Video Essay Proposal

How film noir utilizes the urban setting and contrast between lighting and shadows to convey the moral ambiguity, isolation, and existential despair of its characters and the world they inhabit.

Topics and Subjects:  

1. The historical significance of film noir and how it reflected the urbanization and modernization of American Society in the mid-20th century. 

1. How does the city function as a symbol in noir? , what specific features of the city are emphasized in film noir, and how do they contribute to the overall atmosphere?

2. The significance of light and shadow in film noir, more so in terms of the contrast between the bright city lights and the dark, uneasy, backstreets.

1. How do filmmakers use lighting and shadows to convey the moral ambiguity of the characters and their world? What techniques do they use to create a sense of isolation and despair? 

3. The role of urban landscapes and architecture in creating a sense of disorientation, and how it is reflected in the use of camera angles and shot compositions.

1. How do these characters in film noir interact with the urban environment ? How do their actions and motivations reflect the moral ambiguity of their surroundings?

4. The influence of German Expressionism on the visual style of film noir, in terms of high contrast lighting, and shadows. 

1. Use of shadows, isolation and existential despair, Urban decay, camera angles, symbolism.
   1. German expressionism is significant to the influence on the visual style and themes of film noir, it will be important to address its impact and meaning. 

Films: The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Blade Runner, Touch of Evil, (The Dark Knight?), Scarlet Street. 

Readings: Christopher: Into the Labyrinth, Borde and Chaumeton: Film Noir, Porfirio: Existential Motifs, Peterson: Visual Motifs