Comparative Essay: The Characteristics of Film Noir - MSTU2005 Assessment

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime drams, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classical film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, however, the term film noir, French for "black film", wasn't recognized by the American film industry until the 1970's - many of the classic film noirs were referred to as melodramas. With this in mind, there is still an ongoing debate between scholars on whether or not film noir qualifies as a distinct genre (Naremore, 1998). With roots in German Expressionist cinematography, classic film noir is associated with a low-key, black-and-white visual style. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Great Depression. With post-Second World War society as a backdrop, Hollywood directors challenged and defied social norms with their depictions of violence, sex, female characterisation, and relationships between males and females (Smith, 2013).

With this in mind, this essay with compare and contrast John Huston's The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Bill Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944) regarding the characteristics of the film noir genre/movement and its ideological meanings developed in response to historical, industrial and cultural influences and audience expectations. Both films incorporated different styles and elements to define the cinematic term, and both used similar cinematography ideals to create a new of film genre.

Double Indemnity was released in 1944 and was based on James M. Cain's 1943 novella of the same name. Directed by Bill Wilder, the film stars Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, Barbara Stanwyck as a provocative housewife who wishes her husband were dead, and Edward G. Robinson as a claims adjuster. Praised by several critics when first released, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and is often cited as a paradigmatic film noir and as having set the standard for the films that followed in that genre (Sikov, 1998). On the other hand, The Maltese Falcon was released in 1941 and was based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. Directed by John Huston, the film stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his femme fatale client. The story follows Spade and his dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers, all of whom are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette. The film was Huston's directorial debut and was nominated for three Academy Awards, and has been cited by Panorama du Film Noir Américain as the first major film noir as well as "one of the greatest films ever made" by Roger Ebert (Sklar, 2002).

The low-key lighting schemes of many classic film noirs are associated with light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadow patterning. The shadows of Venetian blinds or banister rods, cast upon an actor, a wall, or an entire set, are an iconic visual in film noir (Hirsch, 2008). Double Indemnity perfectly exemplifies these classic film noir attributes, with visual techniques such as imbalanced lighting, wide angle focal length, dissymmetrical mise-en-scene, extreme low and high angles, as well as the depiction of fog and rain. According to Robert Sklar, the film follows major thematic elements of film noir, with "a visually dark and claustrophobic framing, with key lighting from sources within the mise-en-scene casting strong shadows that both conceal and project characters' feelings," (2002). Moreover, Double Indemnity often referenced its German Expressionism roots when light tended to enter the rooms in jagged and odd shapes creating a sinister motif and ideology.

Similarly, The Maltese Falcon also used visual conventions derived from German Expressionism such as dark interiors, high contrast, various frames within the film frame, and the Venetian blinds technique. However, there was an inclusion of eye-level camera angles that aren't usually apart of classic film noir, such as the scene at the end of the film where Brigit is led to an elevator and stands centre frame staring back at the camera. Knowing this, there is still a use of low-angle, wide angle and skewed, or Dutch angle, shots present in the film, such as the scene where Spade is drugged. Furthermore, the editing of The Maltese Falcon is seamless, with the story following a linear structure without the flashbacks or voice-over narration that often creates a sense of impending doom in film noir. Conversely, Double Indemnity has a circular structure, like much later noir, beginning near the end and telling the story through voice-over and flashback.

Classic film noirs are primarily based on hardboiled crime stories about murder and theft, and are set in dark, corrupt, criminal underworlds where most characters are driven by personal gain and sexual motivations. At the same time that film noir was popular, a set of rules governing the content of films called the Hays Code (or the Motion Picture Production Code) was in place. This code was based on ethics and norms of the time that it was created. The presence of this code made it difficult for film makers to fully portray the hardboiled stories in film noir while adhering to the provisions of the code (Bernstein, 1999). During this period of filmmaking, sex was often symbolized through the use of cigarettes. Throughout both Double Indemnity and The Maltese Falcon, scenes that appeared to be action packed or romantic were often followed by either character satisfyingly smoking their cigarette.

In the original ending in the Cain novella that Double Indemnity was based on, Neff and Keyes commit double suicide, however suicide was strictly forbidden at the time by the Hays Code. For these reasons, Wilder wrote and filmed a different ending in which Neff goes to the gas chamber while Keyes watches. In spite of this, Wilder decided to scrap his re-written conclusion, due to pressure from the Hay Code, and went in a new direction where both characters survived. Wilder also included innuendo when it came to portraying the sexual attraction between characters (Beisen, 1995). Likewise, parts of The Maltese Falcon's script had to be changed or removed including the characterization of Joel Cairo as a 'dandy', Spade's attitude towards the police and lawyers, the use of alcohol, and implicit sex between Spade and Brigit. Additionally, a line in which Brigit asks "What else is there? Can I buy you with my body?" was changed to "What else can I buy you with?" (Naremore, 1998).

During the film noir era, the femme fatale flourished in American cinema. Classic film noir developed during and after World War II took advantage of the post-war ambience of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion, as well as reflected on male fears of female liberation and independence during the war year. A film noir story often developed around a cynical, hard-hearted, disillusioned male characters who encountered a beautiful but promiscuous, amoral, double-dealing and seductive femme fatale (Paglia, 1992). In Double Indemnity, Phyllis Dietrichson feels like a caged animal in her husband's home and is driven to murder him largely because he shows no affection for her, only indifference. Sylvia Harvey suggests that film noir attributes the femme fatale's violent behaviour as least partially to women's lack of status and fulfilment in conventional marriage (1978). Furthermore, the plot of a noir film is generally resolved when the femme fatale is killed - she is almost never captured alive. In film noir fashion, Dietrichson is violently killed at end of the film. On the other hand, Brigit O'Shaughnessy in The Maltese Falcon is defeated by the end of the film, however she doesn't die at the height of her sexual destructiveness, like other classic film noirs. Rather she is captured and defeated in a way that her power is neutralized and "order is restored". Moreover, by the end of The Maltese Falcon, Spade has won victory over the dark and deviant forces that take the form of an independent women, therefore affirming the male character as superior (Harvey, 1978).

In conclusion, this essay weighed The Maltese Falcon and Double Indemnity against each other to evaluate the characteristics of the film noir genre/movement. It was determined that the style of film noir, the role of the Hays Code, and the characterization of femme fatales played major roles in developing the ideological meanings of the time regarding historical, industrial and cultural influence.

Reference List

• Biesen, Sheri Chinen. 'Censorship, Film Noir, And Double Indemnity'. Film & History 25.1.2 (1995): 40-52. Print.

• Bernstein, Matthew. Controlling Hollywood. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1999. Print.

• Harvey, Sylvia. 'Women In Film Noir'. Woman's place: The absent family (1978): 22-34. Print.

• Hirsch, Foster. The Dark Side Of The Screen. 2008. Print.

• Naremore, James. More Than Night. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998. Print.

• Paglia, Camille. Sex, Art, And American Culture. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Print.

• Sikov, Ed. On Sunset Boulevard. New York: Hyperion, 1998. Print.

• Sklar, Robert. A World History Of Film. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. Print.

• Smith, Emily. The Roman Polanski Handbook - Everything You Need To Know About Roman Polanski. Emereo Publishing, 2013. Print.

• Spicer, Andrew. Film Noir. Harlow, England: Longman, 2002. Print.