Film Noir

 

By Published by The Minneapolis Tribune-photo from Warner Bros. - eBayfrontback, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37858916

I'm surprised I haven't written about film noir before now, because it is an influence on some of the movies that I have written about, although I did mention noir in an entry on my other blog about the Blade Runner movies, which are in some ways a derivative of the genre.

Film noir (Fr. dark film) refers both to the lighting and themes of the movies. Characters are cynical, worldly, jaded and ambivalent about morality. Traditional noir was filmed in black-and-white, but newer examples may be in color, with an emphasis on shadow. 

Modern noirs are usually called neo-noir. The most common storyline involves crime and a private investigator or police detective, however it is not the same thing as a police procedural or a whodunit mystery. Noir has influenced so many creative people in the show business that many different genres of fiction may be illustrated with noir influence. Even individual scenes may be noir in a movie that is otherwise not a film noir.

I admit I mostly watch these types of movies just for the vibe and the look. My enjoyment of film noir is visceral and sensory. It's a very different feel from an action movie or romance.

Unfortunately I don't have a comprehensive list of film(s) noir that I have watched but here are some examples:

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - the classic featuring Humphrey Bogart. Directed by John Huston.

Kansas City Confidential (1952) - early Lee Van Cleef in a supporting role

The Killing (1956) - Stanley Kubrick. Tight, disciplined heist film. I thought it had too much narration though.

In A Lonely Place (1950) - another Bogart classic with stylish clothing and interior design.

The Big Caper (1957)  - not bad but not great. Some interesting period exteriors filmed in real neighborhoods of 1957.

Loan Shark (1952) - ok movie

Chinatown (1974) - neo-noir, first movie I remember taking note of Jack Nicholson.

Blade Runner (1982) - science fiction noir with Harrison Ford, directed by Ridley Scott. Possibly the greatest science fiction movie ever created. See also the sequel Blade Runner: 2049

Body Heat (1982) - racy neo-noir directed by Lawrence Kasdan launched the career of Kathleen Turner.

Last Man Standing (1995) - Bruce Willis western neo-noir. Great movie in my opinion, but the violence and sex were updated for the 1990s. There are a few moments of graphic violence that are downright disturbing.

L.A. Confidential (1997) - neo-noir that feels like a classic era noir, except filmed in color. Star vehicle for Australian actors Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce (playing American cops).