Conventions We Have Met

Conventions we have met thus far...

Script and Story

-          The narrative and story involve a murder, a detective, a writer, police corruption, our hero as an outcast in the city, themes of deception, corruption, lies, sex, and violence, and the script raises some of these themes.

-          The opening scene features such misé-en-scene and visual conventions as cigarettes, alcohol, an office setting, guns, beautiful women, a detective.

-          Americanisms

Character Profiles

Hunter Phoenix: our Film Noir hero

-  A writer, which is not overly conventional in Film Noir, but has been done quite a lot, e.g. Sunset Boulevard, The Third Man

-  He is a guarded character, showing little or no interest in women or leisure pursuits, e.g. Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep.

- He is morally ambiguous, wanting to find the truth at almost any cost, and taking on an almost detective role, even though he is not a detective, e.g. Leonard in Memento.

- He is pessimistic and depressive, having a blinkered, cynical outlook on life, e.g. Sam Spade in Maltese Falcon.

- Also, as the plot moves on he becomes increasingly unpopular in New York, especially with the police- he is an outsider and almost an outcast in the city he lives in, e.g. Allen in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain gang

Detective John Reilly: Film Noir villain-esque detective

 - A detective, probably the most conventional and common Film Noir character e.g. Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep

- He is involved in police corruption, a fairly conventional theme in Film Noir e.g. Touch of Evil

-Cynical, unassuming, serious, pessimistic, hard-boiled e.g. Mark McPherson in Laura

Detective Donovan is much the same as Reilly. It could be argued that it is slightly unconventional to have a detective who is a villain, but there are quite a few films which centre around police corruption.

Esmeé Amé-Libre: debatable Femme Fatale

-  A beautiful, glamorous woman, much like nearly every woman in Film Noir e.g. Vivian Rutledge

- She is abused, alone and vulnerable, driving her to drastic action, e.g. Elsa Bannister, the Lady from Shanghai