Examples of Film Noir & Neo Noir

Note: Sources used are wikipedia.org and other links of the site, used for initial research.
3 examples of classic film noirs are:
Touch of evil (1958) directed by Orson Wells.
Double indemnity (1944) directed by Billy Wilder.
Out of the past (also known as Build my gallows high) (1947) directed by Jacques Tourner.

Touch of evil

Touch of evil, is a film noir based around the story of a couple who are entangled in a bomb attack directed at the USA from Mexico. The story progresses with the main character being accused of terrorist activities. It then goes on to show how the corrupt detectives frame him so they can try and steal away his wife. He then goes to prove his innocence while discovering the identity of the real culprit. He then justifies his innocence and takes his wife away and the film leaves you with a feeling of justice and righteousness.
This film takes on the style of a typical film noir, its shadowy settings and dark atmospheres give the idea that this film will have a dark and evil story. It has the usual characters, foolish and easy to manipulate man, the typical femme fatal, and background characters which all have some importance to the main characters. The use of little light and dirty settings give an impression of the setting’s relevance to the story.

Double Indemnity

This film is based around the death of a woman’s husband by being thrown of a train. She goes to an insurance dealer before hand, and takes out life insurance for her husband. She then plots with the insurance dealer to kill her husband and then they would split the profits. The murder spirals out of control and the detective investigating the murder soon figures out her involvement. The insurance dealer, who knows and respects the detective, soon feels the guilt of what he has got involved with. He then confesses to the detective his part in the death and announces that he is leaving to go to Mexico. He does not succeed in this and collapses before he can leave. The woman is then arrested and imprisoned for the murder of her husband.
This film noir is based more around men’s weak spot for attractive women. The femme fatal seduces and convinces the man into having any part in her devilish scheme. He, foolishly, accepts her proposal and just like a typical noir, regrets it later through the film. The setting is the same as any typical noir, the city more importantly the darker and uglier part of the city.

Out of the past

Out of the past, is based around the past life of the main character coming back to haunt him. He appears to be a regular man at the beginning of the film until a man from his past recognizes him and tells him of a man he used to work for wishes to meet him. He then confesses to his past of being a private detective and agrees to the meeting. He then has a long memory of what his life used to be like before he moved away from it all. He meets the man and agrees to work for him. Along the way he meets a woman. They begin to fall in love and agree to run away from their previous life. They then are caught in the city and the woman disappears. He then returns to the man who hired him and agrees to another job only to find the woman he ran away with has also returned. The story takes a turn for the worst and he is framed. He meets many of his old friends who then are killed. He returns to find his boss murdered by the woman. They agree to run again because of the murders they both are suspects. The man then double crosses the woman and turns her in and she kills him but she is then shot dead.
This film noir is also based around man’s weakness for women. The things that men will do for women is a powerful tool in this film. The location’s in this film change frequently, to represent the mood at that time. The bright sunny shore of Mexico when there is love in the air, to the dark damp city where blackmail is common.

3 examples of contemporary noir films are:
Chinatown (1974) directed by Roman Polanski
Klute (1971) directed by Alan. J Pakula
Blade Runner (1982) directed by Ridley Scott

Chinatown

The film is based around a private investigator that is following a man that works for a water company. He soon discovers plans for a large dam to be built in the area and reports straight back to his employer. He then sees the man with another woman and arguing with an old man in public. The old man then turns up dead a few days later. You then find out the argument was about the land that they want to build the dam on, and the old man legally owns it. Once the investigator finds this out he returns to his clients house. He then discovers that the blonde woman he saw him with is his contractors daughter and sister. He then asks if it was rape and she neither denies nor confesses to this. Later on he finds out he is facing a murder charge and that he is going to be arrested. He then tries to flee to Mexico but is shot in the arm and the woman he is with is shot dead.
This neo noir has similar characteristics to film noir in the respect of the femme fatal and the traditional story of blackmail betrayal and lies. Although the use of setting can be completely different to traditional noir, it tries to create the same image of desperation and darkness.

Klute

The film begins with the disappearance of a man, whose family hires a friend, a police officer, to look for him. A typewritten letter found in a desk lead Klute to his only lead, a prostitute who the letter was supposed to go to. The man becomes drawn into the woman’s seedy world, discovers several other prostitutes have been killed by a crazy man and that she herself was nearly killed by the same man. After an uneasy start the two work together to track down the killer. The man and the woman then fall in love and they end the film with them together after solving the case.
This film has a slightly different ending to traditional noir. It ends happily between the man and the woman and it does not end with a murder. The image throughout the film is generally more happy and bright than normal noir. Also the man is not lured in by the love but the woman is introduced to this new feeling.

The Blade Runner

The blade runner is a science fiction film based on the creation and extermination of genetically modified beings. They look near human and they are almost human although they are not allowed to be like humans. So the main character is sent to kill them after their illegal return to earth. The story takes many twists involving the traditional female interference. He then proves his worth by killing the four duplicates and returning as a hero.
This film is different to other noir based films. It is set in the future and is not based around everyday life and is not something you can relate to as the audience. Though it still; has the same dark atmosphere, it uses unique props and effects to create a more suited atmosphere to the genre.