LA Noire

Title and Fonts
First thing we can deduct from the title of this Film Noir style video game is how feminised it has become to be glamorise and appealing.

The 'show biz' lighting along the lettering adding the desirability factor, however the flickering half broken light can be taken as an underlying message of the seediness and destruction yet to come. This connects to Film Noir style films as it holds many of the themes such as deception. (The flickering lights showing the inlaying message of the glamorised lettering)

Main Menu
The Main Menu has key mise-en-scene conventions of Film Niore such as the bright red lipstick, a symbol of femme fatale; a character later to be introduced within the game, a cigarette; a stereotypical habit for a 1940's detective to have taken up which set both the genre of police detective/crime by an indication of the characters and supports the extreme detective feel of the location the main menu is set.




Opening sequences
At the beginning of the montage clip at the start of the game, we are shown the glamorised side of Hollywood, advertising it as 'the place to be, where dreams come true!', which is stereotypically used to attract tourists. The trendy' must have vehicles of their day with the shot suggests that the easy-going 'american dream' lifestyle is achieve able. The 'happy', 'joyful' and 'yerning' life is complimented and emphasised by the jazz music which became popular within the 1950's. The setting is also made to look like a bright to reinforce the sunny California state. This also makes the location look appealing and safe. However there are hidden messages of the underlying 'nitty gritty' theme of the video game. For example within the opening first seven seconds we are introduced with the typical 'Film Noir' characters; the business man, wearing the traditional suit complete with the trilby hat! We are also introduced to other characters such as the 'good cop' with his wife 'the good woman'. The 'cop' career relating back to the motifs of crime, law and justice. The 'good woman' the polar opposite to the femme fatale.

As well as this, we have a narrator explaining the story; we have another classic noir trait. The voice contradicts what the opening is trying to portray, made to try and sound opening and appealing to the audience with quotes such as "City of dreams" (an ambiguous statement to make), however the underlying huskiness is also another hint of the crime with comes hand-in-hand with the Film Noir genre. The voice over also contradicts itself;  It makes promises of the American dream becoming a reality in Hollywood however with then proceed to say "The city of undercuts, where not everything is as it seems" . I feel that this could be related back to the 'dirty business man' trait with at least one character has within a Film Noir styled film. Deceiving the people around them to achieve their goal/want.

The Game
You can chose from a selection of cases (games), but what is instantly recognisable is the extreme contrast between the opening sequence and  actual game; where as the opening sequence glamorised Hollywood, the game showed a completely different side. Gritty, dirty, seedy Hollywood.

Locations stay to the typical film Noir theme with low key and artificial lighting: businesses, alleyways, streets which create the sense of claustrophobia - the tall buildings, wet/damp setting, fog and camera angles with vanishing points.

props stay typically the same, with the use of a gun, nook or knife as the murder weapon with the victim dying a horrible dramatic death. The smoking detective always seen with a cigarette, and the femme fatale is never without red lipstick.