Research noir/thrillers

Film noir - genre of film, originally between 1940 and 1960, originating in the United States, using heavy shadows and patterns of darkness.

Film noir is a film style and mood primarily associated with crime films, that portrays its principle characters in a nihilistic and existentialist world. Film noir is primarily derived from the style of crime fiction of the Depression era (many films noir were adaptations of such novels) and the gritty style of 1930s horror fiction.

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist film cinematography , while many of the typical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir. While City Streets and other pre-WWII crime melodramas such as Fury (1936) and You Only Live Once (1937), both directed by Fritz Lang.

Most of the film noirs of the classic period were similarly low- and modestly budgeted features without major stars—B movies either literally or in spirit. In this production context, writers, directors, cinematographers, and other craftsmen were relatively free from typical big-picture constraints.

Thrillers - characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliff-hangers are used extensively. Thrillers often take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas. The heroes in most thrillers are frequently "hard men" accustomed to danger: law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. However, they may also be ordinary citizens drawn into danger by accident. While such heroes have traditionally been men, women lead characters have become increasingly common.

In a thriller, the hero must up the plans of an enemy, rather than uncover a crime that has already happened; and while a murder mystery would be spoiled by a premature disclosure of the murderer's identity, in a thriller the identity of a murderer or other villain in typically known all along. Thrillers also occur on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others. In thrillers influenced by film noir and tragedy, the compromised hero is often killed in the process.

Deconstruction of Sin City

How character is established

• Character is established through the first shot with 2 people that are in the frame. There is a high angle shot in black and white except for the red dress and lips. they are in the centre of the frame establishing them as main characters.



• voice over also establishes character as the person doing the voice over is always going to be key to the story.



• The way they are dressed suggests they are rich and as they are at a party (the male character tells us in the voice over) the male character is wearing a suit and the female character is a dress.



• Two shots and over the shoulder shots are used to focus the audience to these characters, as they are the only ones that are in the opening.

How setting is established

• The first shot is of a rooftop looking out at the tall buildings. Showing the audience what the location of the film is, a city.



• As they zoom out from the characters at the end of the opening, the camera spins out with the centre point being the characters to show an ariel shot of the city which dissolves into graphics.

How enigma is established

• It is established through the voice over, as he is talking to the audience learns more about his thought although we don't really know anything about him until he unexpectedly kills the female character.



• The mystery and suspense builds because the audience knows very little about the characters and want to learn more.



• The shock at the end of the opening sequence when he shoots her surprises the audience as all the camera angles and voice over do not suggest in any way that he is about to kill her. Then there is a medium close up of the gun. the audience does not know why he has killed her creating questions in the mind of the audience.

Genre is also established

• Film noir is established through the use of black and white although there is a modern twist with the red of her lips and dress.



• Also the mans voice over is also an element that appears on film noir.



• there is also a seductive femme fetal character



• smoking is also an ingredient for a noir film - extreme close up of a cigarette and there is also smoke in front of the femme fetale which is a classic noir shot showing the how mysterious the character is.



• The lighting also reflects the noir as it is low lit and with only half the face is in the light it casts a shadow of uncertainty about the characters.