Noir Through The Ages (or lack thereof)

If you’re hearing the word ‘noir’ for the first time, you are not alone. In the simplest of terms, noir is a style of writing. Whether it is a genre in itself is a topic of debate that is ongoing. Noir essentially comes from the German Expressionist cinematography. Its rise was seen during the Second World War years and came to be known as the ‘Classic Period’ of film-noir in America.

Something that was seen commonly across noir cinema was a black-and-white style of visual, hardboiled crime fiction, and an influence of German cinematography. Films like ‘The Big Combo’, ‘Odd Man Out’, ‘The Third Man’ are some classic examples of noir during that age.

- The Big Combo (1955)

Noir through the ages

After noir, which shone through the 1940s and 50s, came ‘neo-noir’. Movies like ‘Chinatown’ ‘Sin City’ ‘Blade Runner and ‘Memento’ fall in this category. The essential difference between noir and neo-noir is that neo-noir adopts the ques from the original noir style but is altered to reflect modern themes.

Noir and Sad Endings. A Myth?

Noir often seems to be confused with sad endings. It's not surprising, considering most film-noir end on sad notes. The famous Sunset Boulevard, a gem in noir cinema, ends with the death of the protagonist. However, not every sad ending is noir and some great examples of this are ‘L.A. Confidential’ and 'Bhavesh Joshi: Superhero'. 

If an ending is written well, and a well earned one, then even a noir can have a happy ending. All stories are different. A story is good when the writer does justice to its plot, the characters, and only then ends it.

The Predictability of Noir

A noir, at one point, can become predictable, and critics have blamed this style for the same. It seems true enough. Like in a typical Bollywood movie we expect a happy ending, viewers were sure when they saw noir, that the good guy would lose. If not that, a broken system would remain broken and the society remains unchanged, unaffected. 

As true as this may be, what makes a noir worth watching is the unveiling of evil. Before you watch noir, your mind is made up about the ending. However, it is the climax, the trek towards the hilltop that makes a noir worth watching. 

If you’ve seen ‘Chinatown’ you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel a chill down your spine when Jack Nicholson finds about the parentage of the lead actress’ daughter. 

So, the experience of a good noir movie lies in the truths that unfold through the journey of the film, They shock the audience, make the audience sit up, cringe with disgust or even shed a tear or two, and the ending becomes of little consequence.

-Chinatown (1974)

The Dark Knight- An (im)perfect example of neo-noir

We’re now in the 21st century and the last legit neo-noir film viewers may have seen is ‘The Dark Knight’. Now many will claim and argue that the dark knight is not even remotely close to noir. Hang on, hear me out.

There have been very few villains who will be remembered in the history of cinema. Joker is one of them. The madness he inflicted, the chaos he created changed the reality of the people of Gotham. In the end, he won. Batman was forced into the life of a broken avenger so the people of Gotham did not have to witness the fall of the great Harvey Dent. In the end, Joker proved that if a man is stripped of all his possessions, everything he holds dear in life, then that man is as criminal, as vile and as prone to mania as the Joker is himself

- Harvey Dent and Joker Hospital Scene (The Dark Knight)

Still think it is not neo-noir? I agree the film is not essentially based on the footsteps of noir, Batman saving the day in the end, but the Harvey Dent angle of the film is neo-noir through and through. The Joker proved this through the life of Harvey Dent and how he, Harvey, the soul of Gotham, was tarnished in the end. 

Modern Noir: Is there no hope?

You’ll understand my cynicism towards modern noir or neo-noir when you google ‘latest neo-noir films’ and John Wick 3 comes in the suggestions. Noir draws inspiration for broken systems, unchangeable reality, and the dark truths of society. The closest effort modern noir can be attributed to ‘Bhavesh Joshi’ and ‘Manorama Six Feet Under’, both Hindi film-noir, both under-acclaimed.

Bhavesh Joshi: Superhero and Manorama Six Feet Under

It would be wrong to say that filmmakers, storytellers don’t have inspiration. It would also be wrong to say that there is not an audience for this type of cinema. What lacks is the will to experiment and move beyond the conventional, mainstream storylines.  

Final Words: Noir Through The Ages

The potential of noir in this modern era is immense. People are growing more and more fond of content that is interesting, engaging, and substantial. Very few people will pay for unnecessary flying cars, heroes jumping out of moving cars or fighting 50 thugs at once. Some might not be ready for a ‘Chinatown’ level experience right away, but let’s be honest, a film like this gets made once in a hundred years.