The Film Noir Cinematography and the Major Scenes of the Movie - Essay Example

To understand the ideological, cultural and cinematic significance of film noir, it is important to understand when this genre emerged. It emerged during the time when there was no political stability, in the 1940s and 1950s. It was the period of the Second World War and the Cold War. During this time, the American society was in great pressure and living the American dream was all falling apart (Bould, 2012). Women had to seek work to meet family obligations while the men had to participate in wars.

This is just one part of the story. Film noir gives the pivotal role to women by making her look stronger, versatile, and intelligent and in control of the situation. They also have a more dominant role in this genre. However, in the end, she pays for her deeds and submits to the patriarchal culture. They compete with men by acting like them, puffing cigarettes, playing with guns and hanging out in bars and even dress like them. Thus in this genre, the rise and fall of women must only be taken into consideration within the political environment of the forties and fifties (Kaplan, 1998).

When the war had ended and when the war heroes came back, women again lost the economic status in society. They were forced to stay back at home and allow the men to take over their working role. The 1950s movies, therefore, stressed to redefine family values and focused to get the social identity of the soldiers back. Double Indemnity (1944) is regarded to be the first and one of the finest film noir. The plot commences with Neff who makes a visit to a house to renew one of his client’s insurance policy.