Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is an Italian word used originally to describe the use of contrasting light and dark in artwork, if used properly in a painting art gained new metaphorical and dramtic connotations between good evil etc. With the developement in black and white film in film Noir, the directors needed to pay close attention to the chirascuro of the film to convey certain styles and imagery which was key in both black and white filming and the concept of film noir.

As we can see here in a shot from the classic Noir film Stranger on the Third Floor, there is a strong use of shadows marking the shape of the stairs against the wall. This draws attention to the situation because the shape of the shadow that the bannisters create against the shadow of the character Mike Ward, create the visual metaphor of prison bars which creates a sense of entrapment, and hightened tension and danger of the scene.

This shot from the film Sin City shows the character
Marv heavily bandaged following a previous violent epsiode. The brightness of the bandages on his body highlight their importance, giving us a strong idea of the physical danger that the character encounters, however we can also see from the nature of the bandages that they have not been adminsterd by a proffesional medic, this gives the impression of the characters anti-authoritarian lifestyle. The stark whiteness of the bandages show connotations of healing and purity which contrasts the darkness of his character, displaying a certain vulnerabilty especially if the female character has bandaged him.