Film Noir emerged in the early 1940's and lasted until the late 1950's in The United States. 'Film Noir' is French for Black Film or Dark Film. it was given this name because its dark nature and visual style. Many of the stories and attitudes of the sub-genre derived from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression.
The genre also borrowed heavily from 'German Expressionism'. German Expressionism was the result of the german government banning foreign films during the first world war. This led to an increase in domestic film production. German people where also visiting the cinema more frequently because they knew that their money's value was constantly diminishing.
Main characters in these film where typically private investigators and policemen. However, a character type that emerged because of Film Noir, is the 'Femme fatale' character. This characters purpose was to be a female character who used her sexuality to manipulate these 'weak' male protagonists. This is a result of men feeling emasculated during post war America.
Neo Noir
Neo Noir is a modern rendition of classic Film Noir, it borrows many tropes from the older genre such as Hardboiled Detective characters and its 'dark' and 'gritty' style. It is a combination of both Film Noir and Science Fiction and often uses the 'Used Future' aesthetic to maintain the 'Noir' style. Neo Noir films include; Blade Runner, Drive, Sin City and Seven.
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart was an American actor born in 1899 and was known mostly for his performances in Film Noir movies such as 'The Maltese Falcon', 'Casablanca' and 'The Big Sleep'. Humphrey was a stage actor until the Stock Market Crash of 1929 led to a decrease in theatre visits. because of this, he turned to acting in film. His performance in Casablanca (1943) gave him an oscar and was the peak of his career. It also cemented his trademark film person of the hard-boiled cynic who ultimately shows his noble side.
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