For most people, the new year represents new beginnings, a clear palette, and a fresh start. For me, a descent into darkness. That's right, it's Noir City 14 when the Film Noir Foundation descends upon the city of San Francisco for the annual festival. This year's theme was Art, Madness, and Murder; a collection of 25 films "exploring the pressures, pitfalls, paranoia and pain [you just have to admire the alliteration] of being an artist in an indifferent and often cruel world." (noircity.com)
Artists consisted of photographers, painters, dancers, musicians, et. al. with each night dedicated to that specific talent. Due to my work schedule (and other commitments), I was only able to attend night one: Photographers.
It's often debated whether or not Rear Window is a noir considering the lack of a femme fatale and its color production. Voyeurism has always been a prominent theme in films noir; after all, isn't that what a detective does? Lurking about spying on his/her subject? Of course this is a film noir! It also has several elements of noir artistry such as the muted color for that stark contrast, the extreme camera angles (and in this case: the dolly zoom), strong female rolls, and the urban setting. This is among Alfred Hitchcock's finest works and my all time favorite.
The second film was a departure from the classic film noir showcase. I can't think of any other time when Noir City showed a modern noir, but 1992 film The Public Eye made the bill. In this film, Joe Pesci stars as Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein; a freelance crime and street photographer for the New York City tabloids. The character of Bernzy is loosely based on NY Daily News photographer Weegee, and some of his photos appear in this film.
With a police radio under the dashboard of his car and a makeshift darkroom in his trunk, Bernzy quickly races to the scene of horrific crimes and accidents in order to snap exclusive photographs before meeting femme fatale Kay Levitz, a recently widowed nightclub owner who asks him to investigate a man who has been hassling her. This seems to be a common arch-type in Neo-Noir films. 2014's Nightcrawler definitely has these elements.
With a police radio under the dashboard of his car and a makeshift darkroom in his trunk, Bernzy quickly races to the scene of horrific crimes and accidents in order to snap exclusive photographs before meeting femme fatale Kay Levitz, a recently widowed nightclub owner who asks him to investigate a man who has been hassling her. This seems to be a common arch-type in Neo-Noir films. 2014's Nightcrawler definitely has these elements.
Between films, the Film Noir Foundation featured a photo slide of past Noir City festivals. Imagine my surprise when I saw my image on the big screen. That photo was from (I believe) Noir City 12.
Lest I forget: My femme fatale attire. This year, I wore a 1930s evening dress, black vintage gloves and fascinator. The heels are from American Duchess, and I have been wanting to wear these Noire heels since its pre-sale. It was the perfect complement to my attire.
