Film Noir: A Primer

Film noir has been called the first truly American style of filmmaking, and remains one of Hollywood's most beloved genres of film. Film noir, which literally means "black film," is a genre that deals with criminals and individuals on the outside of society, and is marked by a certain amount of cynicism and harshness.

Film Noir: Style

Film noir is characterized, much like German Expressionism which preceded it, by the use of exaggerated shadows and stark lighting, as well as by being shot in black and white. This latter point is often debated, but most critics still consider only black and white films to be representative of the classic era of film noir.

The plot of film noirs centers on crime. Common elements of the genre include the presence of a hardboiled private detective/corrupt police officer/criminal in the lead role, extensive use of flash-backs and narration, and, in most cases, the presence of a "femme fatale." The tone of film noirs is dark, cynical and fatalistic in nature. Film noirs traditionally end in tragedy, or at least with the absence of a happy ending.

Film Noir: History

Film noir has its stylistic origins in German expressionism; its plot elements largely stem from American crime and detective fiction of the 1930s, from authors like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, and from pulp magazines.

The classic era of film noir was relatively short-lived. True film noir was produced during the 1940s and 1950s. The first film noir is considered by most to be 1940's Stranger on the Third Floor which was directed by Peter Lorre, while the last film noir is still a subject of much debate.

The label "Film Noir" is one which has been applied to films retrospectively. Noir films of the classic era were advertised and distributed as simply crime films or melodrama.

Neo-Noir

Though the classic age of film noir ended in the 1950s, films with noir elements and intentional throw-backs to classic noir have been made periodically since. These films are called "neo-noir." Films like Taxi Driver (1976), Pulp Fiction (1994), Mulholland Drive (2001), Fargo (1996) and L.A. Confidential (1997) are widely considered to be examples of neo-noir.

Essential Noir Films

The Maltese Falcon (1941): The quintessential film noir in the minds of many, The Maltese Falcon stars Humphrey Bogart as private detective Sam Spade. The Maltese Falcon is based on the Dashiell Hammett novel of the same name.

The Killing (1956): 1956's The Killing is one of the first films from director Stanley Kubrick. The Killing stars Sterling Hayden as a criminal hoping to pull one last heist.

Double Indemnity (1944): Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity is one of the best examples of a film noir, and it features perhaps the genre's best femme fatale in Barbara Stanwyck's deceitful Phyllis Dietrichson.

Out of the Past (1947): Out of the Past stars Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer in the type of twisty, convoluted plot that defines film noir for many.

Strangers on a Train (1951): Hitchcock isn't normally considered to be a noir director, but several of his films definitely qualify. The best of these Hitchcock-ian noirs is arguably the crime-swap film Strangers on a Train.

Sources:

IMDB.com

Green Cine: Film Noir

Images Journal: Film Noir