LA noir

A discussion of the conventions of ‘LA noir’


La noir does not actually exist as a genre or even a subgenre. It is a style of film noir set in Los Angeles. LA Noir shares many of the same conventions and styles and regular film noir. However it does have certain differences that set the two apart from each other.

Just like film noir La noir is themed around the idea of the corruption of humanity, suffering and evil. LA noir addresses these issues in Hollywood style America instead of Europe which is often a preferred setting for regular noir films. The films draw attention to the underlying themes of evil behind the glamour and glitz.

Noir films are known for their use of dark lighting and shadows, this is where LA noir differs. As apposed to dark lighting it uses bright light, this makes every detail apparent and creates an almost ironic feel to the film due to its dark themes. ‘LA confidential’ is an example of a film that uses this. Despite this, both styles of film frequently use chiaroscuro lighting.

The use of binary opposites occur often in LA noir films. The film ‘The Black Dahlia’ is a great example of this. The opening scene of the film is a riot which includes several binary opposites. For example, there are two groups of people who are rioting against each other; one group is dressed totally in white and the other in black. This could be an interpretation of racial dispute which was very common at this time in America, and in some places, is still an issue.

LA noir is used almost, to expose certain aspects of American society which is sometimes overlooked. This is because it is themed around corruption, perhaps in the police, and crime, something which many people would not readily admit too. Just like film noir, LA noir looks past things in everyday life and draws attention to the darker side of human nature.