Ashley SeymourFilm NoirPaper #2Deadline: May 5, 2014Mise-en-scene: Paranoia, Ambiguity, and Shifting ValuesThree quintessential films with noir elements include: The Big Combo, Stranger on the Third Floor and Out of the past. The Big Combo is about the protagonist and police lieutenant, Diamond, who is investigating the mob boss Mr. Brown. Although Diamond is ordered to drop the case, he makes one last attempt by going after Mr. Brown's girlfriend, Susan Lowell. The Stranger on the Third Floor is about a journalist, Michael Ward, who witnesses the murder of a bar owner allegedly committed by Joe Briggs. The film is about Michael's efforts to overcome the guilt that Joe Briggs may actually be innocent. Finally, Out of the Past is about Jeff Bailey, a man with a mysterious past who catches up with him. Jeff must confront his past, including coming face to face with Whit Sterling, a man of corruption and danger. These films embody the characteristics of a film noir, as they portray similar aesthetic choices, particularly mise-en-scène. Mise-en-scène consists of the lighting effects, layout of scenery, and the use of urban settings in a film noir. For example, these films use: rain and damp streets, soft lighting - also known as chiaroscuro - high contrast images, dull shadows, endless nights and strong light/dark contrasts using blacks and whites. These effects cause film noir to emit distorted, distorted, and dark moods, which are important characteristics in film noir. In Out of the Past, one of the most obvious uses of mise-en-scène is with the addition of chiaroscuro. For example, the character Kathy Moffat portrays this in the scene where she cheats on Jeff Bailey for the second time, while she is in... middle of the paper... in the scene to emphasize the film's themes. and emotions. You may also want to take into consideration the fact that the cinematographer's use of light is not only important when it is used, but also when it is not used. Visually, mise-en-scène allows cinematographers to guide the audience through the story, making it powerful and memorable, while simultaneously portraying the atmosphere, tone and scale of the images. These techniques also highlight themes of paranoia, anxiety and anguish, as well as highlighting dual identities and changing values. In essence, the mise-en-scène is successful in that it undermines the typical film shot and therefore creates a visually unstable environment by splashing the screen with poor lighting, shadows and ambiguous scenery. This visually appealing sequence and images evoke all the principles of safety and security, thus creating a noir atmosphere.