Hey Steemit, for those of you who have not seen our introductory post, I'd like to first start off by introducing Gearmark: Where big films, come in small packages! We're a group of filmmakers with big ambitions that have made many short films for our Youtube channel Gearmark.TV
Today I'd like to share one of those shorts with you, a Noir Satirical Comedy called "A Hunger for Justice."
If you'd like to fast forward straight to the video, you can scroll to the bottom of this post.
For those who aren't familiar with the Noir genre, we have some tid-bits below!
After his beloved sandwich goes missing, a grizzled detective must solve the toughest case of his career.
Noir (pronounced like 'New-Are') is a genre that came about in the early 1940's and became the basis for pretty much all modern crime dramas. They were some of the first films to really put focus on a world of gray morality, where the line between good and evil were at the best of times blurry and at the worst of times nonexistent.
It also brought about the popularity of the Anti-Hero in movies and television, giving main characters flaws and a new level of dimension. We would watch as the flawed hero would have his already questionable morals tested as he dives deeper into the worlds underbelly in pursuit of his goal.
This short has most of the elements that make a classic Noir, though what I feel really makes it really special (and one of my favorites I've worked on) is that the entire plot revolves around a sandwich and a grizzled detectives efforts to find the dirty cops who stole his prized lunch.
The film has the traditional character archetypes of a Noir:
The Anti-Hero
The main character of the story. Stereotypically he's either a disenchanted cop who doesn't play by the rules or a private detective who also doesn't play by the rules. Usually the only difference between this character and the criminals he deals with is his own code of honor, which may or may not be up to the standards of due process.
His gruff exterior to exists to hide away his dark past, which may often come out in certain inhibiting traits such as alcoholism. One thing is always consistent though, is he will always finish the job, for better or worse.
The Boss
The cold, desensitized veteran of the streets. Often this character exists to reprimand our Anti-Hero for his not-by-the-book attitude, despite his criticisms often being laced with a degree of hypocracy. He's the boss though and someone the main character will have to deal with.
The Rat
This character is usually the first stop a street savvy detective will make on his investigation. The rat is the character who is well connected and seems to hear everything going on in the underground, but on the flip side the rat is usually a coward who will break fairly easily after some tough loving.
The Wise-Guy
A more hardened criminal than the Rat and isn't subject to being influenced by force. The Wise Guy is often a character who is fairly detached from the situation at hand but happens to have information that is valuable to the main character. He'll often play games and even be not-so-subtly insulting towards the Anti-Hero just because he can and it appeases, if only for a moment, his aloof boredom.
The Femme Fatale
Probably the most famous of the Noir archetypes. The Femme Fatale is the girl who's loyalties are always in question. She loves toying with the Anti Hero and may even laugh at his situation. She also enjoys flaunting her dark and aggressive sex appeal, knowing the main character never comes to her 'just for information'.
The Mysterious Contact
Sometimes when the character finds himself at his wits end, he'll receive much needed information from someone he did not expect. It's not often clear what their motivations are or why they've decided to help our Anti Hero, but they become key in putting the pieces together. Caution is advised though, as sometimes this mysterious contact may represent some other, more dangerous parties.
We have many more short films to share so please make sure to follow and stay tuned!
The full film can be watched below. Enjoy!
If you don't want to wait until the next post, I'd recommend binge watching all of our shorts!
Just make sure you go to the bathroom first.
https://www.youtube.com/GearmarkTV