The Characteristics of Film Noir

The typical Film Noir is about murder, crime, alienation, pessimism and jealousy. They are usually set in an urban environment with first person voice-over narration. In terms of women and the family, the messages shown in Film Noir seem to be: women who overstep the boundries of standard family life meet an extreme punishment. An example of this is Murder, My Sweet.

The typical characters in Film Noir are usually detectives, cops and gangsters. An example of typical Film Noir females are the dutiful dame and the predatory femme fatale. A typical male is the seeker-hero, who is on some kind of quest or adventure. This is usually the character that is picked on, beaten up and interrogated.

Film Noir typically used low-key lighting to produce dramatic shadows and dark/light contrasts on the scene. Characters typically wear long detective-like clothes with hats and the females would wear long dresses. The scene is usually set in an urban setting. Examples of this setting and environment are Film Noirs such as: Kiss Me Deadly, The Big Heat and Touch of Evil.


In Film Noir you'd generally expect to hear voice-overs in first person usually from the main character. You'd also have ambient sound such as people talking in the background, or whispers – this is due to the pessimistic and anxious theme of Film Noir. You'd also hear music which has a sense of inevitable evil.

When it comes to cinematography Film Noir is most known for it's Dutch angles, low angle shots and wide angle lenses. Film Noir usually involves a variety of disorientating shots. A common shot is that where a figure is shown reflected in one or two mirrors or through frosted glass. Such as Strangers on a Train.

Flashbacks are extremely common in Film Noir, Film Noir is never usually linear – it is usually mixed up and not in chronological order. Flashbacks are used a lot to disorientate the viewer or confuse them; however, they are also used to help the viewer understand more of the plot.