The Portrait of a Killer

This film (drama)Also known asHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killer，is aUSAProducerwomen sex，At1986Released in year 。The dialogue language isEnglish，Current Douban rating7.4(For reference only)。

HENRY is obsessed with killing; he sees it as an art form, killing different people in different ways at the same time. He rents a house to a man named OTIS, and when his sister comes to visit, HENRY's murderous impulses begin to resurge... This film is a representative work of American film noir and won multiple awards in the late 1980s, with impressive cinematography and editing. What is meant by "film noir"? Is it a genre, a movement, or a trend? There is still no consensus. Some scholars believe "film noir" is similar to genres like westerns, musical comedies, and horror films, emerging during the 1940-1960 film movement rooted in profound historical and social contexts. Some even argue that "film noir" must be black and white, stating that there has been no “film noir” since 1960. However, I personally believe that "film noir" is not any specific genre, even though its title derives from the crime and detective films of the 30s and 40s. So, what exactly is "film noir"? I believe it is a kind of film characterized by "dark or black" emotions and psychological tones, leading to overlaps with some genres like crime films, detective films (some consider film noir detective stories as an extension of crime films), musical comedies, and even science fiction and horror films (since the classification standards differ). The historical and social contexts of film noir are vast, including war, the Great Depression, and flaws in government and social systems; it generally draws from real life (with a few sci-fi themes); the class depiction is not limited to the lower social strata but can also involve the middle and upper classes; often, the story unfolds in night-time cities, with blue lights reflecting off damp streets, surrounded by tall concrete walls... The lighting is oppressive, the characters are usually disillusioned or awakened, with melancholic temperaments, a sense of fate, and pessimism, often exhibiting anarchistic traits of independence and disregard for norms; if female characters are involved, they frequently embody an independent spirit, sometimes even malevolence, using seduction to manipulate men for their ends. Regardless of whether the protagonist is a hero or a villain, the outcome is often failure (as the film is generally portrayed from a critical and satirical perspective), demonstrating the conflict between order and disorder, while condemning the degradation and brutality that arise from the pursuit of material desires. This film also has an alternate title: "The Portrait of a Serial Killer," which sounds quite enticing, doesn’t it?