Now I know there’s no shortage of essays and blogs and content centered around the phenomena of Film Noir, and God knows I doubt if I’ll contribute any gleaming new perspective on the genre.
Fat chance, I say.
But I feel it would be remiss of me not to pay some sort of tribute to a style and vibe of film making that is now over 80 years old and still manages to permeate movies today, even if by stealth.
The following entries should not be taken literally as a “Gospel Guide” to Noir, but rather my own personal hot-take on what defined and refined Film Noir for me in my own subjective exposure.
For those uninitiated, Film Noir was a direct by-product of the Great Depression of the 1930’s, where hope and resolve in the prosperity and decency of man reached an all-time low. It then became compounded in tone and intensity with the introduction of World War II in the late 30’s and furthermore in the early 40’s.
By ’42 the cities of America were left bereft of honest, young men of decent stature and a narrative of criminality and lawlessness became a popular lens through which to view a nation now embroiled in yet another bitter bout of warfare.
Film Noir reflected this via tales of desperation and lust for some kind of upper-hand. And with that in mind, I submit for your scrutiny, my Die-Hard list of Noir notables in no particular order:
The Maltese Falcon
Definitely not the first Noir movie but easily one of the most influential. Plot centers around a group of criminals, hucksters and low-lives chasing after a mythical statue of a falcon made out of gold. And originating from Malta, which I’ve actually visited coz I’m a worldly fvcker, unlike that land-locked Bulgingsnake.
This movie was a ground-breaking effort from director John Huston. This dude did a lot for cinema.
Blade Runner
Alright, BR is not a pure Film Noir in the classic sense, and has maybe been over-worshipped to fvck by sexless underlings such as myself.
But Ridley Scott’s sophomore film distilled all the best elements of Noir into a whole new timeline. Aside from being a ground-breaking treat in terms of tone and visual effects, Blade Runner gave us a whole new fear to worry about and question; the authenticity of the self.
It’s a a sublime extension beyond the original anxieties of classic Noir.
Chinatown
Chinatown is a glorious film made by a….less than glorious person.
It embodies all the greatest traits of Noir, in that it is a complex and weaving tale of corruption, scandal and ultimate tragedy. Chinatown, if anything, serves as a dark antithesis to the concept of “Manifest Destiny”, as in despite one’s best efforts, one is destined to fail and suffer defeat.
It really is a powerful and beautifully crafted film.
Pity is was made by a creep.
The Long Goodbye
This is one of my all-time favourites. The Long Goodbye is probably the earliest entry into the sub-genre of “Neo-Noir”. Made in 1973, actions and thrillers were more in vogue at the time, so a loose re-imagining of Raymond Chandler’s detective Philip Marlowe wasn’t exactly magma hot in that climate. It really is a weird odyssey of a film that goes nowhere right up until the end.
And that makes it pretty unique.
This movie is Elliot Gould at his best. A lot of people will find it annoying because the camera never stops moving from start to finish, and so much of the dialogue is improvised and off-the-cuff. Still a classic though.
Brick
This movie does not get enough love, IMO. Rian Johnson caught a tonne of shit for The Last Jedi (I still hate it), but his first 3 movies, along with Knives Out are genuinely entertaining as fvck!
Brick was his debut, and was a great little neo-noir set in a mid-00’s high school where Joseph Gordon Levitt tries to find out who killed his ex-girlfriend and why.
Honestly it’s a great little pot-boiler of a movie, and probably still his strongest, most energetic film ever. Check it out!
The Naked City
The Naked City has to be the most under-spoken classic Noir film in creation. It was a mold-breaker of a movie that has sadly gone under the radar of recognition, but has been duplicated and inspired-upon down throughout the decades.
It’s essentially a macabre murder mystery played out in almost-real-time and in a documentary fashion. Given this was made in 1948, it’s kind of the first mockumentary ever made. It even made it into the game “L.A. Noire”.
Killer’s Kiss
Killer’s Kiss is probably Kubrick’s closest attempt at Film Noir, and while it might not tick all the boxes in the appropriate order, it still serves as a great 50’s pulp crime classic.
The movie is about a ho-hum boxer who decides to stick up for a local girl, squaring him off against a violent and insecure gangster.
Being one of Kubrick’s earlier films, he had yet to achieve his full prowess as a film maker. However Killer’s Kiss stands up as a solid prototype with some great set-ups and a rewarding pay-off.
Strongly recommended for any fans of Kubrick.
So there you have it ladies and gents. The definitive guide to Noir.
Go with God, drink it in, and keep your suggestions to yourself.
Potato!
