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- DictionaryFilm noir/ˌfilm ˈnwär/
noun
- 1. a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. The term was originally applied (by a group of French critics) to American thriller or detective films made in the period 1944–54 and to the work of directors such as Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, and Billy Wilder.
Mar 6, 2024 · film noir, style of filmmaking characterized by such elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy. The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post- World War II era.
Jun 27, 2021 · Film noir is a stylized genre of film marked by pessimism, fatalism, and cynicism. The term was originally used in France after WWII, to describe American thriller or detective films in the 1940s and 50s. Though, Hollywood’s film noir stretches back to the 1920s.
Jan 30, 1995 · Film noir is . . . 1. A French term meaning "black film," or film of the night, inspired by the Series Noir, a line of cheap paperbacks that translated hard-boiled American crime authors and found a popular audience in France. 2. A movie which at no time misleads you into thinking there is going to be a happy ending. 3.
Jan 15, 2024 · The term "film noir" is a French term meaning "black film" or "dark film," which refers to the dark and moody themes and visual style of these films. Film noir films often feature morally ambiguous characters, cynical and disillusioned attitudes, and a sense of pessimism and fatalism.
May 29, 2018 · OVERVIEW. Film noir indicates a darker perspective upon life than was standard in classical Hollywood films and concentrates upon human depravity, failure, and despair. The term also implies a cinematic style: a way of lighting, of positioning and moving the camera, of using retrospective voice-over narration.
Apr 19, 2024 · Quick Reference. A genre of crime films popular in the 1940s and 1950s, characterized by the use of expressionist, chiaroscuro black-and-white cinematography, complex mystery plots, and stock characters such as the cynical detective and femme fatale. Film noir deals with morally ambiguous themes, in contrast to the dominant convention in Hollywood.
Film noir ( / nwɑːr /; French: [ film nwaʁ]) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylized Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir.
