What is Film Noir?

Film Noir is used primarily to describe Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes or sexual motivations. The classic film noir period was the early 1940s into the late 1950s. There has been other films which has tried to incoporate noir into their film such as 'Brick'.there are other types of noir such as neo-noir or science fiction noir. Films in these genres can include Blade Runner and Sin City.

The low-key lighting schemes of many classic film noirs are associated with stark light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadow patterning—a style known as chiaroscuro (a term adopted from Renaissance painting). Film noir is also known for its use of low-angle, wide-angle, and skewed, or Dutch angle shots. Other devices of disorientation relatively common in film noir include shots of people reflected in one or more mirrors, shots through curved or frosted glass or other distorting objects (such as during the strangulation scene in Strangers on a Train), and special effects sequences of a sometimes bizarre nature.