FratFiles

• Save Paper

The viewer sees a private eye and beautiful client. First thought, “It’s definitely another Hollywood crime drama.� On the surface, Chinatown has all the elements of a film noir: the presence of a beautiful but dangerous woman, otherwise known as the femme fatale, a gritty urban setting, compositional tension (highly contrasting light and dark colors or oblique camera angles), and themes of moral ambiguity and alienation. Chinatown, however, is different. Polanski shot Chinatown with color film, and though his colors do appear especially vivid, color film precludes the contrast intensity that black and white film offers. In addition, Evelyn is not the classic femme fatale. Though Jake mistakes her for her husband’s killer at first, Mrs. Mulwray eventually emerges as the story’s most tragic victim. Yes, Chinatown for the most part conforms to the structure of film noir, but this film departs from the general genre, creating an entirely different element in which Roman......

View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 1601
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Similar Essays

1. Chinatown: Above The Film Noir Genre
   

   Chinatown: Above the Film Noir Genre The viewer sees a private eye and beautiful client. First thought, "It's definitely another Hollywood crime drama." On the surface, Chinatown

2. Noir
   

   arguments and contradictions when it comes to the subject of film noir. Is it really a film genre, or a title assigned to and created by writers and critics striving to

3. La Confidential And Film Noir
   

   of the most influential film movements in the 1940's was a genre that is known today as film noir. Film noir was a recognizable style of filmmaking, which was created in response

4. Dames, Coppers, And Crooks: A L:Ook At Film Noir
   

   films and comedies to mention some. Other critics avoid these problems by viewing film noir not as a genre, but by emphasizing the stylistic elements. Here, tone and mood are

5.