History of film noir

The term Film noir or “Film Black” is a cinematic term used to describe stylish Hollywood crime scene dramas and those that empathise cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Film Noir classic period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940’s to the last 50’s, although the first Film noir was way back in the early 30’s. The term Film noir was first applied to the black and white Hollywood movies in 1946 by French critic Nino Frank and was unknown to most American film industry professionals of the classic era. The question of whether film noir has its own genre is still an on-going debate among cinematic historians and critics to this day. Film noir is deeply influenced by German expressionism, a cinematic movement of the 1910’s and 20’s. German expressionism consisted of developments of theatre, photography, painting, sculpturing and architecture. With the opportunities of making it big in America and the constant threat of growing Nazi power led directors such as Firtz Lang, Robert Siodmak and Michael Curtiz making the move to Hollywood and bringing along with them their lighting techniques and psychologically expressive approach to mise-en-ecene. All three of these directors would go on the make some of the most famous and classic Film noirs ever made.