The Characters of a Typical Film Noir

The Anti-Hero: the main characteristic of the anti hero is that he is flawed in some way, they often tend to be detectives, private eyes or journalists. These men are often investigating a crime in an urban city back drop. They are also employed by the femme fatale who gets them into dangerous situations. It is also very common the anti-hero will lose in his investigation by either dying or being close to death it is also very common for a film noir to start the film with a scene from the end of the plot and then flash backwards between the narratives.








The Femme Fatale: The femme fatale is a beautiful woman who used to be typically blonde who gets the main character into trouble and danger. She will often employ the skills of the anti-hero and make him investigate a crime which will lead to him to either a shocking conclusion or his death. Femme fatale is french for "deadly woman".








The Girl Next Door: this character is portrayed as a typical beautiful woman and more than often is blonde much like the femme fatale. This character is often the most innocent in the genre as she meets the anti-hero and he will fall for her and she will stick by him or assist him in his investigations.











The Villain: is the final typical character you will find in a noir film. They are usually well dressed men of intelligence. They are also often to be men who are in a position of power such as corrupt police officers, politicians or crime lords. They will pose a great threat over the anti-hero and may be linked with the femme fatale and may survive after the events of the film.