film studies what are the narrative theories in the short film "Curfew"

Characteristics of Film Noir presented in: The Lady From Shanghai (Welles, 1947)

 In The Lady From Shanghai we see many stand out characteristics from the Film Noir genre. These characteristics are mainly to do with the Light, Sound, Cinematography and Mise en scene aspects of the movie. One thing the film does exceptionally with is the lighting, more specifically to do with light and dark. From the intro alone we can already see a high contrast form between light and dark, the white font really stands out from the dark background of the waves. This battle is not just seen in the light but is also personified by the characters and what they wear. Our male lead Michael, played by Orson Welles, has black hair, wears a dark suit and is introduced to us whilst walking around in the shadows of a park. This is immediately redeemed by our Femme Fatale Elsa who has light blonde hair, wears a white dress and is shown riding around in a brightly lit carriage. Before the film has even had it's first scene we can associate the male and female lead respectively with dark and light. There is contrast in the characters, clothing and setting.

 Sound is another heavily emphasized element of the genre that the movie conveys well. A dramatic score is played during the introduction of the movie that gives the movie a tone to follow. It is the volume and tone of the song that lets the audience know what they're about to see. As well as this we can often hear a backtrack playing throughout most, if not all, scenes in the movie. This backtrack really creates an atmosphere and changes the way we as an audience perceive certain actions or lines the movie gives us.