Film Noir Conventions

In class, we looked at themes, contexts and common iconography seen in the Film Noir genre. Together we brainstormed several typical conventions of the genre, such as:

Iconography -

Red Lipstick (Femme Fetale)                                 Cigarette Smoke

High Heels (Femme Fetale)                              Trilby/Fedora Hat (Anti-Hero/Male Characters)

Guns/Weapons                                                          Alcohol 


Shadowed Lighting -

Typical Plot Features -

- Enigma/Mystery
- The Anti-Hero's Fatal Flaw
- Crime
- Flashbacks/Non-Linear Narrative
- Elements of Lust and Seduction Usually by the Femme Fetale (Fatal Attraction)
- Pathos From the Anti-Hero's Past
- Manipulation and Blackmail
- Moral/Social Message Within Narrative