What is film noir?

History
          The German Expressionist artistic movement is usually claimed to be the main source which early film noir sprang from in the early 1900s. Although the earliest films of the genre were created in the 1930s the genre of 'Film Noir' was not actually given its name until after the war. All of the films produced in Hollywood during the war were unable to be distributed worldwide due to the conflict and so when they were released all at once to Europe  in particular France, the set of crime drama's were nicknamed Film Noir by the French public due to their pessimistic and cynical nature.
Neo-Noir
          Most films from this genre were created in the 1940s but the classic conventions did not really die alongside the black and white framework. Neo-Noir is the term used to describe more modern adaptations of the Film Noir style, the conventions are not copied completely but are clearly used as building blocks in many motion pictures. The most obvious difference in modern vs. original Film Noir is the fact many modern adaptations are shot in colour, however the less noticeable conventions such as the music style, lighting and themes/ motives stay the same. An example of an extremely modern adaptation of the classic Film Noir style is the film 'Brick' produced in 2005 set in a high school in California. It follows vaguely the same conventions as the original motion pictures and definitely explores the same themes and the classic character stereotypes are also featured throughout. 
Themes
           Film Noir's are so specific in style, I think this comes from the use of stock characters which feature in nearly every film. These include; 

• The Femme Fatal - The seemingly vulnerable but manipulative lead female character preying on the disillusioned male to gain what she wants.
• Lead male - Cynical and mislead male anti-hero playing into the hands of the femme fatal, usually a detective or of another profession linked with crime.
• Accessories to each - Normally each of the main characters have a friend or accomplice.

           Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposition theory (Juxtaposing themes) really works well with the themes and characters of the genre, examples of two opposing aspects of the stereotypical Film Noir narratives are; male vs. female, light vs. dark, naivety vs. deceit and law abiding vs. law breaking. Themes and aspects of the narrative remain similar throughout the development of the genre; deceit, attraction/ obsession/ passion, law breaking, adultery, murder, drugs, cigarette smoking etc.