What are the key elements needed to create a neo noir project

Neo Noir is a complex and well-established film genre with its well-known status in the film
industry. which involves many different aspects in its narrative. Many perceive it to be an
expression of nostalgia which it isn’t, it certainly pays homage to its predecessors and often
its source material, but it keeps its originality at heart. For example, keeping the tropes you
have come to be used to in traditional Noir being brought across to Neo Noir, for example, a
flawed male protagonist; Officer K in Blade Runner 2049, Matt Scudder in A Walk Among
The Tombstones. The director’s style often defines the overall exploration of the issues the
project investigates making its overall look something original and new whilst keeping the
homage to old school noir at its core. Whether it be social issues such as sexism, racism or
psychological issues plagued by the main character, Neo Noir can often be a deeply
philosophical piece which often paints a picture of real-life society and the issues of man. For
example, in Blade Runner 2049 it questions the idea what it means to be human. From Crime
thrillers to comic book adaptations Neo Noir is the stylish artistic genre breathing life in an
oversaturated cinematic market. This essay will go in depth to answer what key elements are
needed to create a neo noir project.

(O'Callaghan, 2016) (Adam Curry, 2017)

The best place to begin is to understand the origins of this sub-genre of films. We know that
Noir is style of classic black and white crime films from the early days of cinema, that
features low key lighting and a seedy Mise en scene, films like The Third Man or. Strangers
On A Train are just a couple of the most popular Noir films which feature those crucial
elements. Neo Noir is essentially the modernised
renaissance of that genre. However, there are
distinct differences that separate the two. The
main is the use of colour. Most Neo Noir projects
have a distinct or multi coloured scheme, see
pictures provided for examples from Drive and
Lost River, that gives the film its own power
through its visuals. There is also the mixing of
genres that is becoming more popular in modern
cinema such as combing fantasy and even horror
to the neo noir elements of the film making (Drive, 2011)
it something even more stylish and visually
catching like Only God Forgives or Lost
Highway. But the best place to begin is
when cinema decided to branch away from
traditional noir themes and implement more
new wave themes, something that future
film makers can be inspired by. This is
through the work Jean Luc Goddard with
(Lost River, his films Bande A Part and Breathless.
2014) These were classed as French New Wave films during the 1960s , and it was Jean’s attempt
at bringing fresh ideas to an oversaturated market. He did this through creating films with a
realistic and stylised setting, shooting on location whether it be a Paris street and or flat or
even while driving , using jump cuts to link the scenes together , this was something
Hollywood cinema wasn’t doing as they were typically creating musicals and romances and
were deeply restricted by the Hays code which was the strictly conservative morale
 guidelines film makers had to follow. This was in place to make sure Hollywood films were
never to dark nor too gratuitous in its content.

Then a decade later in 1976 an article titled Life Après Noir, was written by Larry Gross for
Film Comment. This article identified a collection of movies that were doing the same as
Jean Luc’s and were challenging the traditional themes of Noir making them more in line
with mainstream society. These were Alphaville, The Long Goodbye and Point Blank. These
films were able to go much darker in their narrative as they were no longer under the
watchful eye of the Hays Code that traditional noir was under. This was a set of morale
guidelines film makers had to work with before the abandonment in 1968. These films all
helped push this new wave of Noir into the Hollywood spot light by shifting from typical
Hollywood conventions and highlighting more sociological issues in their films rather than
the traditional psychological . That is when in 1982 the first big name Neo Noir film was
released and that was Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. This film is deeply a science fiction film
that goes deeply into philosophical and social issues that plague this dystopian future society.
It plays out like a traditional noir film, with its characters looks and style but with the modern
‘neo’ twist to them, bringing them into the future. The film brings up questions about society
and humanity and what it means to be Human, and how humans treat replicants which are
subservient in this future and are often referred to as “skin jobs” a derogatory term aimed at
them. At the time it was box office bomb which is a key issue with Neo Noir which we shall
address later in the essay but decades later it is hailed as the pinnacle of science fiction
cinema and the film to popularise the neo noir genre.

(Antwi, 2014) (Springate-Jones, 2018)

The Neo Noir genre has some strict codes and conventions that make the genre what it is.
These help tell the narrative and add to the storytelling aspects of the film in a very crucial
way. Beginning with Water and reflections. Heavy rain is a typical trait in traditional noir
films as it amplifies the dark world in which the film is set. There are often scenes in which
characters look at their reflections in puddles and
or windows whilst it is raining, this is used to
signify the characters emotions and loneliness as
they look back at themselves. Often sea shots are
used to signify the loneliness of a character. For
example, in Heat you see Neil McCauley’s
condo which is dark blue in colour with little to
no furniture and the sound of the waves is hitting
Venice beach. This signifies the loneliness of the
character Neil as it reminds
(Heat, 1995)
him of how small he is compared to the size of the sea. Furthermore, the
main character has a personal code that they live by. This is the rule that
enables them to operate the way that they do. For example, in Heat Neil
McCauley has the 30 second rule that gives him the discipline to walk
out on anything if he feels the Heat around the corner. In addition, the
Driver in Drive has the five-minute rule. You give him a time and a
place he will give you a five-minute window in which he’s all yours,
(True Detective, 2014)
anything happens either side of that and you are on your own. In
addition, Long tracking shots and Deep Focus is a technique used
in most Neo Noir projects to captivate the audience whilst
watching the main character navigating toward their end goal. For
example, in the first series of True Detective there is a seven-
minute-long tracking shot in which we follow Detective Rust
extract a suspect from a ghetto as chaos ensues picture provided
for this example. Then in Blade Runner 2049 there is a beautiful
shot which uses deep focus during our introduction of
philanthropist Niander Wallace in his headquarters. This shot also allows for the(Blade Runner,
reflection of 2017)
his indoor pond to be behind him which makes his appearance that more mysterious and
intriguing.

The Key Practioners that have been identified in the popularisation of the Neo Noir Genre are
the Directors Michael Mann and David Lynch. These two have completely different styles
when it comes to film making but both create new and intriguing ideas in the project they
make. Beginning with David Lynch, he likes to unnerve the audience, make them unsettled,
scare them even. This started with his 1977 Body Horror film Eraserhead. This was shot
entirely in black and white giving it the look of a classic noir film but the elements he has
utilised in this project are much more in line with a horror fantasy film. Therefore, combining
the multi genre technique. In 1986 he created the film Blue Velvet which is what you’d
expect a Neo Noir film to be. To the average movie goer, it would seem like a standard
murder mystery drama. Little do they know
it’s more Texas Chainsaw than Midsummer
Murders. David Lynch uses the films strong
visual colour pallet and music to transfix the
viewers eyes to be glued to the screen as the
movie plays. Then in 1997 he released Lost
Highway, which was famously marketed as a
“Neo Noir Horror movie”. The film revolves
around a jazz player who’s been framed for
his wife’s murder only to become a different
person in prison. As the story unfolds you
realise it is much more than that. It is a story
that sends a message about the dangers of infidelity and lying in a married relationship and (Blue
how ‘evil’ can manifest and lead to deadly consequences once unleashed into a relationship. Velvet,
1986)
Utilising the power of its unsettling visuals and haunting score.

(Cinephilia & Beyond, n.d.)

Michael Mann is probably the most prominent Neo Noir director in Hollywood. He is
responsible for making some of the most iconic and visually aesthetic crime thrillers in
cinema history. In all his projects he likes to humanise criminals and make them more than
just crooks, in an attempt to make us the viewer relate to them. He does this through well
written and throughout out characters, often drawing from real life inspirations. Beginning
with his 1981 hidden gem Thief. This stars James
McCann as a Thief named Frank as he navigates the
criminal underworld as he looks to retire and stay crime
free, starting a family and a new life. This doesn’t go to
plan and he ends up being threatened by the mafia in
order to complete one last score. What ensues is how far
he is willing to go for vengeance and freedom. The film
uses a strong visual aesthetic to create its atmospheric
power along with its electronic score by Tangerine
Dream. The intro scene alone is drenched in neon
lighting with rain and puddles littering the street and skyline whilst the track diamond diary
bellows in the background which glues the viewer onto the screen as we watch the first heist
play out.

In 1995 he released Heat which continues the humanisation of criminals we would typically
perceive as evil and or unrelatable. This is through the characters Neil McCauley and Vincent
Hannah. Drawn from their real-life counterparts, we learn as the film progresses that these
two are on the opposite ends of the
law, but both have a mutual respect.
The moment that cemented this film
in cinema history was the famous
coffee shop scene which brought
Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino on
screen together. What people tend to
miss here is the visual storytelling
that Mann utilises to bring this
mutual connection together. That is
the fact this scene represents them
looking at their idealistic mirror
image of one another. Furthering the point that yes on the basis Heat is just a crime film,
however when you investigate its content and themes it makes it the neo noir masterpiece that
it is. Whether it be the flawed male protagonists, main characters morale code or the low key
lighting , Michael Mann utilised all these and more to put his stamp on genre cinema and he
did it so effectively that it still holds up to this day and is referenced throughout Hollywood ,
most notably Christopher Nolan used Heat as inspiration for the world of The Dark Knight.

Neo Noir, like any other film genre has its fair share of issues and controversy’s. These stem
from its content, most notably it is violence and gender specific issues that are raised.
Neo Noir has a very prominent gender divide in which the two genders have typically stayed
in the same roles since the days of traditional noir. Males being the hero and or main
character throughout the film whilst women are the love interest, femme fatale and or
damsel in distress. This is seen as problematic in the modern age of cinema because its
outdated with modern social themes. In some movie's women are more than just the love
interest and are the sunshine in the otherwise dark movie. They cause the main characters
who have a criminal history to have an arc that gives them the desire to be a better person
and leave the criminal way of life behind. This has been used with the character Eadie in
Heat, Irene in Drive and Jessie in Thief. These characters haven't been glamorised to look
like typical Hollywood models that paint an unrealistic body image, they were written to be
like everyday women that fit in with society and have very sweet personalities. The reason
why these characters are written like this is because they feel relatable to the audiences are
just everyday women who want to find a companion, they deserve that will treat them right
and start a happy life together. However, because typically the main character in Neo Noir
films are male there is yet to be a female centered one that challenges this. It is waiting to
be done.

Violence is another issue that comes under the microscope no matter what movie it is in,
neo noir is no exception. Neo Noir typically has gun violence but here and there it can have
much more graphic violence involving knifes and hand to hand combat. For example, in
Drive there is a notorious skull crushing scene as well as one involving hammer torture and a
bloodied final fight involving concealed knifes. This is an issue because in the real-world
knife violence is a very prominent issue, especially with youth of today in London. There
were over 68 stabbings in London from January 2018 to November 2018 most involving
youths. It is much easier for these perpetrators to get a hold of a kitchen knife rather than
say a gun. They can see the damage a knife can cause in films like Drive and replicate that
because most houses have sharp knifes in their kitchens and can be easily concealed rather
than say a shotgun or machine gun. It’s not to say these movies are the cause of the
violence committed in the real world but it’s possible that they can give ideas to those not
entirely law abiding and or de sensitise potential perpetrators.

The industry and Neo Noir have had its us and downs. Marketing is a big part of advertising a
film in order to get people to see it in the cinemas to drive its box office success. Now this
can be successful but in doing so it can be met with critical controversy by general audiences
as misleading or "boring". For example, Drive is the pinnacle of modern Neo Noir. It helped
kick start a new wave of synth pop and stylish art house pieces within the 2010s. However,
the trailers for the film make it seem as though it’s a fast and furious styled movie with lots of
action and car chases. However, the actual fact is that it’s nothing like Fast And The Furious.
It’s a stylish well written Neo noir piece with outstanding direction, writing, cinematography
and sound. It is also a slow burn. Taking its time to develop and progress through its story.
This is something that Fast And Furious lacks as it’s all about action. This thankfully didn't
tarnish the film’s success as it was a critical and commercial success. However, when it came
to the directors next film Only God Forgives which is a Fantasy Neo Noir masterpiece, it was
addressed in the trailer that the film will be very much a slow methodical visual driven piece
with sections of violence. This was misunderstood by many audiences thinking it would be a
kick boxer type movie containing gun violence and intriguing visuals. Once again general
audiences were disappointed as they didn't understand the movie and has had many people
criticise it. Since its release it is most certainly one of the best cult films out there. Most
recently Blade Runner 2049 came under the same attack by general audiences who expected
non-stop action because of the trailer. They weren't appreciating the fact they were watching
a movie that shouldn't even exist. It was a pure art house epic that was made for cinema not
for money. Something which doesn't happen often, once in a blue moon does Hollywood let a
movie do this. However, those attacking it for "misleading marketing" were met with a
complete landslide of fans disagreeing with them as it was a success critically and just
scraping by in the box office, only just though, so I guess they won there. So, what can be
done? Well there isn't a clear answer. Because the average viewer goes and sees a movie if
the trailer looks good to them without a second thought. The cinephile would watch and
understand the way the movie will be and understand if it’s a genre piece or not. Therefore,
knowing what they're in for. Because of the genres need for a big budget mainly for lighting
purposes it would make it a more mainstream genre rather than indie. However, on the
mainstream spectrum its toward the indie arthouse side with only visionary directors being
able to handle a project of its stature.

Another issues is within the 21st century there was a shift from filming with traditional film
stock to shooting with Digital. Now this aims to make the films look more real and as if you
are watching it happen in real life. But this gives away the previous cinematic feel. If you
compare Heat and Collateral , both by the same director yet both feel completely different
despite only being 9 years apart and sharing similarities. This is because Michael Mann saw
that shooting in HD digital cameras was the future of feature film making and allowed the
camera crew to push themselves to the limit when filming exterior night scenes. This has its
pros and cons as it makes the night time exterior shots look fantastic and really vivid
,however scenes inside vehicles and buildings where we are following a character have the
feel of watching a student movie. It’s hard now to picture Collateral being filmed the same
way he approached Heat but it was a daring choice that paid off as he has since filmed all his
films in this way along with many other film makers.

To conclude, we have learned the crucial elements needed to create a Neo Noir project. We
know these are these are the reason why Neo Noir has firmly cemented itself on the film
making scene with its content , with production crew taking the reign on a project that fits
this genre , understanding their audience along with what they expect to see in a film of this
nature. They must be a visionary in their approach and be allowed to be creative and
experimental to truly tell the story to its max potential without the worry of studio executives
that want to change things up massively and or completely forget what makes the project a
neo noir piece. Whether it be not including the codes and conventions or making it a very
dull to look at piece of film. They don’t need to look far to see every success Neo Noir film
has either a vibrant colour pallet or eye-catching cinematography that keeps its viewer glued
to the screen. As well as that, when it comes to the marketing of their project they must be
honest and upfront with what the movie truly is and not try cheap tricks to sell tickets that
will come back to bite them when it comes to reviews from general audiences. The story of
Neo Noir isn’t over yet, there is plenty more film stock left to be used.

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