Neo noir is when a film uses elements of story and characters from a typical noir themes, but with different themes and styles. Some film neo noirs simply use modern technolgies to give the films an edge, while some neo noirs take place in the not so distant future. There are several sub genres of Neo noir, such as cyberpunk or steampunk.
For example, the British TV show Misfits done a noir themed episode in which one of the main characters, Curtis, falls for a femme fatale. In several ways this episode is very conventional. There's a femme fatale, an every man, he's a bit of an anti-hero and it certainly isn't a happy ending.
However, it is always very unconventional in several ways. For a start, it's set in Britain instead of America. Also it's not all shot in black and white, only certain scenes. Our main character is black, which you would of never seen in a noir film in the 50s. But most importantly, the presence of zombies truly makes this neo noir unique in it's own right.
Next up, red riding. A neo noir set in 1950s Britian for a start, this neo noir is slightly more conventional than Misfits in it's own right. It's got the dark and gloomy feel, it starts at the end and has your typical characters. It uses shadows and smoke the same way typical noirs do.
However it certainly has it's own twists. For a start the every man is a lot younger than your usual main character. Instead of being pulled into trouble by a femme fatale however, our main character finds himself getting involved in a child abduction case. The music is also used in a different style. Instead of being used for tension building, it is much calmer and subtle, especially with the use of acoustic guitar.
Another famous neo noir is the film Blade Runner. Arguably the most unconventional so far, Blade Runner redefined the neo noir film industry. The only true ties it has to original noir films is the urban night time setting and the use of smoke to establish atmosphere.
For a start the film is set in 2019. There are flying cars and killer robots running around. Our hero certainly isn't your everyman, as he what they call a "blade runner." The use of colour is also different, as the city is filled with neon lights to catch the eye of any passer by, however it still does hold a depressing atmosphere together.
Next up we have the movie titled Bound. Typical in the sense that is uses several noir tricks to set up atmosphere, such as the use of shadows and smoke. You have all your key characters for a typical noir film and it even features regular settings, such as cities and pubs.
However there is a reason Bound is considered a neo noir. For a start, the everyman is not a man. She is a woman. While she acts like the everyman, has the same average job and same motives, she is a women which is very unconventional for noir and I don't believe it had been seen until this film. Secondly, it does actually have a happy ending, something most noir film characters are not too lucky to get. Bound is a difficult film to say if it's more typical or un-typical.
It has several subtle similarities and for the most part it certainly fits the noir genre. However a few extreme changes really distinguish it as neo noir.
Finally, we have Sin City. I mistook this for a modern noir at first, not realising it actually isn't 100% conventional to the noir genre, therefore making it a neo noir. It's black and white for the most part, it features heavy narration from start to finish and even has a few of the staple characters. It even features the music most typical noir's feature. However in the first scene the what we believe to be the every man kills what we believe the femme fatale, completely throwing the noir genre upside down.
The film is adapted from the Sin City graphic novel series, and because of this it actually has about four main characters instead of your typical one. It also fuses classic music and new music that can only be described as funk. Since there are four main characters, the film simply cannot follow the usual neo noir film narrative structure .
However it is set in a urban setting, it's got a gloomy atmosphere which it establishes with the usual smoke and shadows, and it doesn't have too happy of an ending at that.
While all neo noir films borrow different concepts and ideas from the traditional noir film style, they change the narrative or style in some shape or form to keep it all fresh. The neo noir genre has evolved from the typical noir genre to keep the films new and exciting for viewers. The noir genre didn't have a choice in evolving into a sub genre, as it's the best way to keep the audience interested.
No comments:
Post a Comment