More Than a Feeling

Gillian Hughes

Defining Noir Project

October 27, 2017

More Than a Feeling

Through my seminar Noir Film and Novel, I soon learned that noir is a widely disputed term; “to this day the debate goes on as to whether ‘noir’ is a film genre, circumscribed by its content, or a style of storytelling, identified by its visual attributes” (Film Noir Foundation). When first introduced to noir, I believed it was a set category with certain essential elements: a femme fatale, a hard-boiled detective, cigarettes, bourbon, doomed romanticism, hard-edged cynicism, and a permeating sense of impending disaster (Ebert, Film Noir Foundation). As the semester progressed, however, we were introduced to films that did not fit this category and critical opinions that defied this definition. As I have become familiarized with more and more classical noir films, my definition of the word has transformed, even as I am not entirely certain what the defining characteristics of a classic noir film are. I am certain that noir constitutes a feeling, a general theme that is present among all films. Though it is difficult to nail down precisely what a noir film entails, one knows when they are watching a classic noir.

It seems every time a common element is found in some films considered to be noir, the lack of this element is identified in many others. For example, an unhappy ending is characteristic of many noir films. However, one film agreed by critics to be classic noir, Laura, has an undeniably happy ending. And though hard-boiled detectives seem to be present in most noir films, a few landmark films like The Killing and The Postman Always Rings Twice lack such characters. Even dark, shadowy photography- the most basic feature associated with noir films- is not present in every film. In fact, nearly half of the films we watched are not marked by significantly dark and oppressive lighting: The Killing, Laura, The Maltese Falcon, and The Big Sleep are all relatively well-lit films.

Again and again, when a noir film is closely analyzed, critics question both the movie and the category itself. “The last film noir is no easier to name than the first (Naremore 39).” It is almost as if noir can most easily be described as a feeling; it is easier to feel that you are watching a classic noir film than it is to describe why the film fits within the category. After my exposure to many classic noir films, and critical opinions of the genre, I have come to the conclusion that the essence of noir is not in the visible elements that make it up, but in the lingering feeling the viewer is left with after the last shot has faded to black. As Naremore writes, “It has always been easier to recognize a film noir than to define the term (Naremore 9).” As Jonah[1] articulated in class, when you try to scientifically, concretely describe noir, as you can with many other categories, you inevitably fail. The closer you try to look at noir, the more it falls apart. The longer and more deeply a noir film is analyzed, the more one realizes that most of the elements associated with noir are missing, and the ones present are not quite as they ought to be.

This is why, like my classmate Emma[2], I feel it is necessary to view genre as Ludwig Wittgenstein did with his theory of family resemblances. While there may be no element that is present in every noir film, “each member shares some … resemblances with some, but not all, of the other members of the genre.” This definition perfectly describes how noir can be considered a genre while there may not be one single essential visible feature of a classic noir film. Despite the fact that there is not one specific tangible detail in every film noir, there are common themes present in every classic noir.

A lot of the confusion associated with classifying noir as a genre stems from the fact that genre itself is a difficult term to define. It is important to remember that a genre is not made up of certain, specific elements. A genre is comprised of ideas and concepts. However, these ideas and concepts are often supported by certain elements such as lighting or camera styles and this is where the confusion concerning genre arises. For example, the common themes that are present in every action film include bravery, strength, and violence. A fast-paced car chase may support and contribute to the larger themes of the movie, but it is not an essential element. Likewise, many of the elements commonly associated with film noir are not necessary for the film to belong in the genre, they simply help to convey the themes that are necessary to the genre.

I think the themes common among all noirs are what led this genre to be so popular among audiences of the time. A critic of noir wrote a short essay about the connections between American society as it was when these films were created, and the themes present in these films, making the interesting point that noir materialized during a time of “disillusion and skepticism about American society” (Cawelti 188). The widespread feeling of despair and cynicism following both the Great Depression and the Second World War and the sense of paranoia and insecurity during the Cold War led Americans to embrace films that showed good still existed in a world of violence and corruption, where many had lost faith in humanity and the societal institutions that it had constructed. People could relate to the character’s feelings of alienation in a time when everyone was concerned about their own survival during the Great Depression, and were very skeptical of trusting others during the Cold War. I am sure the theme of moral ambiguity, where good often loses to evil, resonated with the majority of Americans during this difficult period in American history; good people were starving, honest, hardworking men were laid off, and no amount of good intentions or labor seemed to make a difference. Times were bleak, and the messages of noir films reverberated with the American populace.

The themes that constitute noir are a bleak outlook on humanity, a criticism of American society, a feeling of isolation from others, and often the prevailing of evil despite good intentions. These themes- present in every noir film- are often, but not always, supported by certain film techniques, settings, character traits, and other elements.

At first, Ebert’s definition of noir as a list of essential elements was supported by the films we watched and the novels we read. In the first film we watched, Out of the Past- a movie about a man running from his past as a private eye- all the crucial components of film noir described in Ebert’s essay are present. The main character, Jeff Bailey, is a private eye fleeing his crime-ridden past. Kathie Moffat is the perfect femme fatale; expertly playing with the emotions of men to persuade them to work in her favor, often without them even realizing. These character types help to develop the theme of isolation from society because they tend to be very independent characters who do not interact well with mainstream society and tend to live on the outskirts of the general public. Their isolation is emphasized by film techniques such as dark, shadowy lighting that makes the character appear alone in a grim world. There is enough smoking and drinking in Out of the Past to cause concern for the viewer over whether the main characters will die- not from the dangerous crime circles they frequent- but from lung cancer or liver failure. These small components of the film still add to the overall bleak themes of noir; life is so miserable that one must resort to material addictions to cope. Throughout the entire movie is the mood-dampening sense of impending doom. The exact circumstances of the character’s ill demise may be a mystery, but the viewer nonetheless feels the sense that a tragedy is inevitable. This feeling is largely caused by the deliberate use of film techniques such as dark, shadowy lighting and tense music that culminate in a sense of approaching calamity.

In our second exposure to noir, the definition is reaffirmed in both the movie and novel The Maltese Falcon. Based upon the novel, the film follows Sam Spade’s investigations into the murder of his associate, which leads him to be drawn into a dangerous search for a mysterious statuette: the Maltese Falcon. Again, the main character Sam Spade perfectly fits the hard-boiled detective mold; a man who is afraid of no one, can hold his own in a dangerous world, and is simultaneously cynical and chivalrous. In fact, many would argue that Humphrey Bogart, the actor who played Sam Spade, created the image associated with the stereotypical noir lead. The Maltese Falcon also has a cookie-cutter femme fatale. Unavoidably, the transfer from novel to film is not perfect, whether for the sake of time or an artistic expression of the director. One key difference between the film and novel is the absence in the film of a monologue by Spade that held great metaphorical meaning in the book. The monologue critiqued the ideal of the American dream, and made the reader question whether Spade was the character in the story; aware of the need to break away from societal norms, yet inevitably unable to escape them. Likely the scene was omitted to prevent confusion in the film- the story is a bit of a wildcard. Nevertheless, even a major omission like this does not detract from the overall themes of isolation and a criticism of American society present in both the novel and the film; themes that are embedded in every classic noir.

In preparation for the movies to follow, we were first introduced to the complexities of classic noir when we read James Naremore’s analysis. Despite writing a large book attempting to define noir, even Naremore is unable to nail down quite what it is, saying, “there is in fact no completely satisfactory way to organize the category; and despite scores of books and essays that have been written about it, nobody is sure whether the films in question constitute a period, a genre, a cycle, a style, or simply a ‘phenomenon’ (Naremore 9).”  Naremore explores the convolutions of noir as a term, recognizing that most of the films under this umbrella were created without the director’s knowledge of noir as a genre. The term was coined by French film critics several years after most of the iconic films were produced (Film Noir Foundation). Because of this, many critics question whether noir is simply a reflection of the cultural ideals and film techniques of a particular time in American history, that- when combined- produced films with chance similarities.

As the semester went on, we were exposed to films that moved further and further away from the definitions we were originally given. Double Indemnity, the third film we watched, began to stray from the lens under which we had scrutinized the last two films. A film about an insurance salesman duped into murdering a man for love and a life insurance policy by the wife of the man, Double Indemnity stands apart from the first two films we watched. Many of the elements we had previously considered essential to a noir film were present: the femme fatale, excessive drinking and smoking, doomed romanticism, and a sense of impending disaster. However, this was the first film we watched that did not have a detective as the main character. Walter Neff may have been hard-boiled- he has a quick wit, shows no fear, and has ambiguous morals- but he held a simple insurance sales job. This discrepancy was minor- not earth shattering enough to make us question noir as a genre just yet. However, the cracks in the foundation of our first definition began with this film.

            Laura, the fourth film we watched, was the first that truly shattered the definition. While the lead character is a hard-boiled detective, this is perhaps the only detail that fits into Ebert’s categorization. The film does not have the characteristic unhappy ending. In fact, the two main characters end up happily together at the end of Laura, reminiscent of a romance film. Although it is a point much debated, I would argue that there is no femme fatale in Laura either. The definition our Film Noir class has used most often for femme fatale is a character who is dangerous to herself and others. One must really grasp at straws to believe that Laura is a danger to herself or anyone else. She is entirely not at fault for the events of the film, and never intentionally tries to hurt anyone. Lydecker’s obsession with her is of his own doing; Laura is the victim in the events of the movie, not the culprit- as femme fatales so often are. Despite the lack of many elements and techniques found in other classic noirs, Laura still manages to give viewers the same feeling because the themes of isolation, impending disaster, and a bleak outlook on humanity are still present. They are simply expressed without the elements that other films use to emphasize the themes. Instead of creating a feeling of isolation using oppressive lighting, the same sensation is crafted with shots of the lead character completely alone.

In another exposure to a new viewpoint on the complexities of noir, the Cawelti article that drew connections between the themes prevalent in noir and the historical contexts also analyzed a character type often present in these films. The hard-boiled heroes present in both novel and film represent a character type that Americans are inexplicably drawn toward. Cawelti notes that, “this paradoxical and ambiguous act- the stepping outside of the law in order to make manifest a more perfect justice is, I should say, the central myth shared by the western and hard-boiled detective genres, and, as such, suggests the existence of deep-lying moral and cultural patterns in American society” (Cawelti 188). This common element is a piece in a larger theme that is present in every noir film and novel- the glue that holds the genre together.

Sunset Boulevard, while undoubtedly a noir, is perhaps one of the strangest we have seen. Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter, stumbles upon an aging woman fixated on her past fame who offers him a room if he will edit her script, and slowly falls in love with him. Nearly the entire movie takes place in a dark mansion isolated from the rest of society. This setting is odd because noirs typically take place in many locations throughout a city like Los Angeles, where crime runs rampant and the darker sides of humanity are explored. By placing the majority of the action inside a decrepit mansion, the theme of isolation is enhanced, and while a broad critique of society is not possible, the specific criticism of society’s treatment of mental disorders is able to be analyzed. The hard-boiled detective, a key piece in most noir films, is not present in Sunset Boulevard. However, despite the absence of many elements generally present in a noir, the common themes that are the basis of every noir are still there. The sense of isolation is felt, not through the typical hard-boiled character who lives on the fringe, but through the isolated setting that is atypical of noir films.

Despite using different methods, these films manage to bring about the same effect. Although no one concrete element is present in every film, each movie shares some elements with others in the genre, and beneath these similarities are the common themes that are the backbone of classic noir. It is interesting that the topic of noir as a genre is still so widely debated. Why do people care so deeply if these films belong to a genre or not? The concern stems from a human need to classify abstract concepts that would otherwise be difficult to comprehend. Humans categorize everything they come across; a habit instilled from a young age because it simply makes life easier. However, when a concept like noir arises that is more difficult to scientifically describe than most, the system that is meant to simplify our lives becomes a source of stress and heated debate. It is disquieting when a system we have used since infanthood is tested by a concept that at first glance does not seem able to be pigeonholed.

Works Cited

Cawelti, John G. “The Gunfighter and the Hard-Boiled Dick: Some Ruminations on American Fantasies of Heroism.” Mystery, Violence, and Popular Culture, Popular Press, 2004, pp. 173–192.

Ebert, Roger. “A Guide to Film Noir Genre.” Roger Ebert's Journal, Jan. 30, 1995.

Irwin, John. “Hard-Boiled Fiction and Film Noir.” Unless the Threat of Death Is Behind Them, Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 207–239.

Naremore, James. More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts. University of California Press, 2008.

What is Noir? Film Noir Foundation, www.filmnoirfoundation.org/filmnoir.html.

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[1] Mentioned in class on October 26, 2017 by Jonah Jerabek

[2] Mentioned in class on October 26, 2017 by Emma Rees