Film Noir is a genre of film which developed during the late 1940s to mid-1950s both in American and European cinema. German expressionism is often cited as one of its main artistic roots. It had a large impact on the style of Miami Vice, helped by executive producer Michael Mann, whose trademark Neo-Noir style can be witnessed in films such as Thief, Manhunter, Heat and Collateral.
Characteristics[]
The defining characteristics of Film Noir can be seen both in its visual styles and in its storylines; visually, Film Noir is dominated by high-contrast scene lighting, asymmetric or unusual camera angles, and the use of stark geometric lines, such as the shadows cast by Venetian blinds in a room. Storylines frequently involve traumatic events of the past which have come back to haunt the protagonists and lead to their doom, as well as femme fatales who seduce the main character and cause his demise. Stories are often cynical and nihilistic or existentialist, examining the blurred lines between good and evil, between right and wrong, and between good fortune and misery. Characters are rarely fully "good" or "bad"; presumably good people are shown as having strayed from the path of virtue, and villains are portrayed as having benign and gentle traits. Scenes often have a tone of pronounced bleakness, which can be underscored by background music.
Influence on Miami Vice[]
Storylines[]
While Miami Vice was not the first example of television crime drama adopting Noir characteristics, early Vice episodes in particular are filled with Film Noir storytelling elements. In Heart of Darkness, undercover FBI agent Artie Lawson is shown as having immersed himself so deeply into the seedy world of organized crime that it is difficult for him to decide which side of the law he stands on. Having the death of sixteen-year-old runaway Penny McGraw on his conscience ultimately results in him killing himself. In the two-parter Calderone's Return, Tubbs is confronted again with druglord Esteban Calderone who killed his brother back in New York, and Tubbs ends up having a romantic affair with Calderone's daughter Angelina (which, as is revealed in the season two finale Sons and Lovers, resulted in the birth of Tubbs's son). Other memorable Film Noir storyline examples include Golden Triangle in which General Lao Li, an old adversary of Castillo's from his time with the DEA in Southeast Asia, moves his drug trafficking operation and his family to Miami. Fully aware that Castillo will try to bring him down, Lao Li uses Castillo's estranged wife May Ying as collateral. Moreover, criminals like Calderone or Lombard who have committed many cold-blooded crimes are shown as caring fathers who are either adored by their children or struggle to win their affection.
Sonny Crockett's job as an undercover vice cop itself frequently blurs the lines between good and evil, as he has to mingle with high-profile criminals and pretend to be one of them by wearing expensive designer clothing, driving a sports car, owning expensive boats and posing as a drug dealer. Often, episodes end with him bemoaning the fact that innocent people got hurt while the criminals got away. As the series progresses, Crockett increasingly questions the purpose of his police work.
Visual style[]
Even in sun-spoiled Miami and despite the pastels that marked early episodes, Miami Vice succeeded in employing visual elements of Film Noir which became part of the show's signature look. Camera angles, for example those of scenes inside the OCB are often asymmetric and shot from acute angles, they show an unusual and artfully cinematographic picture composition of one protagonist in the front and others in the background all interacting with each other. Many scenes, especially in Castillo's office, are filmed at night or in low light, taking full advantage of the shadow effects caused by Venetian blinds that cover the office's windows.
Season 3 in particular featured many high-contrast scenes in which low light and dark colors set the tone. One example is the courtroom scene in Theresa, in which the courtroom walls are painted black. Shots were often filmed at low exposure, such as the opening scene of Red Tape, giving even scenes filmed in bright sunlight a dark and gloomy feel. This technique was scaled back again with the beginning of season four.