Comments on: 8 Essential Films: A Film Noir Primer

By: Mari V

Mari V — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:19:36 +0000

I disagree; Peter Lorre happens to be in Fritz Lang’s massively awesome and influential “M”…I love the Maltese Falcon and all, but I think Lorre’s best film is definitely M.

That said, definite love for the movies on this list, though I WAS surprised that The Killers didn’t make the cut. O_o

By: Brian V

Brian V — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 01:39:40 +0000

I guess I’m one of the few that didn’t like LA Confidential – the film version, anyway. I’m a big James Ellroy fan and I liked the book quite a bit so I was kinda upset at what happened in the translation from book to movie.

By: meems

meems — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:36:13 +0000

Oh, I like Red Rock West too, but it always stuck me funny in a cartoonish way. This doesn’t diminish my liking of it.
Neo-Noir List:
1. Taxi Driver
2. Blade Runner
3. Chinatown
4. LA Confidential
5. ?

I’ve never seen the remake of D.O.A, but has anyone seen the original? It’s really serious and hilarious at the same time. They keep doing this bizarre sound effect on the soundtrack everytime a pretty girl walks by that sounds like a cat call whistle. Too funny and weird!

By: D. Fletcher

D. Fletcher — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 23:31:59 +0000

Wasn’t The Big Clock remade as No Way Out? (with Kevin Costner)

By: Brian V

Brian V — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:34:34 +0000

Speaking of Charles Laughton, his film ‘The Big Clock,’ while perhaps not pure noir, is a very entertaining thriller with noirish moments. He’s great in it.

By: Jared

Jared — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:28:34 +0000

The Night of the Hunter, an other Robert Mitchum film. Directed by character actor Charles Laughton (the only film he directed). Not to be missed – one of the most often “quoted” films I’ve seen — and a lot by Spike Lee, no less!

By: Brian V

Brian V — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 22:18:25 +0000

I can’t believe I forgot Kiss Me Deadly! One of my favorites.

By: D. Fletcher

D. Fletcher — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:55:32 +0000

Oh! I love Red Rock West.

The Hot Spot is just dumb. In fact, a lot of noirish films are more stylish than good.

One movie not mentioned yet, which is one of my favorites from the last 10 years, is definitely a psycho-noir champ:

Fight Club

For an older film, try The Set-Up, which is just terrific.

By: Matt Thurston

Matt Thurston — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:45:59 +0000

Film Noir is one of my favorite genres. Movies, or art in general, tends to hit me at various levels that I’ll represent by body parts: the head, the heart, the gut, and uh, the crotch. Film Noir is one of the few genres that hit me at the latter two levels, primarily the gut level. There is something uniquely primal, visceral, amoral, and well, dark, about film noir that other genres lack.

BTD Greg, nice list. My favorite classic noir films are The Big Sleep and Double Indemnity. I’ve never seen Touch of Evil, but have always meant to. I’m also quite fond of Gilda.

Following are my favorite post-1970 Film Noir films (in order):

1.) Chinatown (the gold standard)
2.) Blade Runner (future noir)
3.) L.A. Confidential
4.) Blue Velvet
5.) Body Heat
6.) Bound
7.) The Grifters
8.) Memento
9.) The Spanish Prisoner
10.) Devil in a Blue Dress

Honorable Mention (in no particular order): The Last Seduction, China Moon, The Underneath, Mulholland Drive, Dark City, Sin City, Body Double, Blood Simple, Sea of Love, Wild Things, Dead Again, Miller’s Crossing, No Way Out, Cape Fear, Red Rock West, Mulholland Falls, House of Games, D.O.A., After Dark My Sweet, The Hot Spot, Exotica.

What is and what isn’t film noir is a matter of interpretation, I guess. I also love films like Seven, The Usual Suspects, Heat, and The Matrix, but I consider them on the periphery of the film noir genre, lacking one or two key film noir elements.

Bad film noir: Basic Instinct, Femme Fatale, Hollywoodland, Black Widow… haven’t seen The Black Dahlia yet, but I hear its pretty bad.

Anyone else wanna take a shot at their Top Ten Neo-Noir (post-1970) list?

By: Tim J.

Tim J. — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:44:49 +0000

This is my favorite film noir scene.