Neo-noir

Did You Know?

• The neologism neo-noir uses the Greek prefix for the word new.
• Mark Conard defines neo-noir as any film after the classic noir period that contains noir themes and noir sensibility.
• Another definition describes neo-noir as later noir that often synthesizes diverse genres while foregrounding the scaffolding of film noir.

History

The term "film noir" was coined by critic Nino Frank in 1946 and popularized by French critics Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton in 1955. The classic film noir era is usually dated from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, with films often adapted from American crime novels described as "hardboiled. The term revived in general use beginning in the 1980s.

Characteristics

Neo-noir film directors employ techniques from classic noir, such as Dutch angles, interplay of light and shadow, unbalanced framing, and a blurring of moral boundaries. Thematic motifs include revenge, paranoia, and alienation. Typically American crime dramas or psychological thrillers, neo-noir films feature conflicted antiheroes trapped in desperate situations, making choices from nihilistic moral systems. Visual elements include low-key lighting, striking use of light and shadow, and unusual camera placement, while sound effects reinforce moods of paranoia and nostalgia.

Few major classic film noirs have been made since the early 1960s, and both classic and neo-noir films are often independent features. After 1970, critics recognized neo-noir as a separate genre, though terminology such as "hard-boiled" and "neo-classic" is often rejected by critics and practitioners. Robert Arnett noted that neo-noir has become so broad that any film featuring a detective or crime may qualify. Screenwriter and director Larry Gross identifies Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville, John Boorman's Point Blank, and Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye as neo-noir films, arguing they deviate from classic noir by having a sociological rather than psychological focus.

Neo-noir characters commit violent crimes without the motivations and narrative patterns of film noir. The genre assumed global character when filmmakers drew elements from international films; for instance, Quentin Tarantino's works were influenced by Ringo Lam's City on Fire, notably in the noir-inflected Reservoir Dogs, which helped establish Tarantino in October 1992.