Film Noir: Moral Ambiguity, Gender, Violence, and the City Explored

This essay explores film studies as an academic discipline concerned with the theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to cinema, emphasizing narrative, artistic, cultural, economic, and political implications over film production proficiency. Focusing on Film Noir, the analysis highlights its stylistic characteristics, including moral ambiguity, gender representation, violence, and urban settings. The essay discusses key elements such as cynical attitudes, stark lighting, flashbacks, and intricate plots, referencing films like 'Gun Crazy,' 'The Killing,' 'The Big Heat,' and 'Double Indemnity' to illustrate these concepts. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the social-ideological values within films and the various critical approaches used in their analysis, noting that film study continues to evolve alongside the film industry. Desklib provides a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and resources to enhance their understanding.

Intro to Film Studies

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Film studies is tend to be an academism discipline and area that deals with the study and
leaning about the various theoretical, historical as well as the critical approaches of the cinema
existing in form of art and communication medium (Gates and Gillespie, 2021). The film study
also tends to teaches the students about the ways to create and analyse moving images, to
produce research, and to make art. The current Essay is based on topic of, “Film studies are
seemed and taken to be the less concerned with the level of the advancing proficiency in film
production as compared with exploring of the narrative or the artistic or the cultural, economic,
and any form of the political implications of the cinema. Thus, it tends to comprise of the
applying this to Film Noir that is associated and focused with the describing the major stylistic
set of the characteristics of the cycle along with having attention on the level of the moral
ambiguity tighten with discussion about the look’, gender, violence and the city”.
Main Body
It has been seen and find out that the implication of the Film studies is tend to be the
academic discipline that is based on dealing and analysing of the various theoretical as well as
the concerned level of the historical and the other critical approaches that are tend to be based in
reflected into films. Along with this, the film are also tend to be sometimes subsumed within
media studies as well as it is often compared and reflect as form of the television studies.
Further, it has been also seen and reviewed that the film studies are tend be less concerned with
the level of the advancing proficiency in film production as compared with exploring of the
narrative or the artistic or the cultural, economic, and any form of the political implications of the
cinema. (Sundholm, 2021). Beside this, while making efforts in searching and find out the key
social-ideological values included and comprises in the film studies it tend to takes a series of
critical approaches for the analysis of production, theoretical framework, context, and creation.
Thus, in this sense the film studies are based on the discipline that are exists as one in which the
teacher does not always assume the primary educator role but instead of the featured film is
supported and reflected itself as the serving of the that function. Besides this, it has been also
seen and implicated that while in studying film the possible set of the careers that are being
include consists of the critic or production. Along with this, the film theory that makes core
implication of the film study is also tend to often includes the study of conflicts between the
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aesthetics of visual Hollywood and the textual analysis of screenplay. Thus, overall an
implication and understanding can be made out that the study of film is comprising of the
learning and understanding level which continues to grow, as does the industry on which it
focuses. Beside this, the core topic and section of the film study are not only based on exploring
and advancing proficiency in film production as compared with exploring of the narrative or the
artistic or the cultural, economic, and any form of the political implications of the cinema of the
cinema and it is also more concerned with the other aspects (Gutiérrez-Rexach, 2021). These
core aspects of the film study tend to includes and comprise of the Sight & Sound along with the
Screen and Cinema Journal as well as having of the Film Quarterly along with the Journal of
Film and its Video along with the major set of the stylistic characteristics that tend to consists of
the moral ambiguity together with the look gender and violence and the city.
Further, the Film Noir tend to comprises of the cinematic term which is used to describe
and reflect about the stylish set of the Hollywood crime drams which are practically focusing and
emphasising on the cynical attitudes as well as the level of motivation accreted by its
characteristics. Thus, the Film noir are tending to generally expressed as the classic period where
there us tend to style of filmmaking which is characteristics by the elements such as the cynical
heroes along with the making use and including the stark lighting effects. Beside this, the
frequent use of flashbacks along with having an effective set of the intricate plots as well as the
content that tend to focuses on the underlying of the existentialist philosophy is also being seen
within the Film Noir (Nakayama, 2021). Beside this, the major stylistic characteristics of the
Film Noir includes of the having the dark stylized detective films based in reference to the low
keyed form of the lighting the use of the which has been made to enhance the dramas and moral
ambiguity in the character. Beside this, a high level of violence and movies are tend to based on
male detective is seemed as the most common and major stylistic characteristics of the Film Noir
that tend to reflect and present the disenchantment of that times. Along with this, the story of the
Film Noir is also tending to base on the Pessimism as well as disillusionment that has tend to
uncaring rising within the American psyche and commonly seen at the times of the Great
depression. Further, the genre of film Noir can be classified or taken as the genre or subgenera
but based on the stylistic elements it has been seen that film Noir can be put in common to
various genres. Thus, the Film noir does not tend to have any thematic coherence but this term is
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most often used and applied to the crime dermas however some westerns as well as comedies are
also taken as examples of film noir (Park, 2021).
Beside this, the major stylistic characteristics of Film noir comprises of the use of the
some stylistic lighting that are used to reflect and show the isolation of the typical nor hero from
the society for which use of stark high contract lighting is being used. Along with this, it has
been also seen that the lighting of the Film Noir is tend to be the most notable visual feature of
the film noir that consist of the use of the stark high contract lighting. Beside this, the use of the
shadowy born style of lighting is tend to be made traced from the German Expressionist cinema
that is associated and taken as the silent era (Hockley, 2021). Along with this, it has been also
seen that within the Film Noir the Wiene is also tend to make the use of the visual element that is
vital and effective in defining the madness level of the character that also tend to comprises of
the titled cameras in order to present the skewed image as well as the dark atmosphere where the
only face of the actor is visible. Beside this, the use of lighting effect that has been seen within
the Hollywood cinematographers such as Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane, 1941), John F. Seitz
(Double Indemnity, 1944), etc. would also tend to heighted and reflect another the tome of films
within the noir genre. Further, the classic image and stylistic characteristics of the Film Noir also
tend to includes and comprises of the senses such as the rain soaked streets during the times of
the early morning hours along with the street lamps that are shimmering halos. Beside this,
scenes based on the flashing neon signs along with the seedy tavern, diners and apartments
buildings has been also seen within Film noir. Beside this, the use and presence of the omniscient
narrator as well as the effective flashback also tend to forms a vital part of stylistic characteristics
of the film noir that are tend to be the inherent subjectivity of the expressionism within Noir
Film. Further, the reflection of the moral ambiguity is also tend to be effectively presented and
seen within the Noir film that comprises and reflects through the denouement comprising of the
often the death or downfall of the central character that is tend to be revealed and reflected
within the opening scenes after which a flashbacks is stare which shows the morale action and all
the set circumstances that led to the tragic conclusion (Luccarelli and Røe, 2022). Further, the
presence of the Tension as well as the high level of the suspense are also forms a core
characteristics of the film noir that is increased through having a higher use of all the set of the
knowing narrators as well as applying the use of the flashbacks that is effective in ensuring and
leading that the audience is tend to always have the sense of the cognizant of impending doom.
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Gun crazy is a well-known American Film Noir released during the year 1950 that is
starring Peggy Cummins and John Dall in a story that is based on the crime-spree of a gun-toting
husband and the wife. This movie was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, and produced by Frank and
Maurice King. Further, it tend to be solid noir film which tend to focuses on a gun ownership as
the metaphor of the masculinity and rend to emphasis on upbringing of the Barton. The movie is
base on the Barton who is a teenager and caught braking a hardware stir to steal a gun from store
where he finds his male identity (Borde and Chaumeton, 2021). But Finlay in the end Bart says
he is done with all life of crime and take on his last big robbery so that he can flee the country
and live a peaceful and comfort life. However, in the end the FBI tack him and Bat sees the
Laurie preparing to gun them down when he shoots her and in turn killed by the police. Further,
The killing is also a famous and well created Film Noir that is based on the dark crime and
follows two detective who are put on the cases of the disappearance of the teenage girl and the
murders of the runaway children and the massacre of a wealthy form of the family. Further this
noir film presents a worst aspects of the humanity and insularity based in intolerance and greed
that has either forged in steal or else need to be stretched beyond the capacity as the secrets are
revealed. Thus, The killing present and showcase many painful situation in close way. The Big
heat is also a well known and famous Film noir crime film that was crated and directed by the by
Fritz Lang including the starring of the Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Jocelyn Brando. This
movie is tend to base on and about a cop who takes on the crime syndicate that controls his city
which tend to get realised during the times of 1953 (Guimarães, 2021). Further, the storey line up
of the movie The Big Heat tend to includes and comprises of the A police officer who seems to
have committed the suicide, but Detective Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) having a feeling that
there is something fishy into the story. And finally the, Bannion finds himself as the marked for
death and along with this a in a suspense his family is also tend to seen in mortal danger. Beside
this, the Double indemnity is also an example of the Film Noir that tend to present a screen play
and plot based on and featuring an insurance salesman who is tend to plotting and committing to
the murder of his client. The films is based on the insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred
MacMurray) who tend to gets roped and taken into a murderous scheme diving fall in love with
Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), who is intending and forcing on for killing her husband
(Tom Powers). Thus, she is living off the fraudulent way of the accidental death claim which is
tend to be Prompted by the late Mr. Dietrichson's daughter, Lola (Jean Heather) who is playing
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the role of the insurance investigator with the name Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) as well
as the final and end of this film he looks into the case along with the fact that he gradually begins
to uncover the sinister truth (Zagha, 2022).
Along with this, it has been seen and reviewed based on the analysis of the film noir such as
the Gun crazy, The killing, The big heat, Double indemnity, etc. that there heroes are tend to
have the certain qualities based on the moral ambiguity along with having a fatalistic outlook as
well as the alienation from the society. Beside this, the hero of the Film Noir also tends to
present and reflects about the exhibits of the essential acceptance based on the random as well as
the arbitrary occurrences that is being the determining factors of their life. Along with this, it has
been also seen that the hard-boiled detective is also tend to be a vital stereotypical of the noir
hero who tend to be the central main character of the firm comprises of drifters, college
professors, etc (Desser, 2021). Further, the ethics and high morale ambiguity is also being seen
on Film Noir based on the characters espouse who are often tend to be the borne more of some
sort of the personal code than need to be true concern for the set of their fellow man. Along with
the theme that when one of organization is tend to be gets killed, it is also tending to be based
business to let the killer get away with it that tend to be the most noble compassionless
pragmatism found in film noir. Further, the noir women are tending to characters as the femme
fatales who tend to comfortable within a world full of the cheap dives along with having
shadowy doorways as well as the mysterious settings. Beside this, the female character tend to
have a high sexual attractiveness along with being cunning and ruthless that tend to manipulate
their male counterparts in order to gain power. Beside this, in some vases the women in the film
noir are also tend to evoke the symmetry as they are victims of emotional or the physical abuse
along with being victim of the impetus for there vengeance. Beside this, the women character are
also tend to be trapped in the violent marriages along with the passionless and resort more as the
mean of their escape that usually destroying the conspiring paramours in this process (Schrader,
2021).
CONCLUSION
On the basis of current project, a conclusion can be made that main purpose and reason of
the film studies tend to consists and comprises of offering a foundation for the students to have
and create and better understanding about cinema in relation to culture history, aesthetics and
technology used in films. Apart from this, it has been also summarised that the Film noir are the
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one which comprises of the cynical heroes along with the making use and including the stark
lighting effects. Finally, it has been summarised that the character of the Film Noir is also based
on the certain qualities including the moral ambiguity and having the fatalistic outlook along
with the alienation from the society.
REFERENCES
Books and journal
Borde, R. and Chaumeton, E., 2021. Chapter Twenty-One. Toward a Definition of Film Noir.
In Notions of Genre (pp. 242-251). University of Texas Press.
Desser, D., 2021. 36. Global Noir: Genre Film in the Age of Transnationalism. In Film genre
reader IV (pp. 628-648). University of Texas Press.
Gates, R.J. and Gillespie, M.B., 2021. Reclaiming Black Film and Media Studies. Black
Camera, 13(1), pp.582-585.
Guimarães, J.P., 2021. Beyond the Pulp Vanguard: Bruce Andrews's Film Noir Series and the
Dead-End of Escapist Experimentalism. CounterText, 7(3), pp.467-500.
Gutiérrez-Rexach, J., 2021. 4. The Biolinguistic Turn: Toward a New Semiotics of Film.
In Toward a Cognitive Theory of Narrative Acts (pp. 95-118). University of Texas Press.
Hockley, L., 2021. Film noir: archetypes or stereotypes?. In Jung & Film (pp. 177-193).
Routledge.
Luccarelli, M. and Røe, P.G., 2022. Liminal Space, Film Noir, and the Production of the
(American) Suburb. In Suburbia in the 21st Century (pp. 78-92). Routledge.
Nakayama, C., 2021. Film-Induced Tourism Studies on Asia: A Systematic Literature
Review. Tourism Review International, 25(1), pp.63-78.
Park, J.Y., 2021. KOREAN STUDIES AND KOREAN COLLECTION AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF CHICAGO. Корея и Россия. Общество, политика, история, культура. К 120-
летию корееведения в Санкт-Петербургском государственном университете,
p.360.
Schrader, P., 2021. 19. Notes on Film Noir. In Film Genre Reader IV (pp. 265-278). University
of Texas Press.
Sundholm, J., 2021. History in the Making: Minor Immigrant Film Studies as Memory
Activism. Negotiations of Migration: Reexamining the Past and Present in
Contemporary Europe, 18, p.167.
Zagha, M., 2022. Carnival at the end of the line: Guillermo del Toro's updated film noir. TLS.
Times Literary Supplement, (6199), pp.14-15.
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