What is film noir?

Before reading Paul Schrader's "Notes on Film Noir," I never knew what the term actually referred to. It is much more than movies film in black and white as I previously believed. What interests me about film noir is it is not defined by tone, it is defined by genre, so it is impossible to define exactly what it is and decided whose definition is right. Essentially, they all are. However, it is built on four conditions allowing for creative flexibility. The conditions it was built upon include war and postwar disillusionment, postwar realism, German influenced lighting, and tradition. From my understanding, these conditions allowed for sardonic, less optimistic ways of thinking through film that gave voice to a previously discriminated group in film: everyday people. To do so, directors employed specific lighting techniques, oblique and vertical lines, compositional tension as opposed to physical action, romance narration, elements of water, and complex chronological order. Because film noir was fabricated under these conditions, it allowed filmmakers to explore different themes that were not previously covered in movies like fear for the future, loss, nostalgia, insecurity, and lack of clear priorities. What I learned that the topics and themes in movies correlate to the stylistic and events of the times. It is no wonder directors started to explore darker themes in cinema after World War II. This is evidence that movies are reflective of the social atmosphere of the time period. It's no wonder why the movies from today are so all over the place. In conclusion, after reading Schrader's article on film noir, it is clear to me that as I analyze these movies, I must take into account the social, political, and economic atmosphere of the times to fully understand the themes of the works. Basically, film noir isn't call such because it is in black and white.




Film noir came to be based on the time period but it is defined stylistically? Is this valid to say?