History Of Film Noir

Film Noir was first seen in the 1940's which shew darker perspectives on characters and themes of hard boiled fiction. Film Noir engage in contemporary social problems such as Fugitive Nazis and Anti-Semitism. Film Noir literally means Black Film in the French language and these type of films are more commonly themed in a negative way.
The first recognised Noir movie was 'Stranger on the Third Floor' featured what was at the time a new technique that used dark or dim lighting effects, dreary settings, filtered lights and generally dark themes and characterizations. Film Noirs are famously known for their dramatic close-ups, strange camera angles and lighting that gives characters and settings a shadowing effect. Most Film Noir's feature main characters, mainly males, who find themselves caught in hopeless situations fighting against a force that is usually their own inability to fight temptation. Film Noir's will normally feature femme fatale's, these type of characters are cruel and manipulative woman who will use the protagonist (the main male character) to help her carry out some bad deeds and the protagonist is always powerless to refuse her. The destruction of the Femme Fatale is always caused by her distrusting nature. The plot of a noir movie is circuitous and holds many surprises and unanswered questions for the viewer. Sometimes the plot is left hanging and leaving the viewers wondering but one of the great things about Film Noir is that its slow unwinding plot leads to the building of a riveting climax.