Deconstruction of editing and shots in film noir

In Film Noirs a common use of editing is close up shots. These can be used to show lots of detail or to hide the identity of a particular character. As well as this close up shots often have many shadows to further create enigmas of who the villain is.

A non-linear plot is often used and includes flashbacks are used to explain how the detective got into a situation or to show in detail what case he is trying to solve. Throughout the film there may be several flashbacks. Some Film Noir's start at the end of the plot and use flashbacks to tell the story along with this a voice over will be used so that the audience does not get confused.Jump cuts are normally used between different scenes and there is nothing too complex.

Another common convention in the Film Noir genre is the use of a black and white filter. This helps to convey the 1950/1960's era in which most Film Noir's are set. Black and white also enhances the shadows as there is a large contrast between the two colours. Using this filter also means that the colour aspects do not need to be considered in detail and other things such as mise-en-scene can have more focus.

Camera angles in Film Noirs are often skewed or distorted making them uncomfortable to look as well as making the audience feel at unease. This helps to reflect the tone of a Noir. Common angles used are high and low shots. The low angle shots usually make the villain seem powerful and superior whereas the low angle shots are used to make the victim seem helpless and vulnerable.