Film Noir

Signs, Signifier, Signified• The signifier – the physical form (what we can

see or hear)

• The signified – the meaning of the form (what we think when we see or hear the sign.

For example the cross is the signifier whereas the associations we give it e.g. the church, religion, God is what is signified.Sign / Image Signifier Signified

Genre• Genre simply means ‘type’ or ‘kind’. It is used in media to

identify different types of film, television, programmes, music etc.

• Groups of signifiers can help to identify a certain genre. For example what genre of film would you associate with cowboys, horses, saloons, gunfights, sherrifs etc?

• Look for signifiers that help you identify the genre of the following films….

Write down these things:a) Title of the filmb) Genrec) List the signifiers that help us to identify the genre.

www.imdb.com • Men in Black• The Shining• The Good, The Bad and

The Ugly• Schindler’s List• Shawshank Redemption• The Thin Blue Line• Kindergarten Cop• Vanilla Sky• Happy Feet• She’s the One• Double Indemnity• The Terminator

• The Matrix• The Whale Rider• Saturday Night Fever• Dirty Dancing• Jaws• Space Odyssey 2001• Weekend at Bernies• Freedom Writers• Precious• High School Musical• Harry Potter• Gone with the Wind• Citizen Kane

Homework assignment

• Research one film from the Film Noir genre.

• Use www.imdb.com as a starting point

• Present your film and findings in a power point which contains a range of facts and information about the film, as well as several visual features such as an original movie poster or dvd cover.

• You should set out your presentation in a style and structure of your choice.

Double Indemnity• One of the most

influential films of all time, Billy Wilder’s iconic film noir stars Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff, a smooth-talking insurance salesman. When he calls to renew the Dietrichson family insurance, he falls for the beautiful wife Phyllis. Together, the two cook up a scheme to murder her husband for his life insurance money –which pays double in the event of unexpected death. But Neff’s office smells a scam, and sets about investigating.

• Considered the greatest film noir ever made, and nominated for seven Academy Awards, Double Indemnity is legendary director Billy Wilder’s masterful adaptation of James M. Cain’s classic thriller. With a brilliant cast – Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson – it is a cynical, witty thriller about adultery, corruption and murder.

***** “A masterpiece” THE INDEPENDENT

“One of the darkest thrillers of its time… a labyrinth of sexual dominance, guilt, suspicion and sweaty duplicity”. THE TIME OUT“Quintessential film noir” THE GUARDIAN

Double Indemnity (1944)

Facts• Made by Universal

Pictures• Nominated for 7

Academy Awards• Feature length 102

minutes• Black & white• Starring Fred Mac Murray

and Barbara Stanwyck• Directed by Billy Wilder• The ‘archetypal film noir’

Characteristics• Venetian blinds• Key and Low-key

lighting• Voice-over• Dark / Night time

settings• Mid close-ups / Close

ups and two-shots• The anti-hero• The femme fatale

The anti-hero

• Walter Neff – 35yr old bachelor and insurance salesman

• He does a bad thing (murders Mr D.) but is a good guy at the start.

• Dresses formally in a suit and tie, fedora hat – to look professional and it was typical of the times.

• Falls in love with the femme fatale, Phyllis.

• Is charming, “I love you baby”, “I’d hate to see you without cover”. She smells of “honeysuckle”

• He smokes• Intelligent and friendly, his boss

Mr Keyes offers him a promotion, he schemes to kill Mr D and tricks him into signing a policy – he is articulate

• Take precautions• He is trying to outwit his

own insurance company• Is fixated on minor

details, Phyllis’ anklet, the navy suit etc.

• Analyses and reviews everything – constantly assessing things – is smart and understands how some people try to play the system.

• Becomes estranged from Phyllis and only ‘relaxed’ when he is with Lola.

The femme fatale• She is mentally strong, she

doesn’t cry when her husband is murdered next to her.

• She has a fashionable hair style FOR THE TIME.

• She is formally and neatly dressed, dresses and high heels, always made up (make up and jewellery).

• Uses her looks to seduce.• Speaks seductively, husky

voice.• She’s cool, calm and collected

– in the insurance office when they accuse her husband of suicide, and outside Walter’s apartment when Mr Keyes nearly sees her behind the door.

• Young, pretty, married to a rich guy, a typical marriage and situation for that time period.

• She is devious “I hope I’ve got my face on right”.

• She is tired of not getting any attention or respect from her husband.

• Two-faced – plays the perfect wife to her husband but plays the victim to Walter.

• “Straight down the line for both of us”

• She killed the first Mrs Dietrichson so that she could marry Mr D for his money.

The perfect woman

• Lola Dietrichson, represents the wholesome, nuclear American family – except that her mother and father have both been killed (by the femme fatale).

• She is pretty and young, and innocent.

Dramatic Irony• Mr Keyes tells the whole

story of how the murder could’ve happened – in front of Walter – the audience know it was Walter but Mr Keyes doesn’t yet.

• Mr Jackson (who was on the train when Walter was pretending to be Mr D.) is in the insurance office to prove that Mr D wasn’t on the train, he doesn’t recognise his photos. He NEARLY recognises Walter!

• Mr Keyes offering

The Maltese Falcon (1941) – dir. John Huston

Characters- Sam Spade- Miles Archer- Iva Archer (wife)- Brigid O’Shaunessy- Joel Cairo

Minor characters- Wilmer Cook

(young man following Sam)

- Mr Gutman (Cook’s boss – the ‘Fat Man’)

- Effie (Sam’s secretary)

The Third Man (1949)

Director: Carol Reed (a he not a she)Writer: Graeme GreenActors: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli• Arriving in Vienna, Holly Martins

learns that his friend Harry Lime, who has invited him, recently died in a car accident.

• Won an Oscar in 1951 for Best Cinematography, nominated for Best Director and Best Editing.

• An out of work pulp fiction novelist, Holly Martins, arrives in a post war Vienna divided into sectors by the victorious allies, and where a shortage of supplies has lead to a flourishing black market. He arrives at the invitation of an ex-school friend, Harry Lime, who has offered him a job, only to discover that Lime has recently died in a peculiar traffic accident. From talking to Lime's friends and associates Martins soon notices that some of the stories are inconsistent, and determines to discover what really happened to Harry Lime.

• CHARACTERSHolly Martins ( Joseph Cotten) – an out of work writerHarry Lime (Orson Welles) – his friendMajor Calloway (Trevor Howard)Anna Schmidt- (Alida Valli) Baron KurtzRomanian - Popescu

Exam vocabulary

What synonyms could be used for the following vocabulary used in the Film Genre exam?

• Characteristic• Effects• Identifying• Describe• Explain• Text• Implication• Your chosen genre

Do now:

• List the names, directors and years of TWO film noir texts you have studied.

• Describe the genre you have studied in 2-3 sentences.

Do now

• Write a summary of the film, The Third Man, in 8 – 10 lines. Summarise what you know so far and especially mention any

characteristics of film noir you recognise.

Putting it all together1. Describe the film genre you have studied [1-3

sentences].

2a. Describe ONE characteristic of this genre.

2b. How is this characteristic used in one film you have studied? [A] Why is it used and what effect does it have? [M/E]

2c. How is this characteristic used in a second film you have studied? [A] Why is it used and what effect does it have? [M/E]

3a. Describe a SECOND characteristic of this genre.

3b. How is this characteristic used in one film you have studied? [A] Why is it used and what effect does it have? [M/E]

3c. How is this characteristic used in a second film you have studied? [A] Why is it used and what effect does it have? [M/E]

Homework• Write a 500 word essay

using the planning details you thought of today.

• Topic: Describe a media genre you have studied. Explain how two characteristics are featured in this genre and explain the effect of these.

• You should structure your paragraphs in a way that is logical to YOU. As long as you do use paragraphs.

• Due: Hand this in on Friday 5th August.

• New topic on Monday, week 2.

Achieving with Merit or ExcellenceDiscuss an implication of the use of at least ONE of the identified characteristics from your answer.  

Your discussion should include how AND why:o it appeals to an audienceo the genre makes moneyo groups are represented in the genreo the genre changes and mixes with other genreso fans react to the genre. You should support your answer with specific evidence from at least TWO texts.

Implications – for Merit and Excellence• How and why did the characteristic of the femme

fatale in film noir appeal to it’s audience? What was the effect of this?

• How and why did the characteristic of the femme fatale help make this genre commercially successful? What was the effect of this?

• How and why did the femme fatale represent young, independent woman in the 1940’s? What was the effect of this?

• How and why did this genre evolve over time? What changes can be seen in the femme fatale character and why? How does this affect the audience? What other genres adopted characteristics of film noir and why?