Iconography and Film Language in the Crime Genre

Iconography, or the visual clues, is an important aspect of any genre, including the crime genre. Here, locations, props and costumes, alongside the lighting used, are relatively common, though these may change depending on the sub-genre and the narrative of the film.

Setting

The setting typical to the crime genre is large cities, such as London and New York; areas which are extremely populated so acts of organized crime take place regularly. Other typical settings where crime often takes place are locations such as prisons, nightclubs and poorly-lit city streets. 

Lighting

Lighting in crime films is typically low-key, reflecting the dark nature of the criminal world, with shadows typically enhanced. This type of lighting, with side lighting and back lighting in particular, can make characters seem dark and mysterious. 

Another form of lighting common in some types of crime films, like film noir, is chiaroscuro lighting, a lighting style that massively contrasts the light and dark cinematography, really emphasising the shadows.

Costume

Costumes for crime films set between the 1970s and 1990s typically include well-cut suits, with detectives wearing police uniforms, such as those seen in 'Scarface' and 'Goodfellas'. 

Often the central character is smartly dressed, but in modern films, about blue-collar criminals characters are often less smartly dressed, wearing everyday clothes. However, conventionally, criminals wear dark colours such as brown and black, which can be seen as the most common attire for criminals within the genre.

Props

Props typical of crime films include conventional weapons such as guns, knives and household objects used as weapons, such as bottles. Other common props featured in crime films are stacks of money. alcohol and drugs.