The video program shows cinematographer John Bailey saying,"There is an element in film noir, in the way the light and shadow is used in such extreme contrast, that is almost religious or spiritual or philosophical." What does Bailey mean? Do you agree with Bailey's vision of film noir as an encounter between good and evil, and that its moral undercurrent accounts for the use of strong black and white cinematography? Give examples from films you know.

Bailey meant that the way noir films are shown, allows these films to reach a very strong and intense degree and impressionism, being able to touch the viewer in a religious, spiritual and philosophical way.

Explanation:

Films Noir is a genre of film that combines the art of cinema and the plastic arts. This type of film is marked by supence and offers police narratives involving romance, but not only that. Noir films are marked by a characteristic aesthetic, where the images are passed in shades of black, white and gray, creating a very strong visual identity for this genre of film and also being able to intensify the content of the narrative passed in the film.

The black, gray and white tones of the noir films leave the film with a poetic and seductive influence, which makes the concepts of good and evil very evident and allows the viewer to identify with the story and the characters.

An example of this can be seen in the film "Gilda", where the contrast of light and shadow, allows us to feel the wills and despairs of the characters in an impactful way.

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