It features striking shots of a crowded, decaying metropolis hit by constant rainfall. The film displays a stunning visual style. Blade Runner (1982) Blade Runner (1982) – source: Warner Brosīlade Runner is a mix of two distinct genres, neo-noir and science fiction. Over forty years on, Chinatown is still super stylish and utterly distinctive. Sunny LA proves to be a place seething with corruption, much like the dark underworlds of film noir. Chinatown‘s villains are shadowy oligarchs who carry out schemes in broad daylight. She’s a woman with a mysterious past and weaves a web of lies that builds throughout the film. It plays out like a classic noir from 1930s LA, albeit with colour.įrom the setting to Jack Nicholsen’s slick and world-weary anti-hero, the film embraces its genre conventions. “Jake” Gittes, Chinatown is elegantly paced and full of rich period detail. Starring Jack Nicholson as private eye J.J. It is a timeless, neo-noir masterpiece and one of the greatest movies of 70s Hollywood cinema. If you’re struggling to know where to start with neo-noir, look no further than Chinatown. Chinatown (1974) Chinatown (1974) – source: Paramount Pictures Let’s look at some of the greatest neo-noir films to date. In neo-noir films, these women are sometimes the main character and often have fluid identities. Today, the modern femme fatale is far more sympathetic and empowered. These powerful, mysterious ladies have always been central to film noir, and are often portrayed as leading men to their downfall. The interplay of light and dark is one of the most prominent elements of neo-noir. Many directors use dark visuals to emphasise characters or certain details in scenes. At its heart, neo-noir is about light and darkness, and how the line between the two can become blurred. The interplay of light and darkįorget about the wise-cracking criminals for a moment. Whether they’re solving mysteries or plotting revenge, the protagonists of neo-noir are brooding figures (usually men), struggling to survive – and they rarely have happy endings. These characters are almost always searching for something. They’re usually trapped in a nightmare and their motivations are always primal. Like film noir, most of the characters are anti-heroes with a shady past. You would be hard-pushed to find a protagonist in a neo-noir film who doesn’t possess a crippling flaw. Here are the key characteristics to look out for. Neo-noir is cool, edgy and mysterious and you need to know about it. This article is available as an Audio Article to our patrons!ĭon’t feel like reading and would prefer to listen, instead? Sign in or become a patron today! Most film scholars cite neo-noir as emerging after the 1950s, which is when the original noir fizzled out. While the exact definition is up for the debate, the key thing to note is that neo-noir films are separate from the major releases in the classic film noir era. Some argue neo-noir is more of a style or mood than and others believe it’s merely an exercise in nostalgia. It can prove quite tricky to nail down what exactly constitutes “neo-noir” since it could be applied to virtually any crime thriller.
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