Characteristics of Film Noir

Analysis of Double Indemnity

I shall be analyzing the fist 3 minutes of Double Indemnity in the following paragraphs.

To begin with the film opens with orchestra music as the credits move across the scene. This helps set the scene and make the audience aware of the content that is about to come which is dramatic. To add to this a silhouette of a man is shown, as we cannot see no facial expressions of the character it builds up suspicion. The shot then fades out into the next scene showing a long street as a welder repairs tram lines, the lighting is dark which shows it is at night. The sign tells us this which helps the audience understand who he is. A car comes down the road at a high speed, and goes past the camera. A fast cut shows a close up a set of traffic lights, we realize that the car is significant because it is shown again in the background of the shot. The light is on red however the car speeds through, this shows the audience that the car has to get somewhere fast, building up tension and getting the audience intrigued.The camera again quickly cuts to a long shot of the cross roads as the same xar narrowly misses a van pulling out. The driver is careless and this is shown within his driveing, it is obivous that he is either in a rush to get somewere or he is on the run from someone. This next part adds some insite into whats happening. A medium close up fades in as the car pulls up to a building, we can see the street which is quite with only one insignificant car in the distance, the fog is thick and the same music is present. Another medium close up shows him getting out of the car with the doors of the building in the background. We can see him get out the car as a camera on a crane pans over the car bonnet and towards the doors following the character. As he gets to the door way, he repeatedly knocks onto the doors until a member of staff unlocks them and greets him in a sophisticated manor this implies the main character is of a high class and respected by people, however although being greeting he decides to ignore the doorman and walk straight past him. The audience again begins to wonder why he was in such a rush as it does not look like he is in a dangerous situation. We see the two men enter the lift and a two shot shows them as they have a conversation about why he is working so late. He tells the door man that it is 'late enough' this suggests he is hiding something, and not giving away everything. His answers are short and to the point to avoid entering conversation. As the lift door opens a tracking shot follows him as he walks to edge of a balcony, the camera pans down and a large hall filled with empty desks are revealed. As he walks around the balcony the camera pans across following him towards a door.

The film is dark and mysterious, and is shown through the above codes and conventions.

Brief & Group Members

In my group there is myself, Rachel Noddings and Amy Holmes. We are going to create an opening sequence of a horror.