Entertainment in the 20th century took a revolutionary turn once the motion picture was created. Suddenly, getting the family together and trekking down to the town theater became a typical weekend activity. As a result, post-WWII films, typically in the style of film noir, became extremely popular. These film noirs based their plots around the anxieties of the 1940s time period; its translation into French literally means, “black film”. Other genres became popular as film grew and expanded, but the bleak style of the film noir still was accepted- the modern adaptation of which is called neo-noir. According to the dictionary, a neo-noir film is defined as “[a film] set in contemporary modern times, but showing characteristics of a film noir,
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The cult neo-noir classic Heathers uses typical noir conventions of lighting and narrative as well as drawing upon the heightened anxieties of society during the 1980s to paint a dramatic picture of what American culture was like during that time period.
An obvious difference between noirs and neo noirs is the choice of color and vividness of backgrounds. Modern cameras and technology made it possible for neo noirs to come alive with intense colors; a tactic that cameramen couldn’t produce during the 1940s. Since producers were limited with the colors during those times, they focused more on brightness and shadows in an already darkened camera shot. Conventionally, noirs emphasize their shadows with dramatic music and camera angles to really stress suspicious and dangerous plot points. Pam Cook mentions camera lighting in her article, Duplicity in Mildred Pierce: “Masking also takes place on the level of mise en scène, in the use of film noir conventions of lighting: sharp contrasts of light and shadow suggest partial truth; something is missing, but whatever it is remains hidden” (Cook, 81). Viewers can tell through the use of shadows that something sinister is happening. Colorful neo-noirs, in contrast, use other elements to …show more content…
This dangerous woman uses her skills to her advantage in order to fulfill her desires. Noirs in the 1940s popularized the femme fatale due to the historical events throughout that period. During World War II, women began to participate in jobs typically held by their male counterparts who were away at war. Propaganda posters, including the famous Rosie the Riveter, invited women to attend highly labor-intensive jobs, like welding. This was a huge adjustment compared to the frigid role women had at the time of being nothing more than the caretaker. The independent and alluring femme fatale, therefore, is a representation of male fears regarding feminism. In typical noirs, the male protagonist’s masculinity seems to be restored after the death or exile of the femme fatale, because he’s able to take control over the woman who wronged him. In contrast, the femme fatale in Heathers isn’t as blatant. The person who seduces and corrupts a seemingly innocent person is not a woman, but a man. It’s arguable that J.D. is the “femme fatale”, since he is the one who pressures Veronica to join him in his murderous plans to kill off the popular kids. Although from the beginning of the film the viewers learn that Veronica doesn’t like her peers, J.D. was the one who manipulated her into actually committing murder. Author Elizabeth
The cult neo-noir classic Heathers uses typical noir conventions of lighting and narrative as well as drawing upon the heightened anxieties of society during the 1980s to paint a dramatic picture of what American culture was like during that time period.
An obvious difference between noirs and neo noirs is the choice of color and vividness of backgrounds. Modern cameras and technology made it possible for neo noirs to come alive with intense colors; a tactic that cameramen couldn’t produce during the 1940s. Since producers were limited with the colors during those times, they focused more on brightness and shadows in an already darkened camera shot. Conventionally, noirs emphasize their shadows with dramatic music and camera angles to really stress suspicious and dangerous plot points. Pam Cook mentions camera lighting in her article, Duplicity in Mildred Pierce: “Masking also takes place on the level of mise en scène, in the use of film noir conventions of lighting: sharp contrasts of light and shadow suggest partial truth; something is missing, but whatever it is remains hidden” (Cook, 81). Viewers can tell through the use of shadows that something sinister is happening. Colorful neo-noirs, in contrast, use other elements to …show more content…
This dangerous woman uses her skills to her advantage in order to fulfill her desires. Noirs in the 1940s popularized the femme fatale due to the historical events throughout that period. During World War II, women began to participate in jobs typically held by their male counterparts who were away at war. Propaganda posters, including the famous Rosie the Riveter, invited women to attend highly labor-intensive jobs, like welding. This was a huge adjustment compared to the frigid role women had at the time of being nothing more than the caretaker. The independent and alluring femme fatale, therefore, is a representation of male fears regarding feminism. In typical noirs, the male protagonist’s masculinity seems to be restored after the death or exile of the femme fatale, because he’s able to take control over the woman who wronged him. In contrast, the femme fatale in Heathers isn’t as blatant. The person who seduces and corrupts a seemingly innocent person is not a woman, but a man. It’s arguable that J.D. is the “femme fatale”, since he is the one who pressures Veronica to join him in his murderous plans to kill off the popular kids. Although from the beginning of the film the viewers learn that Veronica doesn’t like her peers, J.D. was the one who manipulated her into actually committing murder. Author Elizabeth