About Us - 'Dem Film Students

 From Left: Ng Pui Wah, Ho Wai Shyen, Diyana Chan, Lee Shin Shyuan (Nikki), Aaron Wong Kang Yong. 'Dem Film Students From Left: Ho Wai Shyen, Joshua Tan, Nikki Lee 'Dem Cast *Disclaimer this blog is for assignment purposes. ...

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History and Development

Films are the reflections of society. Whenever there is a societal shift, the changes can be seen in film; these changes in films are film movements. One of the most influential film movements that has continued its legacy is Film Noir. What is Film Noir? When did Film Noir begin? Some critics have claimed that Film Noir is the successor of the American gangster films prevalent in the 1920s to 1930s (Hayward, 2013). The emergence of gangster...

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Characteristics of Film Noir

Film Noir often has an unusual complex narrative where it associates with murder or other crime cases as their theme. The narrative of Film Noir carries the mood of the film that portrays evilness, guilt, fear, moral corruption and isolation. Guilt and fear are shown in the characters during their downfall. What often makes the film interesting are the allegations, suspicion, betrayals. Hence, the tone of film noir is usually dark and pessimistic....

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Video Tribute - Carousel of Love

The name of our video tribute is “Carousel of Love”. The word “Carousel” is used to metaphorically describe spinning sensation and instability caused by the decisions made by the characters. The word “Love” can be defined by the affections and attractions that felt by our characters. These two words depict the themes of the video we have made, “what goes around, comes around.”  The video begins with Alaric meeting Rachel for the first time...

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Conclusion

As a conclusion, Film Noir emerges due to societal changes; Cold War, WWI and the post WWII. The pessimistic tone is the reflection of the social condition of the time. For instance, the anxiety felt by men after their return from war due to the women’s empowerment in the workforce. Film Noir adapts German expressionism subtly. It also revolves around the french "poetic realism" that makes it a dark film and also often revolves in crime. Therefore, the lighting and settings enhance the dark theme. Femme fatale always disrupts the men’s goal. They...

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Reference

Books 1. Biesen, S. C. (2005). Blackout: Worldwar II and Origins of Film Noir. JHU Press. 2. Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2013). Film Art An Introduction (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.  3. Corner, M. (n.d.). Film Noir as Genre: Problems and Approaches - MUBI. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from https://mubi.com/lists/film-noir-as-genre-problems-and-approaches....

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