The protagonist is asked a favour due to his job (he is a private detective). He has been asked to sort out an issue of blackmailing by a wealthy old man, however it seems much more mysterious than this. It is suggested that people in the film are noisy and sneaky, the audience aren't sure who knows what and if there are secrets beneath the surface. Nobody wants the same things and the detective has his work cut out trying to piece together information. This is mainly conveyed by different characters putting in different clues, it suggests rumours and secrets are going round, the whole job is a lot more complicated than it looks at first.
What production techniques are used to bring this film to life?
Lighting has been done very precisely, the femme fatale is lit with an air of elegance by using soft lighting- she looks young, flawless and radiant. This has been achieved by using a soft lighting at the front creating a darker light/ shadow at the back. Only simple shots and angles are used as a common film noir convention, such as long shots and medium shots. Silhouettes are used to add mystery by taking away a clear identity, this leaves the audience guessing who is the bad guy and who is up to what.
How is it a conventional film noir?
The protagonist is about 50 and is a detective/ man of the law. He wears a suit, but wears it casually and is typically American.
Certain lighting techniques are used in very specific ways to convey emotions and connote atmospheres.
Mis-justice is used as a narrative as well as crime and deception, a love interest is also introduced but it is unclear whether she is good or bad (very typical of a femme fatale), she is presented as a femme fatale by the way she is dressed and how she acts towards the detective.
Smoking and drinking is used to convey upper class attitudes and glamour.
However no real crime has been shown- only mis-justice has been spoken of.
What sort of props are used and why?
Props are used to keep the setting realistic and atmosphere consistent. In the large house, typical 1940/1950's furniture is used- extravagant and expensive looking, this suggests that the sort of issues and situations that will occur and the kind of enemies they will have will be due to the power they have or the wealth that they have earned themselves.
Where is the setting, why do you think this setting has been used and how is the setting being portrayed on screen?
It is set in Hollywood (this is shown by a shot of a sign above a public library) this set has been used as Hollywood is well known for deception, people gossip and a lot of people who have made it there have done very well for themselves, so it conveys tensions between people. There are also large stately homes- money is often a sign of power a person has- if a lot of people are powerful then tensions and conflicts could be common place, people get greedy. The area is really well kept- but suggests everything isn't what it seems, this suggests narrative.
Why do you think, in an era that has discovered colour film (Gone With the Wind- 1939) this film is in Black and White? What effect does this have on he audience?
The Black and White effect in this film works well because it is mysterious and eerie. Just like there are conventions in modern day films e.g. a sci- fi is more likely to have loads of gadgets than a rom-com, film noirs were conventionally black and white, Howard Hawks (director) must of felt that colour would not convey the emotions and atmosphere as well as black and white. The whole narrative is about mystery and secrets- black and white portrays this.
To some extent i imagine filming a colour film was very expensive as it was a new concept.
What sort of titling and music is used throughout?
A big, pacey orchestral piece is used as well as strings (used for suspense and tension). Titles are convention to the film noir genre- they use plain and simple fonts and there aren't any complex transitions. The background of the titles focuses on one single shot/ moving/ tracking background. The titles are not part of the film as no one is shown or identified.
Who are the main characters and how are they portrayed?
The protagonist appears in a suit- including trousers, black tie, white shirt, jacket (he spends most the time without/ carrying around) and black suspenders. He takes the usual form of a main character e.g. he smokes and drinks. The femme fatale was first introduced in a skimpy outfit with the main focus being on her legs- is suggestive, glamorous and sexy (textbook femme fatale). A love interest is suggested between the detective and femme fatale as she is draped over him when they first meet, he doesn't react to it, but this is probably to keep up his persona and not let his guard down.
How would you describe the lighting used and what time of day is
it filmed at?
The lighting is very conventional to the film noir genre, this is because the lighting is used and set up differently to change the mood of each scene and connote the different characters. A lot can be said about a film noir character by the way they are lit, softer light makes a character look more youthful and attractive (used on females) a faint shadow over the face of a character suggests they are tough and hard to crack (detectives/ protagonists), and darkly lit faces with shadow suggest bad intentions and wrong doings (the villain) however it is unlikely that the villain is shown in this light straight away unless he is identified as the villain straight away. The scene we looked at was filmed at day time, however the mysterious opening sequence is dark- suggesting night-time. It is day when the detective first goes to the house, this is because no crimes have happened yet, the audience are still establishing characters, setting and narrative, only when a crime happens or the story starts to unfold when the light is most likely going to get darker.
What sorts of costumes are used for the main characters and what does it say about them?
the detective is wearing a conventional suit, however the top button is undone and the tie is loose. The suit shows he takes his job very seriously and gets it done well, the casual wearing of the suit suggests he bends the rules- he knows better than the system and often rebels against it, he is good at what he does and never plays it safe when it comes close to solving a crime. The old and wealthy man is dressed in a smoking jacket- he has earned his wealth and lives a very glamorous lifestyle, however it could be suggested that he has had to walk over a few people to get to were he is, he has a butler dressed in traditional servants uniform- back up idea of wealth and power. The femme fatale is dressed in shorts/ short skirt, it put the focus on her long radiant legs- this suggests that she is a bit of a rebel and uses her sexuality to her full advantage, although a lot of her is on show the audience gets the impression she is hiding things from people.
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