The conventions of L.A. Noir

L.A. noir is almost a sub genre of a sub genre; L.A. noir is very similar to film noir but has its own style and conventions. L.A. noir is generally filmed in colour with use of monochrome in certain scenes. There are heavy elements of crime, deception, adultery and smoking.
L.A. noir is set in L.A. which is a very sunny state of America, the lighting throughout L.A. noir films is. The strong and bright lighting adds a very eerie effect to the films, the bright sunny lighting contrasts with the dark themes such as crime and adultery. The lighting is ironic as the images are of crime and evil and the lighting is bright and colourful.

L.A. Noir features the same style of characters and the same generic conventions of film noir. The main difference is the way the film is shot using bright lighting however dark and gloomy monochrome shots are also used just the same as film noir however the dark shots are often used as flash backs and to reveal a time period to the audience. The bright sunny shots are very contradicting of the dark and evil plot lines. The mise en scene is very dark and the strongest link to the original film noir style.

L.A noir is commonly shot in American Los Angeles because of the weather conditions. The sunny weather provides a strong contrast with the dark night scenes and the bright sunshine can be linked with money or success, as many of these films are based around gang activity or crime, the sunshine provides a connotation of success .whereas The darkness or evil is commonly shown in night scenes as it provides the perfect tone for sinister activity or the dark connotations of the director.

The sound tracks and the narrative structure is very similar to the film noir style of non diegetic and non diegetic sound. The sound tracks are also very similar, older style music is sampled over the image to create a tone or effect however as in film noir the music is often used to establish a disagreement of moods or tones.

A discussion of British gangster film conventions: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

British gangster film isn’t a genre but a sun genre of gangster films. The difference is in the mise en scene. British gangster films will show typically British associated items such as red double Decker busses and small cultural shops for example a grocery shop or vegetable stand. Lock Stock uses these patriotic symbols combined with accents to heavily emphasis the idea of being in Britain.

This screen shot introduces us to the first character of the film, instantly we get introduced to cultural behaviour, the character is trying to sell knock of jewellery a common site in British marketplaces. Roadside or street side pops up stands are also frequently seen in British cities and towns. Another aspect of the mise en scene is the costume, the characters clothing suggests the weather is cold. Everything in the frame is also very dull and grey commonly associated with the English weather.

In this screen shot we see the first character is now handing out goods to a small crowd of people and they are handing him money, we get the impression this is illegal as they all seem to be in a rush and hastily hand over the money which is all in cash. The products the character is handing out aren’t wrapped or packaged professionally emphasising the idea that this is an illegal practice.

Our original suspicions of the illegal trade become clear when a traditional British police officer sees them and the characters quickly take the goods and run. British gangster films heavily feature drugs and illegal practices. This is a prime example of law breaking activity as the characters are falsely selling goods to the public. In the mise en scene in this frame the buildings in the background are all painted in British racing green.

Gangster films commonly use small dinghy alley ways and dark areas of big cities to create a dark and unsettling feel. This uses the convention of claustrophobia and darkness to connote the idea of getting caught or trapped by the police. The character throws his belongings everywhere as he jumps a stair case showing that they are worthless or disposable to him, this creates the idea that perhaps this character does more than sell cheap jewellery.

This frame suggests no illegal or criminal activity but only continues to strengthen the British feel of the film. The small shop selling vegetables and other necessities is a regular site when walking through a British city. This image introduces a new character who doesn’t appear to be submerged in criminal behaviour.

This image instantly suggests criminal activity and is very suspicious. Two characters appear to be exchanging money for goods obviously this isn’t legitimate as the lighting is poor and the shelves are all stacked up with cardboard boxes of all sizes. The British culture is cleverly portrayed through props; the small red telephone box suggests British society. The characters all look very shady and uneasy; this image is the traditional idea of a ‘drug deal’ or the exchange of an illegal product.

This image shows us two of the characters exchanging money. We get the impression this is illegal due to the sheer amount of money each man has in their hands. The large wads of money suggest success and power in the criminal world, as success is determined by materialistic items. The facial expression of the character on the right side of the frame suggests the character is reluctant to hand over money to the other character.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels uses gangster film conventions and also adds its own British twist to the film. I have used the opening to describe the conventions and briefly describe the action included in the films opening. British gangster is a sub genre but uses the same conventions as gangster films; however the British culture is commonly featured and made subtly obvious.

Describe the use of binary opposites

Film noir along with L.A. noir frequently use binary opposites to show conflict or a challenge either mentally or physically. The idea of binary opposites is simple to grasp, basically a binary opposite is when things come in pairs but are the total opposite of the latter, for example the use of black and white or good and evil. Binary opposites are used in Film Noir because they set up obvious incompatibility and create tension between characters and make the film more entertaining and interactive.




The Black Dahlia is a prime example of an L.A. noir film which heavily uses binary opposites

This is a screen print of the title screen, this image features binary opposites and combined with the shot and camera angle produces a very successful image. This scene is very violent and shows police fighting with the navy. The navy are dressed in pure white clothing head to toe and the police are dressed in black, this is two binary opposites the first is the colours and secondarily the white represents cleanliness and purity but the characters wearing white are being violent and fighting in comparison too the police who are wearing black which connotes evilness and corruption which conflicts the idea of keeping peace and serving justice.

This image is a continuation of the violent opening scene however this image shows the police in a different light. In this image the police choose not to fight and mix with the riot instead they stand at the side laughing and jeering at the navy workers. One police officer has stolen a cadet’s hat. The binary opposites used in this scene are the colours and the lighting the police are covered in darkness and shadow making them appears powerful and mysterious. However the few outlaws are well lit and are clearly visible the lighting contrasts with the action as you would presume the trouble makers would try and hide their identity.

In this image the two main characters both sit around a table smoking. The table looks formal and creates the idea of an office or a police station. Smoking is a common occurrence in film noir and L.A. noir so it is no surprise to see the characters smoking. The lighting has a significant role in this image. The lighting is non ambient and a dull beam of light is send through the window. The window has blinds down this creates shadows which divide the shot. Blinds are often used in film noir to connote ideas of good and evil. In this image the blinds create an eerie atmosphere and create tension between the two characters. The use of light and shadow is a binary opposite and is very effective in this particular scene.

This scene is set in a police office and uses binary opposites once again to help set the story and connote ideas and themes. This police station is very messy and unorganized with people standing everywhere this is the opposite of what a police station should be to function correctly. This shot tells us that the police are unorganized or unstable. The high angle or aerial shot makes the police station seem insignificant. The lighting is non ambient and strong beams of light cascade through the windows. The strong lighting from the windows contrasts with the left side of the shot where there is very little light.

This image is very interesting. A new character is introduced dressed in a formal suit a woman with blonde hair and bright red lips. This character fits the usual style of the Femme Fatale; the red lips imply a seductress. The woman is very attractive in comparison to the man standing next to her who fits the specifications for a film noir hero/villain. These two characters are binary opposites of one another because the women is short blonde and dressed in a light coloured suit where as the male characters is tall and dressed in a dark suit which connotes corruption or moral ambiguity. The lighting in this occasion suits the mood of the image which is unusual for an L.A noir.



In conclusion Binary opposites are items or elements in the mise en scene they can be anything from lighting contrasts to contrasting themes or ideas such as a corrupt police officer. Binary opposites are a reoccurring theme in L.A. noir and film noir because it is very successful at creating ideas of conflict and quickly and successfully set up tension and enigma to hold the audiences attention.

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Chiaroscuro lighting is a term to describe the contrast between light and dark it was originally a term used to describe art, however the developing media world transformed this and began using chiaroscuro lighting in film. This was the idea of using strong light and dark shadows to create a contrast. The third man uses the method of chiaroscuro lighting to create a dark feel and make the film more eerie. Frank millers Sin City also used this idea or dark and light. Chiaroscuro lighting can also be used to connote good and evil through lighting different objects or characters in either shadow or light. Chiaroscuro lighting is frequently used in film noir because it is very effective in monochrome film, this is because obviously colours cant be used to highlight good and evil for example an evil character dressed in black or a seductress dressed in red, through using chiaroscuro lighting characters can be defined without colours making it very popular in film noir. To improve the effectiveness of chiaroscuro lighting it is often combined with wet streets or in raining scenes because the water reflects the light and casts interesting shadows which can be used to symbolise corruption or unpredictability of either the characters or the plot line. Not only is water added to increase the effectiveness of the lighting but smoke is commonly used because bright light can be cast onto the smoke making it appear white which increases the contrast between the shadows and the light.

This is a screen shot from ‘double indemnity’This is a perfect example of chiaroscuro lighting as it features dark shadows and an extremely bright Smokey background which connotes the ideas of confliction between good and evil. The strong silhouettes of the two characters create enigma and mystery and get the audience to question who the characters are and what their relationship is. All of this affects are created by chiaroscuro lighting which is very commonly used in film noir because of the results achieved.

Describe the role of heroes in film Noir

Film noir features many different types of characters however some styles of characters are more common than others, these are the characters you are most likely to encounter whilst watching a film noir. 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-life 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.
Film noir will always have a hero because it gives the film strength and a character to attach to. A hero will often be flawed or corrupted in some way or another to make his journey more difficult and show character building. Noir heroes are often alienated or isolated making them seem more rugged and independent. Heroes in Film noir are constantly smoking this connotes their one comfort or security. Their cigarettes are the only certainty they have. The heroes will often have a run in or romantic affair with the femme fatale character, the idea behind this is create a deeper plot line and link sequential stories together to make a more interesting plot line.

Analyse how the opening scene of Sin City uses the conventions of film noir to set up audience expectations

Film noir is a very popular style of film it’s not a genre as it commonly called. Film noir is shot in black and white and uses non ambient lighting combined with ambient lighting to set the mood and tone of a scene. These films often heavily feature crime and adultery, frequently these films with have a theme of trouble and evolve a male hero/role or female role (femme fatale) who will be trying to escape trouble or the inevitable.
Sin city is not shot in the traditional film noir style but still closely follows the conventions. Sin City is a neo noir film meaning that it isn’t totally black and white but has aspects of colour in this particular film the colour is used to highlight a certain aspect of the shot, for example a key object or item of clothing ( red dress ) to show something or to imply something. The Red dress is a key item in the opening scene because it is highlighted in colour to bring the audiences attention to the dress. The colour red implies danger, and ideas of sexuality, making the female character seem attractive.
Sin city opens to a dark night scene where a woman stands on the top of a tall building in a dark city. This woman has a red dress on (implies danger) and red lipstick (seductress) behind the woman is a loud party with large windows emitting allot of light which provides this scene a large amount of non ambient light to set a vibrant happy mood, contrasting with the huge dark city which shows us how small and helpless they are amongst such darkness. The woman is not alone for long when a well dressed man approaches behind her. Already conventions of film noir have entered the film the sharp dressed man who could be the hero enters casting an eerie shadow and the woman who would appear to be the femme fatal of our story. A voice over then begins (which is another convention of film noir) this voice over describes the male entering and the dialogue being produced sets a very dark tone ‘she shivers in the wind like the last leaf on a dieing tree’ this opening sentence features heavy suggestions of death. The male then offers the woman a cigarette which she takes. Smoking is also a common feature of film noir as it is considered stylish and glamorous. He then leads on to light her cigarette this shot shows intimacy between the two characters, a close up of the lighter is also included to make sure the audience do not miss this intimate gesture. In this scene iconic props are often used and there is a close up of each prop used this is another frequent film noir convention as these iconic props can be easily used to set the scene. The woman then asks if the male character is bored of the party, and he begins to talk very personally complimenting her and telling her he has been watching her and she is perfect, this is very romantic and the woman seems to fall for his clever pick up lines. He then says its her eyes he has fallen for, a close up of her eyes comes on screen and they change from black and white to green only for a moment to highlight her eyes and draw all the audiences attention to this feature. He then says he sees she is sick of running in her eyes and she embraces him and the dialogue stops and the voice over comes back in. the whole screen becomes inverted and the two characters kiss. The voice over describes what the man is saying we know see that the voice over is what the male in this scene is thinking. ‘ I tell her I love her…..The silencer makes a whisper of the gunshot’ he shoots the girl shocking the audience after this very romantic and intimate scene keeping the audience very enthralled and curious as to what happens next the camera then pans out to show the whole city and how small these two characters are.
This scene sets up the film very nicely as it has elements of death crime deception and intimacy. This scene leaves us wandering as to what unfolds through out the film the clever use of coloured objects highlight key points in the scene such as the red dress and the female’s eyes. Conventions of film noir are frequently used in this scene to develop the ideas of darkness and crime and it is very successful and allows to get right into the storyline and sets us up for the story to come and allows us to predict the theme of darkness crime and trouble.
Harley Evans