In 1946, a French film critic noted how many American films were dark in look and tone and coined the term ‘film noir’. The term was inspired by the American crime novels, ‘Series Noir’ which was popular in France at the time.
Film noir subsets include crime, detective mysteries, espionage, cold war, and damaged love. There are examples of science fiction, thrillers and even comedies. But the best are tense dramas about hard boiled lovers in sticky situations.
Characteristics of Film Noir - Through a Glass Darkly
The noir world is a nighttime world, in tight, dangerous spaces. It's smoky, urban and claustrophobic, shot on unusual even disorienting angles with high contrast patches of light coming from streetlamps, headlights, matches being struck or exterior light sliced through Venetian blinds and sheer curtains.
Noir films are three times darker, per frame, than standard films, and the stage is set for its characteristic clandestine events.
Why So Bleak? Noir Films Had no Money
Why so dark? No money. They were B-films, shot on smaller budgets with fewer resources and cheaper directors, casts and crew. Within their limitations, filmmakers were forced to be creative and developed the distinctive ‘noir’ style, often filming at night with little added light. The land of noir was philosophically not subject to the light of reason and certainty.
As film noir became profitable, big stars like Jimmy Stewart participated, in ‘Call Northside 777’, a big budget film (and the first film to be shot on location in Chicago). Robert Mitchum struck it big playing a bad boy in hiding in Out of the Past.
Noir gave rise to a stable of B stars – Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan, and John Hodiak, while future stars got steady work in noir - Gene Tierney, Robert Mitchum, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Fred McMurray, Joan Crawford and Lana Turner.
People of the Night
Noir men often found themselves in hopeless situations frequently victims, dazed by lust and fear and on the run. They're often wounded or sick, reacting to desperate situations they didn’t create. Some were psychopaths and criminals who knew they were doomed. Happy endings were rare; the best outcome was to survive.
Noir women came in two types – good and trusting, or bad to the bone – but almost all were snappy talkers and weren’t afraid to wield guns or carry poison. They were gorgeous with sculpted cheeks and long, red fingernails, all the better to manipulate men.
Film Noir reached its zenith during the post-war and Cold War era, reflecting the paranoia, pessimism and hopelessness of the time. It was a reaction to the Hollywood Golden Era with its fake happy endings audiences didn’t buy any longer. They’d been through too much and recognized the themes of noir had merit.
How to Get Your Noir On
The major studios have raced to release noir sets from their extensive libraries of nearly-forgotten B-movies over the past few years. Universal, Warners and Fox film noir box sets have performed well and more are on the horizon. They have wisely taklen the cultural temperature and found that the noir mood reflects these 'down' times. The payoff’s been anything but dim, as we identify with the heightened nihilism and flawed exploits of noir film men and women. It’s a scary world - still.
Warners Film Noir Classic Collection
‘Out of the Past’, ‘Gun Crazy’, ‘The Big Combo’, ‘Murder My Sweet’, ‘The Big Sleep’, ‘The Asphalt Jungle’,’ The Set-Up’
Warners Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 2
‘Born to Kill’, ‘Clash by Night’, ‘Crossfire’, ‘Dillinger’, ‘The Narrow Margin’.
Universal Noir Collection
'The Big Clock’, ‘This Gun for Hire’, ‘Black Angel’, ‘Criss Cross’, ‘Touch of Evil’.
Fox Film Noir
‘Laura’, ‘Call Northside 777’, ‘Panic in the Streets’, ‘House of Bamboo’, ‘The Street with No Name’, ‘The House on 92nd Street’, ‘Somewhere in the Night’, ‘Whirlpool’, ‘Fallen Angel’, ‘House on Telegraph Hill’, ‘No Way Out’.
 |
