Film Noir

1941–1958

Hard shadows, venetian blinds, cigarette smoke, moral ambiguity. Direct descendant of Caravaggio via German émigrés.

Panchromatic B&W film. Low-key lighting. Practical light sources (desk lamps, street lights). Deep focus.

1 artist6 colors

Film Noir Cinematography

American

Cinematographers like John Alton, Gregg Toland — German Expressionism transplanted to American crime stories.

Panchromatic stock captured full tonal range. Low-key lighting ratio 8:1 or higher. Venetian blind shadows as visual motif.