Watch 'The Endless Night': A Valentine To Film Noir

Classic Hollywood would be missing many iconic films and performances were it not for film noir. As the form has grown, the expansiveness of characters, plot, and even worlds in which stories are told has grown beyond the urban and suburban decay of American cities. In her video essay, Serena Bramble explores patterns of toxic masculinity, the consequences of being a dangerous woman, and much more. With its sudden resurgence in mainstream film and television, in fare such as “True Detective,” “Twin Peaks,” and even the upcoming “Blade Runner 2049,” noir has expanded far beyond its classic Hollywood roots.

Bramble’s super-cut-music-video style ode to Film Noir edits together superstitious glances, dark suits, and sex appeal as explosive as gunfire. Set to Massive Attack’s song “Angel,” Bramble’s editing weaves together tracking shots juxtaposed with tight close ups as shadows of oblique lines cut through the transfixed expressions of actors. “Double Indemnity,” “Sunset Boulevard,”and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” are just a few of the films showcased in this cohesive video essay. Bramble shows how the genre followed a specific design that has now become fleshed out, bringing audiences neo-noirs like Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive”and “The Neon Demon.

Whereas an importance is now placed on complex characters, classic noir demonstrated a static frame, preserving its actors as archetypes of the femme fatale or the hardboiled detective/ lone wolf. The video essay is like the arch of a classic noir in its seductive introduction, clear assignment of character traits, and action that rises to the music’s climax. Noir did not simply open the door to a gritty, ultra realism for its time; it ripped the hinges off their frame.