Genre Murder Mystery/ Film Noir

Genre Murder Mystery/ Film Noir

 

Story Line: 

In this type of genre, the storylines tend to have similarities. These include the protagonist and the situation in the plot. The plot is usually about an unsolved murder and centers on the detective, acting as the protagonist, solving the case. Events in the plot can consist of interrogations of possible suspects and witnesses, finding evidence and clues and usually a standoff or action scene with the murderer.

Characters:

Protagonist- in this type of film, the protagonist tends to be the person (being a detective or civilian) trying to solve the murder, or trying to prove their innocence.

Villain- The villain is usually the murderer or the organizer of the murder. In films of the type, the villain may not be revealed until later on in the plot, and may reveal clue to who the villainous character is during.

Victim- This is the murdered victim or the individual being blamed for the murder or crime. They sometimes do not play a large role in the film (such as if they are murdered they cannot be in the rest of the film) but the event that they trigger is the main storyline for the film.

Suspects- There can be numerous suspects in murder mystery films, or sometimes little if the plot for the film is to find clues that lead to the suspect/ criminal.

Witnesses- Witnesses either don’t play a big part in the film or can be used to trick the protagonist (such as them starting out as the witness and end up being the villain). The clues that the witness provides is usually the protagonist’s main source to find the killer or criminal.

Female Characters

The females in film noir can be organized into two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femmes fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, subversive, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. The word Femme fatale “killer (or deadly) woman."

Setting:

The setting of the film is usually where the crime takes place. This setting tends to be in a large or old house/ building. Another general setting used in this genre of film can be a police station where the protagonist spends time figuring out the clues that leads them to the villain.

Iconography:

Typical iconography for murder mystery, thriller films can include bad weather. This consists of dark clouds, rain or thunderstorms. This can amplify the darkness of the event and cause tension in the scene.