What is noir?

After reading Paul Schrader's article, "Notes on Film Noir" and watching four different noir movies, I have come to the conclusion that I am not completely sure what noir is. A mantra someone in our class came up seem to sum noir up in one sentence: "If it looks like noir and it smells like noir it is not noir". The reason this mantra holds true is because noir is more a tone and a style then a specific theme or a genre. Some of these stylistics that Paul Schrader lists in his article include: majority of scenes lit for night, oblique and vertical lines, actors and setting often given equal lighting, compositional tension is preferred to physical action, Freudian attachment to water, romantic narration and a complicated order chronological order is common to add to create the feeling of hopelessness and lost time (235-236). Besides the stylistics and tone, Schrader also defines noir as a specific period of time between 1941-1958. The important thing to note here is that there is no agreed upon definition of film noir, so although Schrader seems to think that film noir is a style, not a theme, many people think otherwise.

Before I share my own definition of film noir I should clarify that film noir is a very broad style/ sub-genre. According to Schrader's article there are three phases of film noir and each one is quite different. For example a film noir from the first phase (1941-1946) is not going to look anything like a film noir from phase three (1949-1953). Keeping this in mind here is my definition of film noir: Overall film noir is a specific period of time that can be recreated but outside of the specific effects of the forties and fifties. In other words noir movies from the forties and fifties are genuine noir where as movies from outside of that period are more or less neo noir or nior-esque (for lack of a better word). When it comes to looking for characteristics of noir films an investigation or search of some type is usually present, whether it be to solve a case or explore ones inner self. During this investigation some type of crime is committed and at least one character dies during the duration of the movie. In general, noir films are shoot in the dark and instead of the protagonists being emphasized by filler lights the main characters lurk in the shadows. More often then not the protagonist works alone, separate from the local police force, as a private detective and is quite confident. In addition to the typical private detective, there is a femme fatale; a woman who plays the damsel in distress, but at the same time ends up being a trouble maker. In film noir the femme fatale and the protagonist usually becomes sexually involved or at least share a steamy, dramatic kiss. When it comes to props that are common within film noir money, alcohol, and a cigars are a must. General themes of film noir range from moral ambiguity, shifting alliances, corruption and selfish motives.

Another controversial question about film noir is whether it is mainly an American cinematic genre/sub-genre/style (whatever you want to call it). Based on Schrader's article it seems that film noir was originally overlooked by the American critics due to the fact that "they have been traditionally more interested in theme then style" (241). He also mentions that "film noir, with its emphasis on corruption and despair, was considered an aberration of the American character. The western, with its moralprimitivism, and the gangster film, with its Horatio Alger values, were considered more American than the film noir" (241). From my perspective film noir is not purely American genre due to the fact that it was mainly inspired by German film. Although today film noir is almost completely American, it is important to remember where film noir originated from. Some specific things Schrader points out as genuinely German are the oblique vertical lines as well as the typical noir lighting. The ironic thing about calling noir American is the fact that American Hollywood jumped on the band wagon late in the game. It was not until recently that American critics are taking an interest in film noir. In other words American culture was not interested during the genuine noir period from the forties to the fifties. I think the only reason noir is considered American by most is because of the recent trend of interest in this specific sub-genre.