Research Into Existing Products 2.1 - Horror Genre Characters

Stereo-typical Horror Characters from CharlDale

Reseach Into Existing Products 2.1 - Film Noir

Film Noir

Film Noir (French for 'dark film' or 'black film') is a term describing a genre popular in the US between 1940 and 1960. Strictly speaking its a description of the films style and mood rather than a so-called genre however it has evolved and more recent films using the same codes and conventions may be referred to as 'neo-noir'.

Film Noir takes inspiration from German Expressionism and European films of the 1920s to 30's. These films often experimented with daring lighting and camera angles specifically to create lots of shadow and contrast particularly on the characters figures. This was mimicked by film noir which employed dark-mood lighting to form shadowy images and were often set in darker seedy locations. 

The narratives and plots for the films, particularly American film-noir were based on novels featuring detective, gangster, and crime themes.  As more and more of these films were being produced in the post WW2 era, French Film critics Nino Frank and Jean-Pierre Charties applied the term 'Hollywood Film-Noir'  which was finally adopted in America in the 1970's.

A common theme of film noir is corruption and it often centres around the unpleasant and often destructive side of human behaviour. Greed and Sex are frequently featured topics but the overall plot line usually ends up with the downward slide of the anti-hero. In the films protagonists (very rarely female) usually only feel disillusionment, hopelessness, guilt, and pessimism; no positive emotions or plots feature. However the female characters are only usually on the sidelines of the protagonists and are only portrayed of one of two characters; the honest, trusting but naive figure, or the manipulative femme fatale. 

The 'spider and the fly' connotation has often been used to outline the role of the femme fatale and the tale in which she features. The protagonist finds the love and mysteriousness of the femme fatale irresistible and gets trapped in her increasingly-complex web which inevitably leads to both of their downfalls. 

The Big Sleep is one of the most famous examples of film noir released in 1946 and features Humphrey Bogart as detective Phillip Marlow, and Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge. The title of the film eludes to the inevitable ending of the film and this film was the basis of the stereo-typical film noir genre we know now.  

MR JUDGE FEEDBACK

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Research into existing products 2.1 - SE7EN Opening Scene Analysis

SE7EN Analysis

Released in 1995 and directed by David Fincher, SE7EN is a neo-noir psychological thriller starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as protagonists Detective David Mills and Detective Lieutenant William Somerset.

The opening of this film heavily rely’s on the use of mise-en-scene in order to introduce the characters, setting and initiate thought amongst the audience. Instantly before the on-screen visual has even begun, the location of the film is suggested to be New York through the use of non-diegetic sound and throughout the opening  the audience are shown 4 different settings within the New York location; Detective Somerset’s home, the crime-scene, a New York sidewalk, and Detective Somerset’s Bedroom. 

The first location in particular gives an insight into the character of Detective Lieutenant William Somerset portrayed by Morgan Freeman. His house (or even apartment) is very monochrome, with only elements of black and white visible in the scene including Somerset himself. The whole apartment is very bare and tidy suggesting Somerset lives alone and is not a family man he rather lives alone supported by the sound of the neighbours TV inputted into the scene to emphasise the quiet in his apartment.



In the foreground of the shot there is also a chess set. An intellectual and strategic game dictating Somerset is both of intellect but is constantly in need of mental stimulation, his mind is always turning. The audience is also given further insight into the protagonists mind in the following scene as the camera follows Somerset into his room. Here we witness him precisely do his tie and then we are shown a series of objects displayed meticulously on his dressing table. The highly regimented routine of making coffee, doing his tie, and then collecting each item in order suggests he may have previously been in the forces but the following shot of his perfectly made bed and the objects themselves could also indicate Somerset may even have OCD. Therefore in the opening scene we are able to decipher Somerset's character without any dialogue.

The next setting is the crime scene where we meet more characters but most importantly the second protagonist, Detective Mills portrayed by Brad Pitt. The key of this scene is to distinguish the differences between the two characters. Having already met Detective Somerset the audience have already made their first impressions however once Detective Mills is introduced they come to realise they are both two opposite characters. Somerset is very much the traditional detective and is smart both in appearance and his thinking. Mills however is laidback both in appearance and attitude, and the two detectives clash in the moment of ‘What kind of question is that?’ This question instantly demonstrates how the two don’t have an understanding of each other and arises the thought is this partnership really going to work between the two?

After leaving the crime scene, the camera follows the two detectives out onto the street. The camera angle remains low throughout the scene and the director uses reverse tracking to be one step ahead of the detectives as they walk down the street. The camera and so detectives then stop and begin to converse. However the stance of the two is what gives the audience the most insight into the two personalities. The shot below shows a distance between the two detectives, and the proximity connotes both the distance in the partnership having only just met, but also the distance between the two personalities; they’re on opposite ends of the scale.  The shot also demonstrates the two different styles, Somerset looking smart and having a strong upright stance and Mills looking scruffier and not leaning back.  The fact Somerset is looking directly towards Mills who is looking elsewhere also demonstrates the powerplay between the two. Somerset clearly has more power (and authority) in this situation and it is indirectly making Mills look and feel uneasy.

Finally, we return to Somerset’s house and are shown a scene of him in bed. The basis of this scene is the loud city noise and Somerset using a metronome as a focus-point to block out the noise. This links back to the idea that his mind is always working and he isn’t able to just relax and so-called block out the world. At the point when the metronome starts the sound of the city begins to decrease and the scene becomes calm (the first time in the whole opening). This forms the calm before the storm concept as it builds to the final moment where we hear the sound (non-diegetic) of thunder before the title sequence begins.

Throughout the whole opening scene sound is prominent, with the New York hustling and sirens being heard consistently. Also consistent is the editing with little actually being used. They use simple cuts rather than any extravagant editing to create a very realistic effect matching the visuals on screen. The realistic effect is also achieved with the camera angles. Fincher sticks to simple camera angles, with the majority of shots being medium or long shots and the camera following and staying level with the protagonists throughout.  For me, this helps make the audience feel present and instantly feel involved and as it’s a psychological thriller, if the audience feel involved it will create more of a shock. All of the factors included in this opening scene add to achieving the neo-noir psychological thriller genre.