What is Film Noir - Private Detectives, Corrupt Cops, and Femme Fatales

[@johnstrange6799]

Often overlooked, but usually always seen is the City isn't just a backdrop, but also through it's various socioeconomic machinations nearly a character as well.

[@StudioBinder]

You're right, the city as a character is huge in these movies.

[@MoviesRemastered]

Perfect timing on this video. I'm currently re-editing The Batman (2022) into a film noir version. I absolutely love this style.

[@joshflynn2173]

Is there a way we can watch the finished product?

[@kocbilo]

Subbed but please drop a notification when done, would love to watch it

[@kumarshreyas7899]

Can you briefly explain what's your approach to doing the re edit?

[@StudioBinder]

Very cool! Yeah, let us know when it's done.

[@reesespieces8173]

No hate intended but was it not already kind of a noir?

[@raymondmcelroy159]

It's never been a question. It is a genre AND a style. I would always get upset when someone said it was an era of film making. It is a definable genre and style, it is beautiful and it has a philosophy to those honest enough to embrace it. To me, that is the core of noir. It may be cynical, it may be fatalistic, but it is always HONEST. I guess that is the truth about the human experience. I am more than willing to accept that.

[@elizabethw5986]

YOU MADE A VIDEO ABOUT MY FAVORITE FILM GENRE!!!!!

[@StudioBinder]

We had to! Hope you enjoyed it.

[@carlosguadron410]

No, they made a video about my favorite film style! :P

[@zez_gval]

One fun thing to mention is the jazz score stereotype, which is actually a more modern thing that came from TV and then became a stereotype with parodies. The old noir movies used to have standard classical music like any other movie of the time.

[@PDeNigris]

Film noir is a stylistic movement that starts in 1941, built upon tropes established in the 1930's, and is then codified into a genre by the 1950's. By 1960 it goes dormant and is revived in the 70's as neo-noir and continues to be regurgitated and reinvented in every decade since. Great video!

[@chris-p-123]

Since video games were mentioned, "L.A. Noire" is a great example of such a game (music, plot etc...), as for movies I found "Dark City" giving a very noir vibe while missing many elements as also mentioned in the video. Great video as always!

[@StudioBinder]

Dark City is SOOO good!

[@central8448]

I didn't realize how much of a fan I was of this genre. Great video.

[@joseabc3304]

How precise and succinct the theory and arguments are presented! Very well executed and really accurate with the image selection, references and dialog quotations. It does make justice in showing the density of film noir. Many thanks

[@Math-un1xu]

I think that film noir is both a genre AND a style,which function EXACTLY because of this mixed aesthetic with themes.

[@StudioBinder]

That's a fair point!

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

Film Noir are one of my Favorite and one of the Most Inspiring Film Genres in Cinema History. Thanks StudioBinder for explaining it. Very Inspiring and Useful to understand. Best Continuation to come.

[@StudioBinder]

Couldn't agree more!

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

​@@StudioBinder StudioBinder. If you allow me a suggestion. With the Movie Nosferatu (2024) remake from Robert Eggers, it will be Great to talk about German Expressionism Cinema.

[@rayancedrichaddad1197]

My Favorites Film Noir Movies : -The Third Man (1949) -The Falcon Maltese (1941) -The Big Sleep (1946) -Crossfire (1947) -Sunset Boulevard (1950) -Touch of Evil (1958) -The Night of the Hunter (1955) -M (1931) -Cape Fear (1962) -The Godfather (1972) -Chinatown (1974) -Taxi Driver (1976) -Blade Runner (1982) -Angel Heart (1987) -The Silence of the Lambs (1991) -Cape Fear (1991) -Basic Instinct (1992) -Se7en (1995) -The Usual Suspects (1995) -Sin City (2005)

[@walterroux291]

I love a good neo-noir /noir in colour too, Seven, Chinatown, Rear Window, The Long Goodbye, Blade Runner, Taxi Driver and so many more are my favourite films.

[@r.a.mpictures]

​@@walterroux291 Angel Heart is a slepped on one also.

[@walterroux291]

@@r.a.mpictures ooo I'll check that out tonight, most grateful.

[@StudioBinder]

All of them classics!

[@almost_harmless]

So agree with this list and the additions. The Third Man still holds magic for me.

[@muyleche6466]

I think nior is both. And I think that's why it touches our souls so greatly, because it's uniquely intimate in visual and dialog. Hence, it is style AND genre.

[@StudioBinder]

Well said!

[@jazzew]

I love film noir, even though I still have plenty of movies to see. I love the "pessimistic" mood that you mentioned at the beginning. Also, for those black and white films, I love the dramatic lighting and scenes. Sometimes the rainy moments are just captivating to listen to besides watch. I'll have to watch the rest of this tomorrow! :D

[@NIGHTvdj]

WELL DONE for using Bohren und der club of gore music for this episode!! for anyone interested, the songs are from the "Sunset Mission" album just a clarification, "The night of the Hunter" is definitely NOT noir - we have a pretty strong black and white morality in a "evil stepfather vs innocent family" film

[@FAKKER_rap]

Noir is a genre. Each genre runs on a particular emotion: Drama - empathy, Thriller - tension, Horror - fear, Action - mechanical aesthetics. So each Noir i think is based on loneliness and despair. Therefore its a genre? Cus style is only a visual wrap, it doesn't affect the film's core emotion/meaning.

[@c.7610]

Thank you for this excellent video. I’ll be using it in my film class next semester.

[@schwarbeastwood]

For us in Africa, West Africa, to be specific, Sierra Leone per-say. Film noir is not only a style but also a genre of conventions that expresses the whole story ideation and technically it execute more of emotion that encompasses the director's vision, because in film not all that talk about hate but we express emotion base on moral standard lessons in our African stories.

[@StudioBinder]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[@yespetto]

Recently watched Chinatown and was intrigued about film noir, so this came at a perfect time.

[@StudioBinder]

Timing is our specialty!

[@MovieDirector101]

Perfect timing, I’m doing an exam for media studies on this genre in a week, great job

[@StudioBinder]

Good luck!

[@MovieDirector101]

@ thanks!

[@abhisician5465]

Incredible ❤..loved the last bit 😂❤️👌

[@NathTsion7705]

Analysing Braveheart speech and how to write a great speech before a battle ( for example ).

[@jefflebowski3784]

Good vid. I’m in the genre camp.

[@StudioBinder]

You're not alone!

[@m.mmajor9380]

Always good videos

[@StudioBinder]

Glad you like them!

[@randomrey002]

Hell yeah; love this genre.

[@StudioBinder]

Same!

[@dukesilver1189]

While my writing is on the page and not for the screen, this channel has been invaluable in helping to understand so much about the building blocks and nuances of storytelling. Grateful for what you do!

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks!

[@subjectDELTA]

Great great video❤

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks!

[@bacarandii]

"It has always been easier to recognize a film noir than to define the term." Noir is a state of mind. An unconscious one at that, since it wasn't even a "thing" until French critics gave a name to the surprisingly dark tone in American films they noticed when they suddenly were able to see what had been withheld from them during the Nazi occupation (1940-1944). It's not a genre, or a setting or a style. There are noir films set in the city and the country, in the American west and Old Europe and outer space, in semi-documentary styles and in surreal fantasy worlds. Noir is more of a feel or an attitude than anything else, which makes it harder to pin down. And though many say Orson Welles' Expressionistic "Touch of Evil" (1959) marked the end of that first cycle, it's never gone away...

[@StudioBinder]

Great points all around!

[@rakeshmalik5385]

Noir is one of my favorite genres and also my favorite style :)

[@StudioBinder]

We can't argue with that.

[@volpedo2000]

Listening to all the genre and stylistic tropes of film noir analysed here, turns out The Exorcist is a perfect example. Talking about femme fatale!

[@NathTsion7705]

Lethal Weapon saga analyse . Amazing movies !

[@CraigTheScotsman]

It’s both genre and a style, and neither. It’s in the grey in-between, with no neat conclusion. It’s about as meta you can get in the film space.

[@DavidSmith-xs3or]

As stated, film noir is a style of high-contrast, emotionally deep and often sullen moods that can appear in different genre or types of films, whether made for television, video games or the big screen, such as comedy, science fiction and even westerns- such as "High Noon" with Gary Cooper. I'd actually love to see more westerns filmed in that style- especially in black and white.

[@electrojones]

For a holiday fantasy movie, I've always thought of It's a Wonderful Life as being a noir film. It's so dark in parts and in the middle, it is so hopeless.

[@StudioBinder]

You can't definitely see the influence there.

[@MienLeHoang]

I was wondering when you will including Spider Noir reference for the whole video, until the end, haha. What a happy ending for a genre or style or both which never has a happy ending =)))

[@StudioBinder]

Had to save it for the end!

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

Noir is a Dark Gray Experience in Cinema that Reflect the Reality and Dreams of our Life's.

[@MK_2023.]

It’s Important to remember that Film Noir wouldn’t be a genre if German Expressionism never existed. Film Noir takes all it’s lighting fundamentals directly from German Expressionism. There’s a very rich history between the two that go beyond lighting, staging, set design, style etc… *Edit* - I just got to the section where you mentioned German Expressionism! This makes me so happy.

[@totallybored5526]

Or if Germany didn’t start invading countries. Because otherwise the filmmakers from Europe (not just Germany) wouldn’t have moved to Hollywood and brought their storytelling sensibilities which are different to the America sensibilities (everything has to have a happy ending, the villains have to be punished etc 🤢)

[@mejhdhhicbfshihids652]

loved the Cyberpunk 2077 clip at the end

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks!

[@TheBenjaminBlack]

I can't wait to apply this to film

[@StudioBinder]

That's great to hear!

[@johnhyatt4905]

It can be ether, both, or nether. In Memento it is strictly a style. In Double Indemnity it is a genre. In Blade Runner it is a sub genre, its primary genre being science fiction.

[@totallyleftfield]

"For a black and white movie I've never known it to be so grey" Andrew Hollis.

[@NathTsion7705]

Lethal Weapon and Buddy / Cop Movies analyse.

[@CaptainFahim]

To me, Film-Noir is a type of film that develops into a genre. In recent years, the same can be said about superhero films.

[@StudioBinder]

You might be right!

[@24FramesALife24]

I loved how this video explained everything about Film Noir in a simple, interesting way. Thanks Studiobinder for making such informative videos about filmmaking. As an aspiring writer-director, your videos help me a lot.

[@VenusianLissette]

apt & timely lol thank you.

[@StudioBinder]

You're welcome!

[@Iam_Seda666]

Thank you

[@StudioBinder]

You're welcome!

[@trajanfidelis]

Love noir films and pulp books

[@FIRazin-sw3cl]

I've been researching noir since a very long time. But it still seems very complicated to me. But my opinion is, it's both a style and a genre. But it's always up to a director, which kind of approach he likes to proceed.

[@joshingaround2699]

I watch all studi binder ads as my form of film school payment

[@flipthaascript]

i think its pretty simple. there are styles/tones within each genre. mystery would be the genre, and film noir would be the style/tone in the mystery genre. and there are mysteries that are not film noir but there is no film noir that is not a mystery

[@StudioBinder]

You make some good points!

[@FUJILA]

Perfect!!!

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks!

[@MarkJohnson-gk6kc]

I think Film Noir is a sub-genre, that can stand on it's own or be incorporated into other prime genres.

[@dlavictoire]

Regarding Noir films, an interesting subject to explore would be the nuances between the archetypes of the femme fatale and the spider woman.

[@richteffekt]

"Noir is about the crimes you already got away with. " - if I remember the quote correctly it's by Mikey Neumann from FilmJoy or Movies with Mikey (which everyone should watch)

[@StudioBinder]

Great quote!

[@track1949]

Road to Perdition is the newest one I can think of.

[@HimanshuinSearchOfSomethingNew]

"Aaranya kaandam" is the Greatest Neo-Noir film That came out of my coutnry. It's my all time Favourite 🇮🇳

[@StudioBinder]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@micaiahclark]

2 seconds in and y’all are playing Bohren and Der Club of Gore. This is already legit

[@StudioBinder]

🎹

[@NathTsion7705]

How to make a big historical movie like Braveheart, Gladiator…

[@wille2112]

I need to know what song is that playing from around 13:34 till the end?? Great video as usual!

[@NathTsion7705]

Hitchcock’s style and writing technique analyse

[@jesusrox0903]

I'd say genre, as there are films that absolutely qualify from the classic noir era that are photographed in color, and/or already play with the tropes and subvert them.

[@StudioBinder]

Good point!

[@urbanpioneer5326]

I think film noir is an experience

[@269productions]

Life is noir

[@StudioBinder]

Noir is life!

[@alfredwang7607]

This video does make a dent in

[@StudioBinder]

❤

[@michaelharrington7656]

I see film noir as a style that can be used in any genre, usually involving crime. but crime does not have to be the main point--as in Sweet Small of Success or Sunset Boulevard.

[@StudioBinder]

Great point!

[@charliedm1]

Its both. I would say that there is a film noir genre, with full blooded film noir movies but that it’s also possible as a filmmaker to use film noir as a style in your movie that isn’t really a film noir. So I would say it’s both.

[@StudioBinder]

Well said!

[@joshuadaluz5391]

Mr Studiobinder voice is gone 😢 but noir topic is excellent

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks and don't worry, Mr. StudioBinder will be back.

[@ak-gi3eu]

Scene writing part 2- like shot list type video where u show us full process .plz .😊

[@StudioBinder]

Ok, we'll look into it! Thanks for the suggestion.

[@sebbvell3426]

You forgot about the jazz soundtrack that a film noir needs to have.

[@StudioBinder]

That's true. Music is definitely part of the experience.

[@djjoe8899]

I’m going with style cause it can be applied in other genres

[@StudioBinder]

Fair point!

[@Pssybart]

I would describe Film Noir as a style that became recognized, and then crystalized into a genre. Classic noir films weren't really aiming to be genre films, they just followed certain trends that were popular at the time. More recent films like Chinatown and Sin City definitely aim for a specific genre. It's also interesting how many elements we typically associate with noir weren't really common in classic noir films in the first place, like a jazz saxophone for background music.

[@normanmummert8237]

To me, Film Noir is a genre, a heavily stylized one 😅

[@StudioBinder]

Makes sense!

[@NathTsion7705]

Director chair with Mel Gibson , a lot of followers want this and wait that .

[@diegoalves598]

It is not a style or genre; it is a vibe.

[@StudioBinder]

That's a thought!

[@aviewerman]

I'm surprised you didn't include THe Batman (2022) in Film Noir's legacy

[@StudioBinder]

Yeah, that's a good example, especially visually.

[@aviewerman]

@StudioBinder I'd say it's much more than that, especially with archetypes: Batman was deliberately portrayed more than ever as the noir detective; then you have catwoman as the femme fatale and other similar masques

[@peterkalyabe7553]

Flim Noir. Thank you for this lesson...film noir.

[@StudioBinder]

You're welcome!

[@stephenwilliams3807]

Glad to see you mentioned Blood Simple. A great film. Also, Robert Mitchum was a great bad guy and an icon of Film Noir. He's very scary in Night of the Hunter and was magnificent as Max Cady in the original Cape Fear.

[@StudioBinder]

Blood Simple is legendary. And for a debut film? Incredible. And, yeah, Mitchum is terrifying when he wants to be.

[@MrMinuteman5]

Bohren und der club of gore. Nice.

[@StudioBinder]

💃

[@almost_harmless]

The Third Man is my favorite, still. There are a lot of movies in this style (or genre) that I like, including the neo-noirs. I think it speaks to me because of the grit, the harshness, and the mystique. For some reason, I do not see them as having sad endings, but more realistic.

[@StudioBinder]

It's a classic!

[@walterroux291]

As soon as Bohren and der club Gore were playing I knew I'd enjoy this. One of my favourite genres. I used to listen to Sunset Mission while on the subway, and I would act like Sherlock, trying to deduce people's lives. Honestly reccomend everyone to do this once, it's so fun!

[@StudioBinder]

A truly inspired choice by our editor.

[@Elassyahmed]

I second this. Bohren playing in your ears while walking the city especially at night is an essential experience 😊

[@mattgarfinkle978]

Film Noir is a *genre* in which a protagonist is inserted in a world that requires a certain *style*. TL;DR it’s both.

[@StudioBinder]

That's a good description.

[@rickmastenbroek5447]

Quid pro quo Studiobinder.. Quid pro quo. U promiced me that u would add Dr Evil whereever u can, yet there is no mention of him this week. 😢

[@StudioBinder]

You didn't see him? Watch it again 😉

[@daniellatteo_thefilmmaker]

4:56 The Host of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance... Great song on a great film.

[@StudioBinder]

Thanks for noticing!

[@EddieLensweiger]

i think noir is a sub-genre of crime film, just like there robbery movie (Bonnie and Clyde) or Romantic crime (Badland) and there is also sub-sub genre in noir called neo noir (the last seduction/romeo is bleeding) which separate itself from the original B/W 40s-50s Noir some other borrowed the elements but they're not true noir film. By the way, i prefer the usual old man narrator than this young man, he pronounces Ossessione wrong! it's italian word not french lol

[@brianmagner9220]

Film Noir is my favorite film genre, and I'm squarely in the genre camp. For my own movie lists, I separated them by era and style. Maybe this is useful. Classic Noir: 1930-1960: high contrast B/W, classic movies (The Big Sleep, The Stranger, the Third Man, ...) Historical Noir: 1960- present: pastel color, nostalgic tones; stories are set in previous eras (Chinatown, Miller's Crossing, L.A. Confidential, ...) Retro Noir: 1990-present: High contrast B/W, mimic the aesthetics of classic noir (The Man Who Wasn't There, The Good German, Sin City, ...) Neo Noir: 1960-present: contemporary film techniques, contemporary stories (Klute, The Long Goodbye, Brick, Heat, Gone Baby Gone, ... ) Future Noir: 1980-present: cyberpunk, off-world, time travel (Blade Runner, Robocop, Total Recall, Looper, The Matrix, Gattaca, ...) Serial Killers: 1970-present (Dirty Harry, Silence of the Lambs, Natural Born Killers, Se7en, Zodiac, ...)

[@StudioBinder]

Excellent timeline! Love it.

[@dlavictoire]

BOHREN ❤

[@spinsandneedles]

Film Noir was a genre but it became a style.

[@StudioBinder]

Hmm, good point!

[@BadKarma714]

What happened to the guy with the cool voice? I hate when they change narrators

[@StudioBinder]

Nothing, we switch between them regularly.

[@Repko01]

@@StudioBinder You shouldn't! I cannot watch videos when there is not a regular voiceover artist narrating. He carries 60% of the video. I can't watch this video. I know most of the people don't care, but I do.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

MY SAVIOURS! I'm easing my near future Call of Cthulhu campaign into a noir scenario this weekend and was kind of panicking about that. So this is truly perfect timing! Your videos are teaching me so much about writing as a craft, I really appreciate that you put these up for free. ❤

[@samirattar2122]

Is the Voice over done with AI? Is this the future of filmmaking?

[@internetmachine]

Is David Lynch's Eraserhead film noir?

[@StudioBinder]

Visually, it definitely borrows and enhances the style. Plot-wise, there are some overlapping themes, maybe, but it's more abstract.

[@ChadZaugg]

I think of film noir as style/aesthetic and/or setting, not genre.

[@StudioBinder]

You're not alone!

[@reesespieces8173]

It seems that Western and Noir have a lot of overlap. What distinguishes them? Are they even different?

[@StudioBinder]

There might be some connections but those are very different categories.

[@legochickenguy4938]

i do not think the night of the hunter is a film noir. its aesthetic owes itself to the American silent film tradition at least as much as the film noir tradition, and it has many central points that are just not film noir. For instance, the main characters are kids, whereas film noir pretty much doesn't involve children at all.

[@Searchingtheworld7183]

Genre.

[@StrahilMinev]

Wait, why did you credit Cyberpunk 2077 to a KZbin video creator? That's like someone crediting you instead of the movie while showing the same two seconds from Alphaville.

[@StudioBinder]

True, we just wanted to give them a shoutout.

[@StrahilMinev]

@StudioBinder Thank you for replying! Keep up the amazing work, it's unbelievable how much I learn from you.

[@AlleyKatPr0]

And you didn't include better call saul

[@StudioBinder]

That's a good example.

[@AbishekIlancheran]

Why is there no mention of le samourai or pierre jean Melville Aren't his films considered noir?

[@StudioBinder]

Sure, that's a good example. But there were a lot of movies we couldn't include.

[@charlesnichols]

What movie is at 2:29? The one with the blonde right after "The Night of the Hunter" clip.

[@StudioBinder]

The Big Combo.

[@charlesnichols]

@@StudioBinder Thank you.