Film Noir Film Noir

French Film Noir:
Touchez pas au Grisbi and Ascenseur pour l’échafaud
Azaria Wassyihun

Film Noir is often regarded as a uniquely American phenomenon. The particular context these films were produced in, marked by the post-war period, infused these films with a unique style Hollywood had never encountered before. America might have been the adequate setting for this unique phenomenon to occur, but film noir would not be the same without it’s international aspects. Famous Austrian born directors Fritz Lang and Billy Wilder were not American, and prior to migrating to the U.S., they had worked in Germany during the German expressionism movement. They brought with them the experience gained overseas, and implemented it into their American
In addition to that, a gloomy sense of fate is quickly introduced, as the characters seemed doomed, no matter how smartly they act. Julien’s intricate and flawless plan contrast well with the stupendous mistake he makes. This mistake sets the plot in motion, and from then on, he is seen as powerless. This event introduces the film’s younger couple. Their relationship is at the opposite spectrum of what Julien and Florence share. The two youngsters are seldom seen separated physically, but emotionally their relationship is rotten. They are jealous of Julien and envy his way of life, which is why they set off in his car. Here, the criticism of a younger generation comes into play. In an interview, Malle states: “On top of that I was trying to portray a new generation through the characters of the teenagers (in those days they were called blousons noir because they all wore black leather, those kids from the suburbs) – a description of the new Paris.” Another social context is that of Julien Tavernier’s ex profession and his relationship to his boss, a war profiteer. Here, the allusions to the franco-algerio conflict are clear, which gives the film a more realistic historical context. This differs greatly from classical American noir. The context in those films was often clear but never explicit, nor was it the backdrop of the stories. These historical references give Ascenseur a French
The film is famous for proving that Jeanne Moreau, who plays Florence, could be superstar. Thus, the scenes where she wanders the streets alone are all the more poignant. The way they are lit reveal much about Malle’s style and influence as a documentarian, as well as Decaë’s style of shooting. These scenes were notorious at the time for being shot with no lighting other than what the street provided. Instead of artificially lighting these scenes and of providing high contrast lighting, the contrast is provided by the darkness of Florence’s character in relation to the streetlights. This gives the film a realistic look to them, and therefore provide a realistic portrayal of 1950s Paris, the French film noir mecca at the time, just as L.A and New York were for American Noir. Even though the lighting is not artificial, this is very much a noir moment, punctuated by Mile’s trumpet. In addition, it gives us an opportunity to delve into her thoughts for a moment, in what I call the French voice-overs. Compare this to Julien’s noir moment, in the interrogation room. This scene lasts four minutes, and is lit by only one light, as all we can see is the characters, with everything else reduced to complete darkness. More than it being a quintessential noir moment, this choice also alludes to the fact that, although we the audience now know the whole plot, Julien is still completely in the dark. In an ironic twist, the