Always Keep a Light on.

Very effective. Why the blue filter?

Hello,

It's a classical effect used in movie filming, underexposure with a blue filter, while filming in broad daylight. In French, it's called "Nuit américaine" (as in the name of the Truffaut's movie).
IDK if it can be translated straightforwardly as "American night", or if there is another dedicated term.

Well it looks like the blue filter works well, I thought the old silent movies camera guys used a red filter to simulate night time scenes.

I understand the use of blue filter for cinema ("day for night") but I wonder what it accomplished on this image. Would it be just as effective to print dark and bleach (or otherwise brighten) the window? No criticism implied..just curious.

Looks pretty good. mike c beat me to it with respect to "nuit americaine" I too had always thought this was brought about by a red filter plus a bit of underexposure. I think it was used in 1950s B&W westerns a lot. Might it have been a blue filter in colour films? "North By North West" springs to mind

@jtk Sorry John, I just checked the negative and used a orange filter for this picture. I often switch between the orange and blue to see what will give me the best effect. It gave me a slightly under exposed/exposed to the highlights image with good contrast and highlight detail on a sunny day. The picture of the boat and moon and foggy motor cycle were a blue filter. The rest was burning and bleaching to get the look. Wasn't aware of cinematographers using filters to simulate night, must read up.

You are right, a blue filter was used rather with color film, in the "Day for Night" effect.
For B&W, red and green filters are used.
However, from what I read, it's seems Murnau used a blue filter in "night" scenes in 1922 "Nosferatu".

Thanks Awty for the precision, and this inspiring image.

@Raphael I think they may have used colour tints for "Nosferatu" in the projection to indicate night? Great movie and cinematography.