Independant Study First Draft

Deep Singh Munde – 13Y
Independent Study – Mr. Bush

"Does the neo-noir genre represent women and does it continue to follow the style of the classic film noir genre, with particular reference to ‘Sin City’ (2005)"

‘Film Noir’ is a French term for ‘Black Film’ due to the Chiaroscuro lighting originated from the aesthetics influenced by German Expressionism, a cinematic movement from the 1910’s and 1920’s. Where ‘Neo Noir’ (from the Greek “neo”, new; and the French “noir”, black) uses elements of Film Noir, but with updated themes, content and mise-en-scene.
According to Douglas Pye (1975), “Generic consistency allows for the shorthand of conventions and stereotypes”. The use of the femme fatale within ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) and ‘Sin City’ (2005) allows for the confirmed convention and stereotypical roles played by women from the beginning of the Film Noir genre – 1940’s to the most recent Neo-noir film, ‘Sin City’ (2005).

The 1940’s saw the ‘Film Noir’ genre emerge, the narrative structure was non-linear, being rather complex, with the use of flashbacks. Additionally the story was told by a first person voice-over narrator to help anchor the meaning of the film or scene. The characteristics and conventions that are associated with the ‘Film Noir’ genre were shaped by the ‘Expressionists’ which made up for the lack of large budgets which could have been used for special effects and technological equipment used for effect. The very first ‘Expressionist’ films had set designs, which were very unrealistic, and geometrically unusual however, as time progressed, the mise-en-scene was used moreover to create suspense with its connotations, which were read by the audience. The silent film, ‘Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari’ (1920) is a groundbreaking film, which, is known as one first true ‘Expressionist’s’ films. As these films were directed and constructed by creative individuals, ‘Auteur theory’ can be applied as the stylistic and ideological treatment of a film.
The plots of these early Expressionist films often dealt with issues of madness, insanity, betrayal that were often about crime and the mind as opposed to the standard Hollywood film of action-adventure or romance. These intellectual storyline’s came from, “a fan base which included scholars” [1] which can be identified as perhaps originating from a ‘public sphere’ where intellectuals would meet, most notably in large coffee houses to discuss and debate.

By the 1970’s new motion pictures such as American crime dramas or psychological thrillers were compared to the ‘Film Noir’ genre. These crime dramas and thrillers would then later be labelled as ‘Neo-Noir’. However, the key difference was the fact that ‘Neo-Noir’ films were aware of the modern and technological position, which was absent from the classic Film Noir. The modern position in which newer ‘Neo Noir’ films were able to use new technology such as CGI which was used heavily in creating one of the first fully digital films – ‘Sin City’ (2005). The newer ‘Neo-noir’ films had such a comparison due to films like ‘Sin City’ (2005), which was in full black and white with digital colour enhancements. The use of new technology may have seen this new genre emerge as a fully digital colour ‘Noir’ film, however director, Robert Rodriguez and guest director Quentin Tarentino remained faithful to the comic book adaptation and ‘Noir’ style.
Additionally, similar character roles are present within the ‘Neo-Noir’ genre, two of which could be identified as the ‘Anti-hero’ and the ‘Femme Fatale’, which are key to the genre, which further enforced the comparisons, made to ‘Film-Noir’. The ‘Anti-hero’ role was clearly played by Humphrey Bogart in ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) and a variety of three male protagonists within the ‘Neo-Noir’ film ‘Sin City’ (2005). Although, the more stereotypical ‘anti-hero’ is played by Bruce Willis known as ‘Hartigan’ in ‘Sin City’ (2005) who can be identified as the most stereotypical detective in comparison to Philip Marlowe played by Humphrey Bogart.

The ‘Anti-hero’ lacks the qualities of an archetypal hero but is gains the sympathy of the audience and can be identified with. The ‘Anti-hero’ is conflicted, usually trapped in a difficult situation and he may have to make choices out of desperation and moral panic largely down to the ‘Femme Fetale’. The majority of audience would be able to idealize the hero, even if he were to be an ‘Anti-hero’ as he is the hero, he wields power which allows the audience to gain a sense of spectatorship.
The ‘Femme Fatale’ is a seductive and appealing women who charms men into a sense of illusion, where by the male is subjected to the ‘female gaze’ which places them into often compromising and dangerous situations where by they are forced to make difficult decisions. Lauren Bacall plays the role of the ‘Femme Fatale’ in ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) and has become known for her roles as a ‘Femme Fatale’.

However, Robert Stam identifies four key problems with generic labels in film. First of all, ‘Extension’ is where the narrow set ideologies to a certain label may not be open to associate it with anything else. ‘Normativism’ is where preconceived ideas of criteria for genre are immediately thought of which may lead to stereotypes of a genre. Monolithic definition is where certain items only belong to one genre, which may lead to stereotyped genres and leaves audiences expecting something else due to a single object. Lastly, ‘Biologism’ is where genres are seen as evolving through a standardized life cycle which may be the case with ‘Film Noir’ evolving due to technological and economical developments into a new genre; ‘Neo-Noir’.

The generic label placed on women as a whole has lead women within films and in life to be seen as inferior to men due to the patriarchal society mind set, where men are seen and known as the bread winners, where by women are mothers and must take care of the home. Additionally, psychologically women are also thought to be incomplete without a penis as it symbolizes power, they are of ‘penis envy’, “Women are represented as ‘not-man’”[2], which simply places women as being known as ‘the other’. As Freudian theory circulates for decades, a ‘myth’ begins to form, this is where people are told something enough times they begin to believe it as the truth (Roland Barthes theory). Within ‘Sin City’ (2005) it appears that women are featured for the sole purpose - to be objectified as they have the ‘to-be-looked-at-ness’ quality, which is used to appeal to the male audience.

Laura Mulvey’s ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ essay talks about ‘power relationships’, which can be seen as the person who has the gaze, is in power, as the subject doesn’t know that they are being watched. As the protagonist is usually a male within both ‘Noir’ genres, the audience see through the males perspective, meaning the audience identify with the male protagonist thus enforcing the dominance of males over women as the male protagonist ‘watches’ a female which leads to inevitable objectification. Within ‘Sin City’ (2005), the female character Nancy Callahan played by Jessica Alba is a pole dancer; the pole in this instance is phallic object where by it completes her as she is of ‘penis envy’ where by she is now complete with this phallic symbol. This scene somewhat shows that Jessica Alba is clearly only in ‘Sin City’ (2005) to be objectified, which supports the idea of women being subordinate to men where by they play passive roles within films and perhaps also life. Additionally, within ‘The Big Sleep’ shows a bookshop worker having to take off her glasses in order for the protagonist Humphrey Bogart to find her attractive, it appears to seem that he ‘loves her, then leaves her’ which represents women as sex objects.

‘Sin City’ (2005) has more women in dominant roles when compared to ‘Film-Noir’ texts. For example, the prostitutes within ‘Sin City’ (2005) are independent and don’t have pimps ruling over them, although they may be prostitutes, it’s perhaps for the comic book adaptation purpose only. However, as they are prostitutes, they do need Marv played by Mickey Rourke to save them, which perhaps does enforce stereotypical roles of women and men, where by the male has to save the women from danger. Within a patriarchal society, “A cultural practice representing myths about women and femininity”[3] are created and believed although perhaps untrue, where women aren’t as inferior as they are presented within films.

Within the 1940’s, women were known to be within the housewife role and to be inferior to men and that is what was deemed to be status quo. However, a psychological view as to why women are actually being objectified may be because men, as a gender need to project their weaknesses onto women in order for themselves to direct their own problems to create an ideology that women have these problems and men help women to overcome them. Perhaps, the reason that men see women as castrated is that they themselves need to be castrated to free themselves; in order to be complete, “Issues of masculinity are central to Film Noir, which they see as dramatising and exploring ‘a particular crisis in male masculinity’”[4]. As the Film Noir genre is heavily male orchestrated and a male detective protagonist leads all films this may be the reason as to why the crisis is central to ‘Film Noir’, which can also be seen as to why women don’t have active roles within films.

During the WWII women were give newfound independence and better job-earning power, however they would suffer on the screen in these films of the 40’s (Film-Noir), as the rise of the ‘Femme Fatale’ would appear. The phrase, “Femme Fatale” means Fatal Women in French, as these women attempts to use her femininity, charm, beauty and sexuality in advantage over men. In other instances she may use psychological manipulation and lying to achieve what she wants. For example, ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ (1948) is a film noir where by the ‘Femme Fatale’ uses her female innocence to persuade the male character that she is a victim.

In conclusion, ‘Sin City’ (2005) does continue to follow the same representations of women as, ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) where women are objectified and remain passive. Where as on a psychoanalytic basis, women must wield a phallic symbol in order for them to be complete, such is the case in ‘Sin City’ where by Jessica Alba is pole dancing. Additionally, the style remains very similar in terms of ‘Auteur theory’ where by both ‘Film Noir’ and ‘Neo-Noir’ films have the director’s style embedded into the film. Technological advances have also helped create digital black and white films, rather than digital colour ‘Neo-Noir’s’ which illustrate that the genre is remaining close to ‘Film-Noir’ style.

Words – 1,749

Works Cited

Books

[1] Neale, Steve (2002) pg. 254

[2] Johnston, Claire (1991) pg. 25

[3] Cook, Pam & Bernink, Mieke (1999) pg. 353

[4] Kaplan (1998) pg. 3

Works Consulted


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Expressionism

The Essential Word Dictionary

Laura Mulvey - ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’

Bibliography

Kaplan, E. Ann (1998): ‘Women in Film Noir’. London: BFI

Johnston, Claire (1991): ‘Women’s cinema as counter-cinema’. Glasgow: SEFT

Cook, Pam & Bernink, Mieke (1999): ‘The Cinema Book’. London: BFI

Neale, Steve (2002): ‘Genre and Contemporary Hollywood ’. London: BFI

Author Surname, Author First Name (year of publication): Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.