Pilie-Film Noir

Film Noir is a major theme of Tim Burton's movies. It is a feeling of dark, yet beautiful scenery that includes sharp angles and a feeling of isolation. The light work in certain scenes gives you a feel of the mood. The lighting in film noir is usually dim and dark, giving a sense of eeriness. The setting of modern cities is used because of all the problems and sin that occurs in most cities. Also, everything in most populated cities is very dark or gray. All these styles give a feeling of claustrophobia to the theme of the movies. Tim Burton's films are full of all these little things, that make an overall dark feel for his movies. In Batman, it takes place during the winter which gives it a cold, dark feeling, as opposed to a warmer brighter feel. This adds to film noir in that it gives off a depressing feeling.
The way Tim Burton portrays the Joker fits perfectly into film noir. He is a very cynical character that is truly dark on the inside, but puts on a mask for the outside world. This is also like the lighting of film noir. It goes from very dark to very bright. The way the cameras are focused and angled gives the picture a sense of distortion. That can also apply to the joker. When he puts on the makeup he gives off a brighter look, when it is really just a mask. He is truly dark and evil on the inside, but you have to truly know him to get that. Bruce Wayne's mansion has an almost Gothic style architecture which gives it a very dark and eerie feel. Another scene that used film noir is when the surgeon is doing plastic surgery on the joker. When the joker sees what the surgeon has done to his face after Batman dropped him into the tub of toxic waste, his reaction is a bit psychotic. He is psychotically laughing at his own face. I think this is partially because he can't believe what he sees and also because he has become so evil and almost likes it. This scene gives off a very film noir type of feel. It is twisted and dark which is exactly how the joker is.
Another characteristic of film noir is the sense of everything is not as it is seemed. To most people of Gotham at first, Batman is perceived as an evil criminal, but really he is a hero. He helps prevent crime. Now while he is a very good person, he has a very dark background. As a child he witnessed his parents get killed. This haunts him for the rest of his life. It is why he fights crime. He wants revenge against the joker, but at the same time is a good person and will not kill the joker.