Film Noir; Maltese Falcon Opening Sequence Analyses

In the opening sequence of Maltese Falcon we are presented with many different stereotypes of an original Film Noir. This is because the film was released in the 1940's which was when this genre was at its peak, mainly because the roles and ideas with in this genre was what was socially accepted by audiences in HollyWood and other areas of America. It was this way due to how they saw these areas in America - dangerous, mysterious etc.

The opening shot of the clip is an establishing shot of the Golden Gate bridge which allows us to see where the film is located even if we weren't shown a title that stated the location. This establishing shot is typical for a film such as this one as it is a good way to show the audience the setting, time of day and weather. As a result, in this film, we can see that the setting is in San Francisco, America and the weather is a typical boggy, miserable, grey day. This can supply the audience with the idea of pathetic fallacy meaning the weather reflects the next actions of the film. For example here we could say that because the weather is miserable, the films plot isn't going to be pleasant but perhaps upsetting or                                                                                       of a low mood.

Other shots used in the opening scene include an over the shoulder shot of the detective as the 'fem fatal' enters the room which in this case is the woman asking for help. This shot is effective as it allows us to see that when the woman enters the room the man stands up. This shows a simple sign of respect which may have a reflection on how men treated women in this era and not just all men having the stereotypical lack of respect for them. This also gives the audience the idea of the detectives character and therefore also giving an idea on how the films plot will be. This could be that the detective will be helpful and successful in finding the woman's sister.

Mise en scene is used in Maltese Falcone, for example to show the stereotypical Film Noir characters one being the 'femme-fetal'. This character is one that first came about in this genre, a woman that is used for the 'spider and fly' ideology. The idea being that the female character is the spider and is luring the detective in as if he was a fly. Mise en scene allows us to detect the signs of this character through the use of costuming, for example the femme fatal is usually a young female with pretty features and presented as innocent and some what desirable to the opposite sex. The character in this film shows all these signs: young as she is fresh faced, pretty features shown through the way the camera picks up her sparkly eyes and innocent through how                                                                                        she has come to the detective in need of help.


 Props are also used as part of mise en scene which allows us to see the status of characters. For example when first presented with the detective we could see he was rolling a cigarette. This allows us to understand he is a man of money as cigarettes were expensive in that era and therefore only a luxury. This can be paired with his costuming of a suit and tie, as well as his position of a detective and his own office. Therefore we can have a good idea that this character is of high status and wealth. This goes the same for the female role, she is wearing costuming such as fur (a luxury) and also dressed in a suit (formal). This could also be a way of luring the detective in as part of the 'spider and fly' convention as she presents herself as the same class as the detective meaning they have something in common and he may then be more likely to help her.

Sound is used in the film again to show the stereotypical codes and conventions of the film, for example through dialogue. A key line in the opening scene is from the female character, she says
"i'm from New York. I'm trying to find my sister". This line first suggests that she is from out of town which is a stereotypical way of creating mystery about a character within film, however this line also relates to the 'spider and fly' idea. Due to the female being from out of town it means neither the audience nor the detective know anything about her which allows the character to have some sort of danger about her. This line also allows the audience to see that she is asking for help and therefore the idea (again) of her luring the detective in. Non diegetic sound is also used in the opening of Maltese Falcon through music, in the opening scene the style of this is Jazz. This is played when the femme-fetal first walks in the room which is stereotypical for emphasising desirability for a character. This music unusually appears 'sexy' or suggestive of the character, however the music also  plays with minor notes at some points expressing elements of danger.

Editing is used in Maltese Falcons opening scene through things such as transitions. These start with slow fades from one establishing shot to another at the beginning of the opening scene which suggest the town is a peaceful, laid back area which contrasts with the idea of a stereotypical American city. This is usually dangerous. However these transitions change once the scene is in the detectives office, going from peaceful fades to jump cuts from one shot to another. This can emphasise the idea of a flow in conversation as these transitions allow the scene to have continuity. This also suggestiong that the femme fatal is building a rapport with the detective as a way of gaining his trust - 'spider and fly' ideology.

Genre

Where did genre come from and how did the golden age of hollywood reinforce it?

Film became very popular in Hollywood as it was something that entertained and something people had never seen before. As a result of this Film Makers began to create new ideas that would make people want to keep watching and as a result would make them more money.

Which genres became popular in Hollywood and why did audiences like them? 

Musicals were very popular during the early 1930's as this was when sound first appeared in movie theatres. These were also popular due to the idea of 'love at first site' being presented in most, an example of one is 42nd street. Gangster films were also popular due to the idea of typical NewYork being presented, with guns and fight scenes that would shock and bring a rush of adrenaline to the audience. This is also a reason why Horror became popular but also because it created the idea of  'the fear of the unknown' and the creation of new character the public had never imagined before.