The camera zooms in on the security man’s cigar, as he lets wisps of smoke escape. A sleek and sporty black car speeds down a road. Dressed in an elegant and sharp black uniform, he takes the cigar out of his mouth as a chic soundtrack plays in the background, conveying a distinct and stylish cinematic allure. How, when, and why did crime films, which usually depict brutal, vicious, and cruel scenes of murder, become linked with voguish cinematography is difficult to understand. Due to its immense popularity, the film noir’s – from the French “black film” to describe a subgenre of essentially crime dramas of strikingly black and white visual aesthetic – presence in the industry endured beyond Hollywood and came to other countries like Egypt. Though American forms of dress in crime films were heavily used in Egyptian films, Egypt’s on-screen criminals developed their own style and characterization. Dressed to kill: The influence of fashion in crime films One explanation as to how fashion and glamor became associated with crime films stems from the influence of photography in the criminal investigation process during the 19th century in Europe….
The Fashionable Killer: How Criminals Dressed in Egyptian Film Noir
July 10, 2022
