A student's view of film noir, Blog Post #2

1. Find a quote and explain

 A powerful, sexual female is a very dangerous figure. A quote by scholar: Janey Place, this quote means from my view. When a woman uses herself to get a reaction out of the young male character, which is shown in the film: the doorman always rings twice. It shows how easily a middle age man who just walks into the owner's dinner. And there standing in the parlor is the husband's middle age wife with her skinny swim-suit, and putting on her make-up. My first thought what came to mind was when I saw that scene, if looks can kill, it would be her.


2. Femme Fatale

 A quote  from Janey Place: she's uses her sexuality to get what she's after, and whats shes after is not the man in the picture. When I first saw this quote use to cora the female character, it basically tells you when you see a very attractive woman. Who wears clothes with a tight fit, and an amazing figure, she can make a game of it by using her charm. To get any man she wants, but her husband is so naive that he doesn't even think twice about the new fellow getting cozy with his wife. But in cases the its not too typical, because the wife who married the owner of the dinner, maybe she loved him because he has a business and she could get anything she wants. Or maybe shes tried of her older mid 40s husband and wants to seek out a new person in her life.

3. Noir photography, lighting, and location

 First, light and shadow was a big use indoors during the filming of (The Postman Always Rings Twice).
For example, when the characters close up shop for the night, you can see the effected of the window blinds. Casting a shadow effect on the wall, in the background of the dinner.  The interesting part of the scene I remember recalling form watching from the film, the most romantic location shots. Were done at night at the beach. But when the time came to setup the murder scene for the husband. The feeling change from being wonderful  to suspenseful, when the wife was planing to drown her husband, and at this same time. Her boyfriend  is trying to keep an eye out for the highway patrol man.

When it comes to choosing the camera  angles in film noir there, mostly angles of close up shots of the subject's face. Or when looking at the person next to them, even in some cases when there's a bank robbery. Angles can change from the subject: the getaway driver waiting, to people minding there own business, to the driver looking at there watch. So basically angles can be used in different ways like: showing the subject holding there side-arm. Then having the camera focusing on the bad the guy's eyes to watch his next move.

Lastly, music is a very important part of film noir its what sets the mood, of the scene. For example, when the young male character tells the wife of the dinner owner to dance with him. The music begins to change to romantic and joyful, but when it someone dyeing. The music becomes more dramatic and a feeling of sadness.


4. Neo-Noir: Paying homage to the old days of film noir

 When I watch a film like Blade Runner or play a game like LA Noire. Both have a sense of bright color's that stand out from any type of object. Like what what type of clothes they wear, the scenery, and to even what type of cars there driving. With the story it can talk about where the setting is taking place like in a metro city. What's the story trying to tell you going on between the characters going on in the film, or is a murder of people?. How about the hunt for robots going off the deep end killing there master. As for blade runner, playing it respects to noir of the old days, it shows how the main character can go out of his way to to bend the rules of justice. In order to find out the group of robots trying to take over the human race. For mise-en-scene, there's a lot of wide angle shots of the skyline of futuristic city of LA. Like the electric signs showing major brand names, cars, etc. When it came to music it had feeling of suspense when the show girl knew the what was going and then took off running from derker. Then got shot in the back, or when it came to derker trying to show an emotion to rachel the mood became romantic with the sound of a synthesizers.



As side note since this subject involves Bladed Runner, I found this some months back. But the interesting part this short film is directed by Ridley Scott's son Luke Scott.