NEO-NOIR

Neo-Noir is a film genre, which takes many of the traditional elements of Film Noir and mixes them with contemporary themes, content and styles that were not around at the original time of Film Noir. They use some of the codes and conventions of Film Noir in more modern settings, making them often quite different to classic Film Noirs. Neo-Noirs are considered to be any film from the mid 1960s onwards that  use the stylistics and storylines common in Film Noirs. As black and white is not often used anymore, the classic black and white Film Noir look is converted into a more contemporary full colour look. This is one of the ways in which Neo-Noir and Film Noir differs. However, Neo-Noir films often used the same characters and plots as were common in Film Noir. The downbeat hero who falls into a life of crime is highly common, and society is often portrayed as depressing and pessimistic. Film Noir focussed on the effects of World War II, whilst some Neo-Noirs, such as Blade Runner, portray a dystopia. This is still showing the problems of a broken society, but in a much more futuristic way. Low key lighting is still used, but the striking contrasts of blacks and whites are less prominent due to the full colour spectrum now available in film making. As well as this, contemporary Neo-Noirs have far less issues with censorship as the original Film Noirs did in the 40s and 50s. This means they are often less suggestive, and include full on violence instead of letting the viewer imagine it. This shows the changing needs and ideologies of the audience, as violence and sex became more acceptable as the years went on.

Examples of some Neo-Noirs are:

• Chinatown (1974)
• Taxi Driver (1976)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• Scarface (1983)
• Tequila Sunrise (1988)
• Body Heat (1981)
• L.A. Confidential (1997)