Film noir is a pessimistic, shadowy style of filmmaking that has long entertained viewers and is often a favorite among classic film fans to this day. While there are numerous aspects of film noir to laud, such as impactful writing and memorable performances, the clever use of lighting is also quite a central stylistic element.

Patrick Keating’s Film Noir and the Arts of Lighting offers a fine introduction to film noir and its plot elements. While the book contains a strong focus on lighting characters and lighting milieu, Keating also examines the power of lighting as a storytelling element within the context of genre, adaptation, and a generalized art of “unfolding.” Moreover, Keating acknowledges the influence of subjectivity, symbolism, and depiction in this style of filmmaking.

Fans of film noir and those intrigued by film production, in particular, will especially find this book of interest.

Film Noir and the Arts of Lighting is available for purchase via Rutgers University Press.