Film Noir
Film Noir is one of the traditional genres in American film. The name, Film Noir, means “Black Film” in french. It is full of dark colors and moods. Film Noir films are often narrated by the main character, who has a dark and soothing voice. The films deal with dark themes, such as murder and other crimes. Traditional, Film Noir is black and white, but they have adopted the relatively knew color films. Film Noir films in color are usually considered Neo Film Noir, but even though they are in color they still have dark contrasts which keeps the mysterious atmosphere alive. "There are a few themes that can be found in all Film Noir films. According to filmsite.org, these themes are: "Fear, mistrust, bleakness, loss of innocence, despair and paranoia are readily evident in noir, reflecting the 'chilly' Cold War period when the threat of nuclear annihilation was ever-present. The criminal, violent, misogynistic, hard-boiled, or greedy perspectives of anti-heroes in film noir were a metaphoric symptom of society's evils, with a strong undercurrent of moral conflict, purposelessness and sense of injustice. There were rarely happy or optimistic endings in noirs" (filmsite.org). The reason for these intense films is because they reflect the thinking of the American people during the 1940’s to the late 1960’s. This time period was full of downhearted ideals with the rise of communism and other such hardships. Film Noirs are also known for putting women in a bad light. The main character is usually sidetracked from his mission or brought to sin by the acts of a woman. For example, in Double Indemnity the main character is convinced to commit murder because he meets a beautiful woman who is having troubles with her recently divorced husband. The main way for women to convince men to do their bidding was through the use of seduction and “feminine wiles” (filmsite.org). The idea of women doing evil is known as femme fatale.
The narratives provided in the films are always very complex. They help tell the story, but they can easily confuse the audience, as they are meant to. The narratives also contribute to the sense of mystery and urgency that are always present in film noir. The narrator, and main character, is usually a loner. His foil ranges from politicians, to police officers, to gang members, and to other corrupt characters.
Although film noir really began in the 1940’s, its origins can be traced back to the 1930’s. During the 30’s, films came from other countries with other themes, mostly from German Expressionism. A lot of the camera angles, themes, lighting, and other elements, were taken from other genres. Film Noir helped to define the American Film Industry by reflecting the feelings of the American people. Although it took a lot of ideas from other genres, Film Noir also eventually came to define the cinema of its time.
http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html
Thrill-Suspense Films
Thrill-Suspense films contain intense themes that induce extreme nervousness of the audience. They cause “intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension” (filmsite.org). Both thriller and suspense are very closely related and share many thematic elements. In short, these films will keep the audience on the edge of their seat throughout it’s entirety, or at least most of it. The beginning of thriller and suspense films is not always are fast pasted and tense as one might expect, but this calm mood never lasts. The tension begins once the main characters have been established. The main character will become placed in a terrifying situation, where they must escape, kill their friends, or die. The conflict in usually man vs. nature or some other outside force, although at times there is a man vs. man conflict. Thrill-suspense films are often thought of as closely related to horror films, and some of the most famous thrill-suspense films fall under genre of horror as well. For example, some of the most famous thrill-suspense films are Halloween and most of the Hitchcock films. Most thriller-suspense films include murder and other criminal activity, but avoid that of gangs and other organized crime, choosing to focus more on the terror and thrill produced by intense situations that the main character, or characters, are placed in. Hitchcock, also known as “The Master of Suspense” produced some of the greatest thrillers of all time. His films often had slow beginnings, but by the end of his films the audience had nothing left of their finger nails but bloody stumps.http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html
British Comedy
British Comedy, or dry humor, is one of the most distinct forms of comedy. It combines absolute insanity with the “uptight” British ideals. It is often considered to be the opposite of slapstick because the presenter or actor remains serious and refuses to notice the humor in his or her own performance. In slapstick, the performer fully involves his or her self in the comedy are quickly agrees with the audience that what is going on is funny. What makes British comedy so funny is that fact that the British people are so often thought to up “proper”, but they totally lose their composure. Also, British comedy makes every day normal activities very strange and confusing. It turns the normal into the absurd and the composed into the chaotic. It also uses common themes and language to relate to the audience. In British comedy, the main focus is the plot and language, instead of physical actions. This is the one part of the genre that reflects the cliche British society. British comedy is also known for using terms that have a connotation that differs drastically from its denotation. These terms are often racy and are the basis from much British comedy. Although the “double-entendre” is used very often, it never seems to get old and always gets a good laugh from the audience. One of the greatest British comedies is Death at a Funeral, which tells the story of a man who’s father has just died. He holds the funeral and when his dysfunctional family comes together, all hell breaks loose and many well kept secrets come out. British humor has increased its popularity through its impeccable use of dry humor and the two terms have become synonymous. British humor has come to be used not only in films, but also in every day material such as newspapers and magazines.http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dry-humor.htm
