Opinion Piece- On my genuine love for Noir
As part of Film Studies (which is a real subject) I am studying the part of film known as Film Noir. It's strange in that it's not really a genre because it's so vague. It's usually got crime in it, often a femme fatale and that's kind of it in terms of constants. Despite this and the fact that I'm studying it and picking it apart, I really quite love it. It isn't perfect and I don't love or even like everything that falls under its broad umbrella but I think there's a lot to love about it.
I'll start by saying that Classic Noir is pretty patchy. The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep are both competently made films that are technically pretty good but they're just not entertaining for a modern audience. They stretch their hour and a half run times into pretty long films that don't seem to go anywhere. Where classic noir does shine though is in Double Indemnity. It proves to be one film from this era that has aged like a fine wine. Even studying it can't tarnish how good a film it is. You have the stylish Walter Neff with his fedora hat, good suits and constant use of the word "baby". There's Barton Keyes with his little man inside him (not as weird as it sounds). Finally and most iconic, is Phyllis Deitrichson the femme fatale to end all femme fatales with her ankle bracelet and incredibly fake looking wig. What follows is a tale of lust, deceit and murder that is gripping to the last iconic shot. It's what will start you on noir and it's the single best example of it.
From here, we launch into the vastly more exciting Neo Noir which is even less of a stable definition than classic noir. For the sake of ease, I'll break it into two categories: film as the first and then TV, Comics and Video Games as the second. So I'll start with movies. Neo noir is so interesting because it is so broad as a genre. The one constant is that it is gritty and there is crime. That's it. Everything else is optional. What this does mean is that it can be a term used to describe everything from The Dark Knight to Blade Runner and even Face Off. I guess in a way, what I'm saying I love so much about it is a genre is how it doesn't really exist. It just acts as an umbrella for a lot of really good films, probably more so than any other not-quite-genre.
It doesn't stop there. As I mentioned before, noir also spreads to other formats. A recent example is the TV show Fargo. The original movie is a Neo-Noir classic and many questioned whether it would adapt well to the small screen but it really has. In just two seasons, it's established itself as a strong force on TV and it's style manages to be noir while still being it's own thing. Comics have also made a strong stake into noir, most notably with the work of Frank Miller. He created the amazing Batman: The Dark Knight Returns which is a noir masterpiece on it's own and looks just like a classic noir film. Where his abilities in noir shine though is in his Sin City series. It's noir from it's venetian blinds to it's femme fatales to it's hard boiled leads. If you wanna see how well comics can embrace noir, look there. Finally, Video Games also give noir space to roam in the Max Payne series. The series opens with Max (a cop) finding his family dead. That is pretty much as noir as it gets and when your later games involve him drinking himself into oblivion and has a mode actually called "noir mode". It's as committed to the genre as it gets.
It's hard to define noir and I guess that means it's harder to say you enjoy it as a genre. For me though, I feel like it is a genre with so much to give. If you don't like one noir film, there's sure to be another you'll like or maybe a comic or a Video Game. Despite not really being defined enough to be a genre, noir is great. There isn't really a final point, you've probably watched noir at some point so I can't recommend it especially. I guess I'm just a massive film nerd and should find something more fulfilling to do with my life
I'll start by saying that Classic Noir is pretty patchy. The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep are both competently made films that are technically pretty good but they're just not entertaining for a modern audience. They stretch their hour and a half run times into pretty long films that don't seem to go anywhere. Where classic noir does shine though is in Double Indemnity. It proves to be one film from this era that has aged like a fine wine. Even studying it can't tarnish how good a film it is. You have the stylish Walter Neff with his fedora hat, good suits and constant use of the word "baby". There's Barton Keyes with his little man inside him (not as weird as it sounds). Finally and most iconic, is Phyllis Deitrichson the femme fatale to end all femme fatales with her ankle bracelet and incredibly fake looking wig. What follows is a tale of lust, deceit and murder that is gripping to the last iconic shot. It's what will start you on noir and it's the single best example of it.
From here, we launch into the vastly more exciting Neo Noir which is even less of a stable definition than classic noir. For the sake of ease, I'll break it into two categories: film as the first and then TV, Comics and Video Games as the second. So I'll start with movies. Neo noir is so interesting because it is so broad as a genre. The one constant is that it is gritty and there is crime. That's it. Everything else is optional. What this does mean is that it can be a term used to describe everything from The Dark Knight to Blade Runner and even Face Off. I guess in a way, what I'm saying I love so much about it is a genre is how it doesn't really exist. It just acts as an umbrella for a lot of really good films, probably more so than any other not-quite-genre.
It doesn't stop there. As I mentioned before, noir also spreads to other formats. A recent example is the TV show Fargo. The original movie is a Neo-Noir classic and many questioned whether it would adapt well to the small screen but it really has. In just two seasons, it's established itself as a strong force on TV and it's style manages to be noir while still being it's own thing. Comics have also made a strong stake into noir, most notably with the work of Frank Miller. He created the amazing Batman: The Dark Knight Returns which is a noir masterpiece on it's own and looks just like a classic noir film. Where his abilities in noir shine though is in his Sin City series. It's noir from it's venetian blinds to it's femme fatales to it's hard boiled leads. If you wanna see how well comics can embrace noir, look there. Finally, Video Games also give noir space to roam in the Max Payne series. The series opens with Max (a cop) finding his family dead. That is pretty much as noir as it gets and when your later games involve him drinking himself into oblivion and has a mode actually called "noir mode". It's as committed to the genre as it gets.
It's hard to define noir and I guess that means it's harder to say you enjoy it as a genre. For me though, I feel like it is a genre with so much to give. If you don't like one noir film, there's sure to be another you'll like or maybe a comic or a Video Game. Despite not really being defined enough to be a genre, noir is great. There isn't really a final point, you've probably watched noir at some point so I can't recommend it especially. I guess I'm just a massive film nerd and should find something more fulfilling to do with my life
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