maybe following. In most scenes there is only one source of light and it tends to be of a natural source, for example light from the window or from a lamp. A spotlight is also used, for example when a detective is standing in the moonlit street there is a spotlight from the lamp focused on them. By using this it draws focus onto the one character and also can be used to build tension within the scene.
From left to right: example of spotlight, example of shadow which comes across very sharp and strong, and the last a shadow example but not as strong as the last.
The costume has the stereotypical feel of the time period it was made in. So the glamorous 1950's style strongly comes through with the women especially, with: big skirts, long tight fitting dresses (for the femme fatale), hair in loose curls or pinned in buns around the face. For the men? Trench coats, and suits and hats. Not much to go on for the men, however simple and effective clothing is used however it very prominently brings across the detective/higher class feel to it. As well as this, the men also have props such as guns and cigarettes to keep the stereotypical view of a detective.
Shooting a conversation is very important within a movie. During conversations is when we find out more about the storyline/plot and also more about the characters. It forms the most part of any movie and keeps the audience interested. Here is a movie clip from Twilight which I wil be referring back to throughout the explanation of how to shoot a conversation. There are six main rules that define how to shoot a conversation, these are:
180 Degree rule
Shot variety
Pick ups (ECU; cutaways; birds eye)
Master Shot
Continuity Editing
Shot/reverse shot
180 degree rule
First let's start with the 180 degree rule. Here's a quick diagram to explain briefly what it's all about.
The basic principle of this rule is that the camera never travels beyond 180 degrees from an invisible line between the two characters. In a walking shot this is used to make sure that the characters are always walking left to right, or vice versa. In a conversation situation this rule is used to make sure the characters have set positions, for example: the woman character (Bella Swan) will always be seated on the left, and character 2 (Edward Cullen) will always be seated on the right. If the camera was to disobey this rule? The two characters would switch positions, making the shot confusing.
Shot Variety
Next, let's look at shot variety. Throughout a conversation, the most common shots are: mid shot, over the shoulder, master shot. By using these we become familiar with the characters as it focuses more on their face and less on the setting around them. Also by using different types if angles and shots this adds interest to the audience and keeps them interested on what's going on. Examples of these shots used in the clip are as follows:
1. Here, we have a master shot of the two characters. This gives us a feel of the setting/situation that they're in. In this case they're in a science lab, in high school. This gives us a sense of informality and we instantly know nothing serious is going to happen. Also, we can see the structure of how the two characters are sitting from each other. So in this case they are side by side but not too close or touching so we can tell that they aren't a couple and maybe are just friends.
2. Next, we have a mid shot of Bella and in contrast a mid shot of Edward also. In Bella's shot it is seen as in the eyes of the character if Edward. This makes us see what the character is seeing, and understand what the character focuses on (for example in this shot he's focusing on her face).
In the mid shot of Edward, it is from the view of the front of the class. Even though it being the same shot, by using a different angle from which to shoot it from it makes the scene a lot more interesting. 3. In this clip there are a lot of over the shoulder clips. By using the over the shoulder technique it makes the conversation a lot more personal. I say this by the means of you are always aware that there's another person in the conversation. And that by using this shot it encloses the two people together as they're in such a small space, all your focus stays on these two. Here are some examples from the clip, of the use of over the shoulder:
Example 1: Bella, over Edwards shoulder. So the focus is on Bella although we're still drawn to the fact that Edward is still in the shot. Giving both characters importance in the shot.
Example 2: Edward, over Bella's shoulder. So the focus is now on Edward although we're still drawn to the fact that Bella is still in the shot.
Master Shot Although I mentioned briefly the master shot earlier, I only touched on the importance of it. The master shot contains all the action that happens within a scene. It will often be a long shot when filming two characters. For example in this clip they use a long shot for the master so that we can see both of them clearly and no focus is pulled onto either one of them.
This is important because it shows the audience very clearly what is happening throughout the conversation, and what's also going on around them, adding setting detail. Also, you can cut back to the master shot throughout the scene repeatedly, so that the audience is always aware of the changes around them as well as in the characters themselves.
Pick Ups Which leads us swiftly onto pick ups. These are shots of props, so say a tea cup. these are commonly edited into the scene after the main action has happened, or to fill in the parts where no conversation is present. In this clip, the pick ups used in this sequence is the microscope and petri dishes. These shots are used when the characters aren't speaking, helping the sequence to flow smoothly. Also, with the usage of pick ups we can get a feel of what's going on within the conversation. For example, in this clip we can see by the pick ups that they're involved in a science task to do with a microscope and that they're identifying what are on the petri dishes. This is just extra information which helps build on the conversation itself.
Continuity Editing Continuity editing is the process in which we edit the scene to make everything seem much more fluent. For example in the first twelve seconds of the clip we see Bella enter the room, see Edward and then walk over to the desk. However you see Bella do this within two view points. With the use of continuity editing, she is moving in both shots. This links everything together and makes the whole scene a lot more structured and easy to follow. Shot/Reverse Shot A shot/reverse shot is when for example: we have a shot of a persons face, then a shot of their viewpoint and what they're looking at, which leads back to a shot of their face. This is used to make the character important to the scene and draw attention on them and what they're seeing. It is used a lot in this clip of twilight as we are repeatedly switching from shots of Edwards face, to Bella's etc. To me, this makes the scene more personal as we are constantly seeing what the character is seeing, letting the audience build a relationship with the characters on screen.
This uses dark/dim lighting to create a mysterious background for the character, then in the background we see the artificial light from the lamp posts (another common prop used in noir movies), then on the wall we see the classic shadow. However this time the shadow is quite sharp, this could mean that he's the only one there? As the rest of the shot is blurred out, making the character the main focus.
