Soon after the end of WWII,
French film critics coined the term “noir”.
The word ‘noir’ literally means ‘black’ in French,
giving us the idea of ‘dark film’.
After the war a gloomy,
the previously sunny optimism of U.S.A.
has been replaced by a pessimistic worldview.
In the 1940’s,
American movies were growing darker,
both visually and also in terms of theme and content.
Thrillers of the era often took on
the ‘otherworldly’ feel of a waking dream.
These elements came together to express the mood:
film noir.
Let’s look into a few key elements of film noir
with specific examples from
the classic film noir: Double Indemnity.
An iconic characteristic of film noir is fatalism.
The ill-fated protagonist,
typically an ‘ordinary Joe’
is sent into a quicksand of crime
by a small minor mistake.
His futile attempts to escape make it
more difficult to get back on to the right track.
This is often described as a “spider web of deceit”.
This is exactly what has happened to Neff,
who starts off with harmless flirtation
with his client’s wife yet ends up being a murderer.
When he realizes that Phyllis has
no real love for him and
is just using him as an accomplice,
it is already too late.
The fatal woman (femme fatale)
is another defining figure of noir.
She is seductive and dangerous.
She is a sexual predator who
weakens the male protagonist.
Phyllis Dietrichson has committed far more wrongs
than having an extra matrimonial affair.
She wants the husband to be dead,
so that she can claim all the insurance money to herself.
She is responsible for the death of
the first Mrs. Dietrichson too.
Moreover,
she even seduces the boyfriend of her step daughter
out of jealousy for the girl.
This particular “femme fatale” is
directly responsible for the fall of
the protagonist into the “spider web of deceit”.
The representation of the protagonist's subjectivity
is part and parcel of film noir.
That includes his perceptions, state of mind,
desires, obsessions and anxieties.
In the movie,
Neff is suffering from his conscious of guilt.
He has hatred for the lover
who leads him into the entrapment,
yet undeniably,
his passionate love for her is still painfully burning.
He is making the confession
on the critical moment of dying
so as to ease his self-condemnation.
Finally,
he wants Lola, the victim to be taken care of.
Another feature of film noir is
the figure of a hard-boiled detective.
This is the kind of tough, realistic and
non-sentimental character.
He does not go through the struggle and pain
which our protagonist is suffering from
because his mind and instinct
always guide him to the right direction.
In this case,
Keyes the claim adjuster is the character that
fits in this feature.
He suspects foul play of
the death of Mr. Dietrichson long time ago.
However he fails to solve the crime.
This is what differentiates film noir from
the ordinary crime movie.
The truth behind the crime is always
unveiled in a unique way,
contrasting to being solved by a shrewd detective.
The narrative techniques of film noir are often innovative.
the movie is divided into two temporal movements:
of real time and remembered time.
The film opens with Neff arriving at his office,
all wounded up.
He confesses into a dictating machine
for murdering a man for money and a woman.
The confession triggers a flashback.
Scenes from the past were brought forward,
narrated by his voice–over confession.
Subsequently the narrative brings real time and
memory together as Neff is about to die
from the gunshot which he suffered
at the end of his flashback.
In conclusion,
the movie is an eye-opener which presents
the key features of film noir
in a well-structured story-line.
Delving into the dark mystery of human nature
does not cease at the post-war era.
We would say that the features of the film genre
are influential to the subsequent thrillers and crime movies.
Therefore film noir have lived on,
and will continue to.
Double Indemnity / 1944
Works Cited
Horsley, L. (2002). The Development of Post-war Literary and Cinematic Noir. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from Crime Culture: http://www.crimeculture.com/Contents/Film%20Noir.html
Mills, M. (2007). Narrative Innovations in Film Noir. Retrieved June 10, 2011, from Modern Times: http://moderntimes.com/style/
Westcombe, R. (2003). What is this thing called film noir, anyway? Retrieved June 10, 2011, from Big House Film: http://www.bighousefilm.com/noir_intro.htm
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