Friday 6 December 2013

F634: Creative Investigation in Film (Film Noir Essay)



Film noir is described as‘… an atmosphere of disillusion and sense of foreboding, a dark quality that derived as much from the characters depicted as from the cinematographer’s art.’[1], The Departed (2006) Brick (2006), Drive (2011), are all films influenced by film noir; whether this be through cinematography, lighting or narrative. Additionally these films are more modernized compared to the noirs of the 1940s – 50s, with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media not available during the 1940s – 50s[2] (the period noir films were most prominent). Due to the differences these more modern movies are called neo-noir films. Some of the most notable classics films from the noir canon include Double Indemnity (1944) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). These two films like many noir are what Jon Tuska describes as both a screen style … and a perspective on human existence and society[3]. The debate on the subject of noir is whether it is a style or genre of film. I believe film noir is a genre of film, although it has a style ubiquitous to itself, the general aura of noir includes common characteristics. Motif and tone, social background, and artistic/ cultural influences, iconography, mood and characterisation, visual style... paranoia and patterns of narration[4], are aspects one would expect to see in a noir film. Similar to other film genres like a thriller or horror, noir has its own characteristics, which are clearly recognisable and apply mostly to noir, conclusively making it a genre rather than style of film.
 
Drive, directed by Nicolas Winding-Refn is a film that embeds various forms of film noir rooted into it but also it’s not fully a noir film. The cinematography ‘plays more like an exercise in turn-of-the-Eighties nostalgia.’[5] Predominately the film acquires a brightly lit visual style throughout, which goes against archetype noir films (Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard) – that use low key lighting. The term used to best describe Drive is ‘neo-noir’[6] with its overall display as an updated version of the noir films of the 1940s -1950s. An example of the brightly lit film is the elevator scene, in which Ryan Gosling’s (driver) stamps a hit man’s face to the ground. Another scene is where driver goes to a strip club and nearly hammers a bullet into the club owners (Cook’s) forehead. This could be a stylistic approach from Refn who says himself that he is very much a fetish film maker[7].

The film is certainly influenced by the early noir films with its main character in a loss of identity and although subtle, the sexual motivations involved between Driver and Irene (Carey Mulligan) are evident. Also Irene acts as a damsel in distress throughout, although raising her son alone, she is helped significantly by men throughout, mainly Driver. The character Blanche (Christina Hendricks) also acts as a femme fatale, in the bank robbery scene she already was aware that it was a set up and of Standard’s (Oscar Isaac) inevitable death. (The damsel in distress role is also something attached to noir).

Also this is also seen in Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder where Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck) acts as a femme fatale, entering into an affair with Walter (Fred MacMurray)
and later trying to kill him. Then she acts as a damsel in distress additionally with her longing for the affection of Walter whilst still being in a relationship with her husband.
           
The influence of early noir films is clearly evident on neo-noir, whether this be the chiaroscuro lighting brought into noir by people like John Alton and John F. Seitz – who did the cinematography for both Sunset Blvd. and Double Indemnity. The more updated narratives in the late 20th century and 21st century noir are the main difference in comparison to the noirs of the 1940s -60s. Visual style as seen in Drive, where it is lit most bright often in the most tense scenes, which is more like a conscience choice of Nicolas Refn’s to go against the conventions of earlier noir films, which still shows there is an influence. In reference to film noir as a genre rather than a style, Drive proves this point. With the films highly stylistic luminous lights, it is still recognised as a noir with their being the loss of identity, the sexual motivations and although the romantic undertone between Driver and Irene the film is still dark in its mood and tone – like Standard’s unjustified death. Along with Driver being an anti-hero self-excluded from others, committing very violent acts, these acts are to help Standard, Irene and their son Benecio (Kaden Leos
). An alternative interpretation could be that Driver is more sexually motivated and that is why he helps so much.


[1]Neale, Steve (2000) Genre and Hollywood, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group), 151, 2 – 4
[3]Neale, Steve (2000) Genre and Hollywood, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group), 153, 23  - 24
[4]Walker, Michael (1992) Film Noir: Introduction, Cameron, Ian, ed.  Studio Vista 1992, 8-38.