Film Noir - Conventions

Film Noir was an extremely popular film genre during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Stars such as Orson Welles, Paul Muni and Humphrey Bogart are just two examples of people who got huge following their role in Noir films. Film Noir presented certain strict conventions that almost all films had to follow. This essay is going to focus on what those conventions are and why they are in place still to this day.

Firstly, the one similarities between all Film Noir in the 40's and onwards is the main character. Usually a detective, stubborn and an example of the times. Wearing a trilby and a trench coat They were sexist because they could be, because it was the norm for this time, spouting lines such as "Hey Doll-face" and "That's a good girl." This showed the audience who was in charge at the beginning however the audience would later find out that usually, he would just be playing into the woman'strap as she would most likely be the Femme-Fatale.

Continuing with this idea the Femme-Fatale she is a conventional but dangerous character made to show women as the ones in control. She usually makes her first appearance as as a damsel in distress in need of help by the brooding detective, playing innocent. Towards the end of the film it's revealed that this damsel in distress was pulling the strings all along maybe sending the the detective on a wild goose chase.

On a technical scale film noir was quite small and low tech for its time. They used the low key lighting to try and hide the backgrounds and the stage, however whilst doing this they created the iconic low key effect that filled Warner Brother films during the 40's. The lighting usually fell over similar locations in each film. For example generic location conventions include alley ways and an office. Showing the dark streets of New York or LA.

In the classic film Double Indemnity a classic shot is used of a low angle shot looking up to the
femme-fatale Phyllis, with her looking down at the detective with a high angle shot. This shows who has the upper hand and who is superior in the quest for power.


  Some of these classic conventions are shown in the Noir classic The Maltese Falcon. For example the opening scene involves the stubborn detective Sam Spade. The dangerous but innocent-appearing femme-fatle Brigid O'Shaugnessy. A hook and enigma of finding a priceless statue.

For example in the opening scene Sam Spade talks to the character of Mary in a very patronizing way, calling her ''Doll-face'' and ''Sweetheart'' and saying "Be a good girl." As mentioned above this is a typical film convention of Film Noir; used almost instantly as the film begins.