I have heard it be said that whenever there are major wars or dark times, like what we’re in right now, good art is sure to follow. Inherently a post-war genre, the film movement known as film-noir is a testament to this. Even though they technically only existed in the 1940s through the 1950s, the term film-noir (French for “black film”), was not coined until after the movement swept the cinematic world. There are many qualities that classify a movie as film-noir, a few of which I’ll mention, but the most important thing to know is that they are dark movies in a visual, narrative and psychological sense.
I’ll touch on these three things real quick. A noir movie is always in black and white, and the genre’s visual tone favors darkness, often through low-key lighting, a strategy that only uses lighting from one source to create overarching shadows. Narratively, the films are dark not only because of the crimes that take place in them, but also due to how ambiguous they can be. Many films exist in which there are good guys who defeat the bad guys. In noir movies, the good guys don’t always win, and in some cases, it’s even hard to tell who the real good guys even are in the end. And finally, as I mentioned, psychology plays an important role in the background of many of these films, an aspect that tends to set the best ones apart from the rest when done well.
Other common tropes are the presence of a detective (usually male) or an investigation, as well as the influence of a femme fatale, a woman that serves to throw off or fool the investigator, typically through means of sex and seduction. Hollywood had censorship laws back then, so the seductive and sexual aspect of noir films often relies on clever innuendo, implications and undertones. Murder is also an inherent theme in these movies. Since there are so many characteristics make up film-noir, and since the filmmakers didn’t know they were actually making noir, not every one of these movies has all of the considered elements, which can make it tricky to confidently call a movie a noir movie.
That being said, out of the movies I consider to be noir, here are ten of my favorites. I love this genre, as it is the precursor to neo-noir (my favorite movie genre) and am always interested in watching and learning more. I feel like I have only begun to scratch the surface.
The films are listed chronologically by release year.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
One of the first and most famous noirs, The Maltese Falcon is based on the pulp novel by Dashiell Hammett and stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a tough and opportunistic private investigator who is given the case of a lifetime. It was the directorial debut of John Huston, one of my favorite directors, and established Bogart as one of the biggest names in movies. It also helped normalize the often-used plot device known as a McGuffin, a thing or object with no inherent meaning other than advancing the plot forward. The Maltese Falcon, for which the film is named, serves this purpose in this murder mystery as a priceless object that must be obtained. Sam Spade is called upon and hired to find it in a plot full of twists, backstabbing and unclear intentions. Pretty much every characteristic of a noir turns up in this film, which I find indicative of how influential it was for the genre. The lighting or lack thereof is important to note, as the movie masters low-key lighting to create the shadowy style that would be imitated throughout the next two decades.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Out of all his classic movies, Alfred Hitchcock casts Shadow of a Doubt as his personal favorite, and I do not blame him one bit. It is masterful in the art of suspense while being original in the way it exists as noir. In the film, we are made to sympathize with Charlie, a young girl ecstatic to welcome her Uncle Charlie, the man who she was named after, to her home when he suddenly visits from out of town. Uncle Charlie, a heroic figure in the eyes of the protagonist, slowly begins to show signs that he may be hiding some dark secrets. Young Charlie grows suspicious, and thus becomes the film’s own private investigator. Along with its young, innocent detective, the suburban setting of Santa Rosa is also atypical of a general murder-mystery noir film. As established previously, film-noir was not a coined term until years later, so Hitchcock may not have been intent on subverting the genre. Yet with the themes of murder, paranoia and suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt has all the psychological pieces to make it stand with the great films of its kind.
Double Indemnity (1944)
Double Indemnity follows insurance salesman Walter Neff, who meets the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson during a house visit to renew her husband’s car insurance policy. This gets him wrapped up in the super-noir plot of helping her pull off the “accidental” murder of her husband so that she can get twice the insurance money under the double indemnity clause. Their plan recalls the idea of the perfect murder, an idealization often challenged in film-noir. If a murder is executed perfectly, there is no intrigue, which brings me to how Double Indemnity has one of my favorite archetypes in a noir drama in Barton Keyes, the character with an instinctive gut feeling. Even though he is not technically a detective, Keyes serves as the literal moral compass of the story, as he is innately going to be pointed in the right direction and therefore heighten the drama. Double Indemnity is considered a classic for containing so many of film-noirs’ known characteristics like murder, shadows and double-crossing, but what sets it apart is how horrifying many of the characters’ consciences are, thus making Keyes' presence as a representation of looming justice that much more potent.
Scarlet Street (1945)
With a house of cards plot that seems sure to crumble any moment, Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street showcases a great performance by Joan Bennett and a masterful one by Edward G. Robinson, the latter of which I find to be one of the best acting jobs out of any of the films on this list. His portrayal of Christopher Cross, an aging man clinging to one last hope for true joy in life, is as heartbreaking as any. Cross is a self-defeating loner, highlighted by his marriage to a woman who resents his presence. As a mental escape, he paints during his free time, allowing his guiding hand to express whatever he is feeling. This plays into the plot in a major way, but more importantly, proves to be another great example of how a noir film maintains a keen awareness of its characters’ psychological inner workings. The film reminded me of Hitchcock’s Vertigo, particularly how it shares the same themes of obsession and infatuation. These sensations can prove to be dangerous, especially when paired with the tragic relationship between loneliness and opportunism, a true and saddening byproduct of the society we partake in.
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The Big Sleep (1946)
Humphrey Bogart is back, and this time he plays the suave private investigator Philip Marlowe in this noir classic. A film certainly caught up in the celebrity hype of the time, Bogart and co-star Lauren Bacall had just gotten married. Their chemistry is certainly visible, as even over 70 years later you can feel the buzz when they share the screen. Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep has all the characteristics of what would be labeled as film-noir; a private detective who takes a classic whodunnit case, disorienting twists, suspicious characters, and an enveloping sense of darkness (I mean the movie’s title is an expression for “death”). The entrance of new characters and new plot twists as the film progresses made it difficult for me to follow the path of the case, but this expresses the common noir theme of feeling disoriented and overwhelmed by forces either criminal or corrupt. Instead of making me feel purely confounded, it added to my viewing experience, especially knowing that a steady sleuth like Philip Marlowe was at the helm, sifting through the distractions to get to the bottom of it all.
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
If you think you have seen a great house of mirrors scene, wait until you watch The Lady from Shanghai. Serving as both actor and director, Orson Welles plays an Irish sailor named Michael O’Hara who finds himself wrapped up in a fake murder plot in this 40s classic. Yet in pure noir fashion, we suspect there may be more going on under the surface. The lady the title refers to is Elsa, a beautiful woman who has arrived in New York from Shanghai. After meeting O’Hara, she asks him to join her and her husband, Arthur Bannister, on their journey to San Francisco by way of the Panama Canal. From here he is entrusted to help carry out a pseudo-murder with the promise of a reward. I’ll stop there with the synopsis, as the film contains all you need in a noir; a murder plot, an investigative angle, legal strategy, betrayal, and most prominently in this case, a mysterious woman. This film played tricks on me both visually and mentally on many occasions and rewarded me with one of the most memorable climactic scenes I have ever witnessed in a movie.
The Third Man (1949)
It is impossible for me to decide on what my favorite movie ever is, but Carol Reed’s 1949 masterpiece The Third Man is certainly in the conversation. Set in post-World War II Vienna, the film is inherently lathered with dark, deflating themes of exploitation, corruption and unrequited love. This ambience is brilliantly enhanced by its minimalistic score, which is played on a zither and echoes through the empty, rainy streets of what was once the mecca of the classical music world. A great story that begins as a mystery and then becomes something much more dire, The Third Man is immortalized by its unforgettable look. I stick to my opinion that the visuals could not work any other way, and that adding color would be more detrimental to this film than it would be to any other noir I have seen. The shadows, shapes and depth, particularly the scene in sewers, make everything that resembles it seem like a cheap imitation. Make sure you watch director Carol Reed’s cut of the film, as it is the version that I would call a noir in the truest of senses.
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Simply put, Nicholas Ray’s In a Lonely Place is as subtly and effectively psychological as any other film I have seen from its time, and feels more contemporary than its release year would suggest. It stars Humphrey Bogart as a struggling screenwriter named Dix Steele, in what I currently find to be his best role. Suspected of murder after having been the last man to see the victim, Steele enters a relationship with the only witness of the interaction, a mysterious woman named Laurel, who is brilliantly played by Gloria Graham. Psychological affect serves as the film’s weapon, as each character’s specific actions, reactions and behavior can be traced back to a psychological source. The couple’s genuine happiness together is perfectly contrasted with Steele’s flaring temper. The latter serves as a central theme in the film that sets off a chain of reactions from the other characters, thus creating tension in melodramatic fashion. Add that with a murder mystery that has us questioning who to trust, and you get a captivating noir film that plays games with the viewer and whose climax places it among the top of its class.
The Killing (1956)
Considered Stanley Kubrick’s first critical success, The Killing is a good example of a movie that blends noir with another genre that was to be similarly popularized, the heist film. Sterling Hayden plays Johnny Clay, an experienced criminal ready for one last sting before marrying his lover and riding out into the sunset. We are introduced to all the role players in the heist and get to see an intricate and entertaining plan mapped out and captivatingly put into action, as the robbery takes place during a horse race. This is a noir though, not a western or a simple robbery movie. What sets this film apart from the typical heist films I’ve seen, and what I find truly makes it noir, is not just its cautionary nature on the subject of greed, but its depiction of the root causes of some of the criminals’ motivations. They are not all doing this robbery based purely on money or even hubris, but on the idea of craving personal attention as well as a means of escape. The film shows us that these personal discrepancies can prove to cost even more than the payout.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Known for its suspenseful, three and a half minute tracking shot that begins the film, Touch of Evil is full of thrills amounting to much more than just the intro. With a gripping plot ripe with the theme of corruption, a common trope for movies in the 50s, its southern border town setting is a fresh take for a noir film. But what truly sets it apart is the direction. Just like in the The Lady from Shanghai, Orson Welles is back as actor/director, but this time he plays the unforgettable police captain Hank Quinlan. He is accompanied by several big-name actors of the time like Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Marlene Dietrich. The prevailing use of shadows, a common theme in the genre, is expertly manipulated by Welles, who helped revolutionize this lighting style with Citizen Kane. It is as if the darkness itself is an actor, portraying the malicious human depths from where the film draws its name. Considered one of the last official noirs, it proves to be one of the most mature, as it hints at the idea that justice and evil may not always be purely black and white.
With other classics I left out like Laura, Out of the Past and Sunset Boulevard, good noir always delivers for me. I’m excited to write about neo-noir in future posts, but it’s always impressive to see where it all started. I hope you enjoyed this list. If you have not seen any of these films, I would recommend starting with The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity or even The Lady from Shanghai, as they are noirs in the most classic of senses.
Thanks again for reading and stay safe!
Ish
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