I was particularly intrigued to delve into the film noir style this week. I have to admit, it was mostly because I have this strange obsession with all things French, and this was no exception. A French word just has to be mentioned and I’m “all ears”. Besides that, I was excited to analyze a genre that I usually don’t have a liking to. I have to admit that I’m one of “those” girls, the type that can watch chick-flick after chick-flick and be satisfied. I enjoy the happy-ending-that-never-happens-in-real-life movie that is saturated with daylight and a profusion of colors, which is actually very ironic because my friends always make fun of me by calling me a “revolutionary feminist”. So, it was sort of refreshing to watch such a dark film such as Christ in Concrete.
One aspect of film noir I find pretty fascinating is how lighting is treated to change the image of women. Place and Paterson mention how the sharp contrasts that capture the light/dark dichotomy are used to sharpen the image of women. They are often captured in a way that their features are not blurry and the contours of their faces are enhanced. It’s interesting to see how this effect adds so much to the noir style. Kathleen’s character is interesting because she’s represents this “forbidden beauty” that is striking and strong. She represents the life Geromio wants, but can’t have, but is not represented as a pure, innocent girl with the perfect porcelain doll-like face. Geromio’s wife is also not represented that way. In the first scene, Geromio come’s home late at night with his wife angrily waiting for him; she has not make-up on and her every facet is accentuated through the contrasts of light that low-key lighting bring out. It was great to learn about how the representation of women changes as film styles do.
Ce que les séducteurs apprennent sur le tard, c’est qu’ils ont toujours été séduits, c’est que toutes les femmes qu’ils ont eues, c’était des femmes qui voulaient les avoir- François Nourissier
