An essay analysing the opening of the third man.

The Opening of The Third Man is very typical of Film Noir. The Opening Credits are in White Bold letters, which stand out against the dark "zither strings" that are playing a song in the background, the notes are flat but the tune is upbeat and sticcato. This song was released after the film which topped the international music charts in 1950. After this opening, the shot moves straight to a shot of a vienna sky line, post war. The mood of the image is dark and depressing, a city which has suffered bombing and sufferage. There are images of trade in the black market or "underground economy" a market that trades without reguard to tax or law. Images of Traiding in the blackmarket in Vienna accompany his voice over which switches and begins talking about the city, he talks about the four corners of the city that are being govenrned by 4 nationalities. The British, The American, The French and The Russian. The many shots of archetecture are gothic and depressed. After this the voice introduces us to Holly Martins, a man who has travelled to Vienna after his friend Harry Lime has offered him a chance to work with him. While he is talking about him we see images of Soldiers and War related images. Martins Appears of a Steam Train in traditional dress. A suit, Hat and Breifcase. According to Standard at the time this was seen as a very appropraite way to dress. It seems that all of his Possessions are in the one breifcase he is carrying, this suggests he doesnt have many possessions. After speaking to a guard in the train station Martins makes his journey to Limes house. It is not yet known how they are friends and where he origionally came from. Aswell we are unaware of who the narator is. Just before Martins gets to the house he walks under a ladder which is traditionally bad luck. The house is beautiful, but very empty, this is apparent from the beginning. After walking up a very large grand, Gothic staircase he is told by a german man that he has just missed limes frineds who were going to his funeral and that Lime was killed by a lorry in front of the house. The Mood of the whole opening scene is very Depressing, Martins is upbeat and jolly and we do not see his reaction to find that the man who he would be living and working with has died days before. Alot of the Film uses harsh lighting and distorted camera angles. All the the Locations are very traditional for post war Vienna, and set the mood of the situation in the film properly. The Opening of The third man does not reveal much of the plot and up to this part in the film, the audience is unaware of what will unfold in the rest of the film. The mood of the film fits in the with mood at the time it was released. The world was still very interested in War, and the impact that it had on the entire world.

Audience Research.

A Discussion on LA Noir.

LA Noir is not a term you hear a lot of, and because of this i found it difficult to research for this piece of writing. It is Similar to Film Noir in the way that its key Element is Distinctive Lighting however LA Noir is shot in colour, usually with a hint of chrome in the colour. Similar to Film Noir, Presence of Femme Fatales are common in LA Noir also. They're seductive dress sense is alluring to the Male characters, they are objectified by the men as Sex Objects. LA Noir Commonly uses Binary opposites such as good and evil. An Example of this is in the Opening on LA confidential the male character talks about "Mr Fire and Mr Ice" they're used to created elements of opposition and drama.

A Discussion on Film Noir and its Conventions.

Film Noir literally means “Black Film”. It is a cinematic term for a style of film making that was Established after the second world war, originally in france. It reached its peak in the early 1940’s till the late 1950’s and was used primarily to describe Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that centre on cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Film Noir was first applied to Hollywood films by Nino Frank a French Critic in the 40’s. Despite much of Film Noir being seen as a Type of film, it is still debated about as to weather it is a distinct genre or just a style of film making. Film Noir is often more widely identified as a visual style, that emphasizes low-key lighting and unbalanced compositions. In film Noir we expect to see a lot of the typical conventions of the style of film, such as Low key Lighting, sinister characters (usually the main character being a white middle aged male). Props such as Hats and Cigarettes are used commonly in Film Noir. Wearing a hat in the time that these films were made was expected if you were an upstanding gentleman, this was not the case if you went without a hat. These props are commonly used to hide behind, in many cases a man will be covering part of his face with a hat, in a long coat. This gives the character a mysterious and dangerous look. Cigarettes are a common occurrence with most characters in Film Noir. Especially Femme Fetal style characters. Most of the stories of Film Noir are based around crime, lust and murder. An example of a more recent “Neo-Noir” film is Sin City (2005). Which has slightly different conventions to older style film noir but some of the original conventions are still present. The Visual Style of Film Noir is a lot of Low-Key lighting combined with Dramatic shadows. It is also known for its low-angle shots and wide angle lenses. Commonly in Film Noir Story plots we see a lot of Flashbacks and most of the film is usually shot on location. The characters in film noir are often arrogant and isolated; they are never particularly sociable or friendly. Film Noir is a highly recognised style of film making that although has passed its peak is still appreciated in today’s society.

Femme fetale and film noir


Film noir was developed around the time of World War 2, and traditionally in most film noir films we see femme fetales. A femme fetale is French for “killer or deadly woman”. It was derived from anti-heroine vampires of early cinema. She is typically alluring and seductive who ensnares her lovers into a bond of irresistible desire. Traditionally very subversive a femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using beauty, charm, and sexual allure. Femme fetales are typically villainous; they use their charms and sexual awareness to achieve what they want. Femme Fetales are found often in Film Noir and around the time they were not seen as traditional women. At the time of the film noir periods women had not particularly established individuality and women could not be publicly seductive in the way that we have established today. Typically Femme Fetales are sexy, dangerous and clever. They are confident and make men lust after them; this creates an element of control. The term is associated with powerful women. An example of a femme fetale in a film is Rita Hayworth in “the lady from shanghai” a 1948 film noir film. According to the film Mildred Pierce it can be defined as the kind of woman that a man wants, but shouldn’t have. The Velvet Underground song "Femme Fatale" tells of a woman who will "play" a man "for a fool”. An example of a modern day femme fetale is the beautiful Dita von Tease. She is known for being a famous burlesque dancer and a model. She has a typical femme fetale look and a retro dress sense. She frequently mirrors the work of a similar model of an earlier time Bettie Page.