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Film Noir Film Genre

One of the most potent film genres in terms of subsequent influence was the so-called film noir, so-called because no one making a film noir at the time of its creation ever used the term or even assumed that they were working in a genre or style that might deserve a name of its own. The term was applied long after by French critics who noticed a stylistic shift in American films in the 1940s, and as Thomas Schatz notes, this style dominated films in the late 1940s and early 1950s to such a degree "that it came to identify both the narrative-cinematic style of those films and also the historical period during which they were produced" (Schatz 112). The style would have an influence long after that historical period ended. Indeed, it continues to have an influence today, though the underlying social dynamic that produced it in the first place changed long ago. Yet, there is something in the film noir that appeals to and expresses darker aspects of the human soul and so has a resonance still. Alfred Hitchcock was achieving his first major successes in America at the time of the development of the film noir. Hitchcock did not make a traditional film noir, though he did use elements of the style and show some of the same sense of social angst. His films differ from the traditional film noir, though, in that he simply has different interests and an underlying sense of humor that undercuts the essence of the film noir.

Film noir is more properly called a style rather than a genre. As Paul Schrader notes with reference to a statement by Raymond Durgnat, film noir is not a genre and is not defined in terms of conventions of setting and conflict. Instead, it is defined by the subtler qualities of tone and mood and is also defined by its time period:

In general, film noir refers to those Hollywood films of the forties and early fifties that portrayed the world of dark, slick city streets, crime and corruption (Schrader 170).

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Film Noir Film Genre. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:32, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1683999.html