Film Noir: Lighting and Style

The article about visual elements in Film Noir was interesting, especially because I have taken a class on Film Noir before. The thing we focused on most in the class was the lighting, and how it plays into the scene. I liked how this article went into the technical elements about how this was done, but the most interesting thing to me is the diffusion of light, especially on women. We learned a lot about how the diffused light on women made them look softer and helpless, even when they usually have evil intentions and are anything but pure. Another thing that I find interesting about Noir lighting is the fact that it is shot during the day, but supposed to look as if though it is done at night. This is something very unique to noir, for it highlights the sharp contrasts between light and dark in a very stylized way. These lighting elements help to add to the air of mystery and suspense that the genre is known for. The idea of unbalanced and busy scenes also adds to this suspense and mystery, which is really interesting. I like how certain elements, besides scripts and actors, can really define a genre.