Femme Fatale

Definition: A woman with an irresistible seductive charm, who leads those who love her into danger or despair.

Reference: http://www.allwords.com/word-femme+fatale.html

Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles

Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles

The primary moods of classic film noir were melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.

Heroes (or anti-heroes), corrupt characters and villains included down-and-out, conflicted hard-boiled detectives or private eyes, cops, gangsters, government agents, a lone wolf, socio-paths or killers, crooks, war veterans, politicians, petty criminals, murderers, or just plain Joes. These protagonists were often morally-ambiguous low-lifes from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. Distinctively, they were cynical, tarnished, obsessive (sexual or otherwise), brooding, menacing, sinister, sardonic, disillusioned, frightened and insecure loners (usually men), struggling to survive - and in the end, ultimately losing.

Storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting. Narratives were frequently complex, maze-like and convoluted, and typically told with foreboding background music, flashbacks (or a series of flashbacks), witty, razor-sharp and acerbic dialogue, and/or reflective and confessional, first-person voice-over narration. Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device, as was the downfall of an innocent Everyman who fell victim to temptation or was framed. Revelations regarding the hero were made to explain/justify the hero's own cynical perspective on life.

Film noir films (mostly shot in gloomy grays, blacks and whites) thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasized the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience. An oppressive atmosphere of menace, pessimism, anxiety, suspicion that anything can go wrong, dingy realism, futility, fatalism, defeat and entrapment were stylized characteristics of film noir. The protagonists in film noir were normally driven by their past or by human weakness to repeat former mistakes.

Film noir films were marked visually by expressionistic lighting, deep-focus or depth of field camera work, disorienting visual schemes, jarring editing or juxtaposition of elements, ominous shadows, skewed camera angles (usually vertical or diagonal rather than horizontal), circling cigarette smoke, existential sensibilities, and unbalanced or moody compositions. Settings were often interiors with low-key (or single-source) lighting, venetian-blinded windows and rooms, and dark, claustrophobic, gloomy appearances. Exteriors were often urban night scenes with deep shadows, wet asphalt, dark alleyways, rain-slicked or mean streets, flashing neon lights, and low key lighting. Story locations were often in murky and dark streets, dimly-lit and low-rent apartments and hotel rooms of big cities, or abandoned warehouses. [Often-times, war-time scarcities were the reason for the reduced budgets and shadowy, stark sets of B-pictures and film noirs.]

Some of the most prominent directors of film noir included Orson Welles, John Huston, Billy Wilder, Edgar Ulmer, Douglas Sirk, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks.

Femmes Fatales in Film Noir:

The females in film noir were either of two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femmes fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. Usually, the male protagonist in film noir wished to elude his mysterious past, and had to choose what path to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).

Invariably, the choice would be an overly ambitious one, to follow the dangerous but desirable wishes of these dames. It would be to pursue the goadings of a traitorous, self-destructive femme fatale who would lead the struggling, disillusioned, and doomed hero into committing murder or some other crime of passion coupled with twisted love. When the major character was a detective or private eye, he would become embroiled and trapped in an increasingly-complex, convoluted case that would lead to fatalistic, suffocating evidences of corruption, irresistible love and death. The femme fatale, who had also transgressed societal norms with her independent and smart, menacing actions, would bring both of them to a downfall

Sin City

Sin City

Directors: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriquez, Quentin Tarantino
Released: 3rd June 2005 (UK)
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Plot: A film that explores the dark and miserable town Basin City and tells the story of three different people, all caught up in the violent corruption of the city.
User ratings: 8.4/10 (reference: IMDB)
Awards: 16 wins and 29 nominations

The opening to Sin City starts of with the camera rotating around the city Manhattan. This is a great opening brings out its thriller genre, as the camera rotates upwards we then get the opening title “Sin City” with the red, merging into the name. The red represents, crime, blood different gothic aspects.



Through out the film it’s done in black and white, this brings out the gothic aspects and really gives of a criminality side to Sin City. The opening scene is your typical thriller woman, we got the red dress and the red lipstick which stands out from the black and white which gives of an affect that is bold and really brings her out. In the picture below, we can see the big city; the idea of the view of the city gives of the impression that it represents crime etc. She’s exposed to the sounds of the city, you can hear the traffic and the cold wind blowing, this technique is very clever.



The opening to Sin City emphasises female’s vulnerability as we can see in the picture below. Looking at the woman below we can see she has the red dress; red lipstick and blond hair making her look venerable. She’s got her arms together, looking weak in away. We can see the male approaching the woman in his suit, looking more important, tougher in away. Looking at the mise-en-scene we can see the lighting is very dark on the characters, on the female one half of her is shadowed and the other half isn’t this may represent a dark side to her whilst the other half may represent an innocent side to her.



We can see that the director is using the 180 degree rule, the woman is always on the right side and the man is always on the left side. This technique has been use so it doesn’t confuse the audience. Through out the start of the opening, we have a narration, this helps to connect with the audience so we not what’s going through the mans head and what he is thinking. The woman smoking helps to relate back to its thriller genre, the woman acting bad in away. As we can see in the picture below we got the man holding the packet of cigarettes in a tight manly grip where as the woman is taking one out in a delicate fashion.



The camera angle being used in this shot is over shoulder, this technique can make the audience feel like they’re looking over there shoulder but in a sly way. Its almost like the audience shouldn’t be looking at something they’re not aloud to look at. In this scene below we have your higher class sort of criminals, we got a rich man in a suit then we have the female in the red dress. This is helps gives of its thriller genre within the film. The mise-en-scene within the film is that the lighting is still dark and gothic, giving it a thriller effect to it and the sound is gone so we can only hear the speech, and the audience is not distracted by the traffic noise and sounds of the big city.



In this picture below, the overhead is changed so now we see the woman’s back but the mans face. The use of this technique is very clever as we can see the mans characteristics and expression on his face. But the woman’s face is taking away from the audience, so we then become curious as into wondering what the characteristics on her face are, what facial expression she is doing. The idea that we cannot see her face gives of a thriller factor within the film and is taking something away from the audience, it’s almost like the director is trying to hide something.



In the picture below we can see that the woman has her back turned to the mans face almost as if she’s hiding something, hiding her facial expressions. This technique connects to the audience as we can still see the woman’s characteristics and we can see the mans facial expression, so there’s nothing hidden from the audience only from the male. The woman with her back faced to the man is like she’s trying to prove she’s independent she doesn’t need help or protection, trying to prove that she’s tough. The whole idea of her smoking also helps to bring out the thriller side within the film.



As the film continues through, we get a quick image of the picture above us in a graphic novel image; this technique helps the director to keep the films originality. Looking at mise-en-scene within the image we can see that lighting is very dark and gothic, on one side of the woman’s face it’s shadowed representing a dark side to her where as the other half isn’t representing an innocent side to her. Where as the man’s face is just completely shadowed giving of this dark image and telling the audience that he’s dangerous. Within the picture we got rain representing its thriller aspects within the film as well as giving of a gothic factor.



The use of the binary opposition technique within the picture is very bold, we got the black and white contrasting to each other, giving of a gothic effect and bringing out its thriller genre within the film. We got a dark image below, the city being black representing a dark, big dangerous world where as the characters are in white making them stand out from the back round so the audience immediately connects within the characters in the image.



Throughout the opening of Sin City we know the male is going to be a dangerous man, through out the film the audience sees this dark side to him. The mise-en-scene helps the audience to understand through lighting effect and sound that the man is going to be dangerous. This also emphasises woman’s vulnerability within in the film, it makes woman seems weak and venerable.



Looking at mise-en-scene within the picture we can see that it’s a very thriller image, it has a gothic side to it. We got the rain coming down and the man with his head up almost like he’s pleading for help. Looking at the lighting we can still see that the man’s face is still shadowed up still representing a dark image towards him. He’s been portrayed to the audience as a dark image.



Sin City has one of the greatest openings in any thriller film, we got are typical red dress, red lipstick woman who’s venerable and weak. Then we got our male character coming into play who we know is dangerous. It’s a great opening and brings out its thriller aspects within the film.

Phone Booth (draft)

Phone Booth

Director: Joel Schumacher
Released: 18th April 2003 (UK)
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Plot: Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist’s sniper rifle.
User ratings: 7.2/10 (reference: IMDB)
Awards: seven nominations

Layer Cake

Layer Cake

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Released: 1st October 2004 (UK)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement.
User ratings: 7.4/10 (reference IMDB)
Awards: 3 wins and 8 nominations

The opening scene to Layer Cake is the back of a black van this comes across to the audience as a dark film. So already we can see that the genre is going to represent crime within the film. The use of the black van on the black back ground gives of a gothic appeal towards the audience.



The next shot we see is a robbery we got smoke filling the room giving it a thriller genre. In the back ground we got gangster men raiding the back of the black van and we have another gangster with a shotgun threatening the public. All this together helps give of the concept of the film and tells the audience what sort of genre they will expect, crime and thriller. In this scene the director has used a mid angle shot, we can see that the camera is only filming the mans upper body but we can see the men in the back ground. This camera angles helps give the perception that the man with the gun is dangerous.



In this scene below, we have Daniel Craig Narrating it and continually through out the film. He’s describing how drug business has developed over the years, “then came the summer of love” this meaning more people doing drugs means more profit. The use of this technique of him narrating is very good as it connects within the audience and tells the audience what’s happening so we don’t get lost. The narrator’s voice has a London Accent to it which gives of this serious gangster sound which really helps connect with its crime genre.



During the start of the film, the camera uses this merging technique which is very good. Looking at the picture below we can see the merging technique in place. As he is walking, everything behind starts becoming a pharmacy. This is a clever technique, as he is narrating its like he’s falling from his world back to reality.



The next shot we see is a mid angle shot, we got the camera walking with him as he is going down the path. We can see on the characters expression he is very serious, well kept and shouldn’t be messed with. This is what the director is trying to get across to the audience; his characters look dangerous and are dangerous, he is establishing a fear a factor within the audience. This technique helps to give of the thriller aspects within the film, he's establishing the thriller genre within the film through fear and crime.



This scene here we got two people cutting up their coke getting it ready to deal. This camera angle is really good on the left side we got the assistant and on the right side we have the boss. The use of the black walls and closed curtains helps to give of a gothic appeal. The black walls and closed curtains represents that they’re hiding, keeping a low profile. This scene has a gothic appeal to it and helps to establish its crime genre to it, dealing coke, keeping hidden all this represents the crime genre.



Through out the film, we have the narrator describing his key rules to survival and how to get through the business and be successful. Here below, we have our typical “thriller” shot, loads of money all stacked up; packing it up this tells the audience that these criminals are successful. The use of the money is used in a lot of thriller films, e.g. psycho when she takes the money and runs off with it etc. This scene below has a thriller appeal to it, around the table we have gangsters getting the share of the profit etc, your typical sort of gangster “scene” if you like.



In this shot here, we have one of the main characters walk through the door. The camera angle is slightly panned upwards to make Jimmy look bigger and more powerful, this technique is very clever. We can tell he’s important by his facial expressions, the way he’s standing. We also have someone opening the door for him this is sign of respect.



The final shot of the opening is a great shot, it’s very gothic. The lighting in this scene is very dark and very gothic, we can’t see the characters face, everything around him, and the environment is all dark. This gives the impression of a very dangerous, dark area. This shot here is a very typical thriller shot, man in a suit with a case walking down a dark gothic road.



Through out the film, we have a narrator which is a very good technique as it helps to connect within the audience and we get to know the main character very closely and can relate to him better. The film has used different techniques and ideas to reach its thriller genre e.g. using the pile of money and the dark gothic rooms and area. The film has been very successful within reaching its thriller genre.

Reservoir Dogs

Reservoir Dogs

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Released: 15th January 1993 (UK)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot: After a simple jewellery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant
User ratings: 8.4/10 (reference: IMDB)
Awards: 8 wins and 5 nominations

The introduction to “Reservoir Dogs” is opened with a group of your typical thriller gangsters sitting in a café. The main thriller aspects we see to the opening scene is the use that they’re all wearing the same suits, this instantly tells you that they are a gang. A group of people together can be intimidating for the audience. The use of each character smoking gives of a sense of maturity which makes the audience feel small compared to them.

The first camera shot you see is over the shoulder whilst rotating around the table, this technique comes with advantages and disadvantages. The use of the camera rotating around the table means that you can see each of the characters faces. The disadvantage of this technique is that every two seconds you’re getting someone’s back covering up the camera completely which can be slightly distracting.

Each character in the opening scene has hair slicked back or styled very neatly, they have either got expensive watches or rings on. This is saying that these people are rich, they are successful criminals. The way the characters are dressed up comes across intimidating which is a great thriller aspect to the film.

The use of lighting in the film is just natural daylight coming through, nothing that’s been made up, this effect helps give of a natural environment. As we carry on through the film, we appear to have an “alpha male” the character bellow is your typical gangster, his suit and his hair swished back gives of that gothic, thriller image. During the scene, he says “You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologise”. When we hear him say that, we know that he is dangerous and is not to be messed with, he comes across to the audience as a threatening person, this helps the film to give of its thriller genre.



The picture below shows them walking out of the café, as you can see together they are dangerous and threatening, helping the film with its thriller aspects. The use of the suits and glasses comes across the audience as confusing, maybe this is what the director intended to do, scaring the audience as they cant work out who is who, making them feel intimidated.

The camera angle is a long shot, we can see the whole of the bodies and the background environment, this technique helps the audience to engage with the characters and they come across dangerous and criminal.



At the end of the introduction, we get an introduction to each character, the faces come up on a close up and the actors name appears next to them. This scene is a great opening scene, providing a lot of thriller detail and aspects. From the opening scene you can already tell that there are criminal and powerful and not to be messed with.

Essex Boys

Essex Boys

Director: Terry Winsor
Released: 14th July 2000
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Plot: The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders of three drug dealers in Rettendon.
User ratings: 5.9/10 (reference: IMDB)

The opening scene to “Essex Boys” gives of the Genre of the film, showing thriller aspects. As the credits begin, we hear a scratchy chalkboard noise, giving of a fear factor. The use of Binary Opposition (black and white) gives of that thriller genre, so you can predict what genre the film is going to be and what to aspect.

The opening scene is establishing the shot of the driver Billy in a garage. The garage is lit by chiaroscuro lights which suggest they’re hiding something, communicating suspense to the audience. The garage being claustrophobic covered in cobwebs and the use of dingy lighting shows of a typical thriller genre. The dark lighting represents a dark side to the film giving of gothic aspects or maybe showing the dark side to Billy.

Billy’s Essex accent narrates throughout the film which helps to engage the audience, making them feel like part of the film. This technique also helps to understand what is going on inside Jason’s head and we get to know the character underneath the suit and can connect with him.

The second shot is of Jason entering the garage. The camera angle is a point of view shot where you can see Jason from Billy’s perspective. This technique shows what we can see through Billy’s eyes and also helps engage with the audience. This camera angle makes the audience feel uncomfortable and we can see that Jason is a man not to be messed with. This scene has a gothic/thriller image to it with the one light over Jason giving of a thriller effect. One side of Jason’s body is shadow maybe representing a gothic side to him and the other side is lit which may represent a good side to Jason.

This shot we see of Billy driving Jason to do some errands for him. The light reflecting on the car could represent jail bars showing that Billy is trapped and there is no escape. Or the light reflecting on the car could show piano keys showing that Billy is being played by Jason.

As Billy enters the tunnel towards exit we can see that there is no return, Billy can’t go back. The shot is a vanishing point, where you can’t see the end. This shot helps gives a gothic feel to the film. The tunnel being claustrophobic makes the scene feel cramped, squashed in, maybe representing no escape, no return the only thing Billy can do is keep going forward.

This shot here is Billy exiting the tunnel and entering Essex. As we can see from the shot we can see that Essex is an industrial unwelcoming town. The scene is wet and cold with grey clouds giving of a gothic factor perhaps showing Billy’s hopeless path towards crime.
Jason tells Billy he has some business to settle, they turn up to a fish factory in a white van. Jason then goes out the van and beats up his victim and throws acid on his face then shoves him in the back of the white van. In the shot below we can see Jason’s victim running out of the van trying to escape, this scene has a powerful gothic image to it. Jason then beats his victim once again and leaves him in the marshes whilst his victim tries washing is face. Billy then narrates the scene saying “Jason needed a new shirt the geezer needed a new face”. This scene here symbolises that you shouldn’t mess with Jason.
The final shot is of Essex marshes, this maybe showing that this is Jason’s playground, his territory. Or maybe showing that there is no escape for Jason, there is no where else for him to go. The film gives of different thriller aspects and gothic aspects the use of lighting and claustrophobic spaces helps to give that thriller feeling.