Film noir

Film noir is a film style and mood primarily associated with crime films, that portrays its principal characters in a nihilistic and existential world. Film noir is primarily derived from the hard-boiled style of crime fiction of the Depression era, (many films noir were adaptations of such novels), and may first be clearly seen in films released in the early 1940s. 'Noirs' were historically made in black and white, and had a dark, high-contrast style with roots in German Expressionist cinematography.

Film noir outside the U.S.

There have been a number of films made outside the U.S. that can reasonably be called film noir, for example Pepé le Moko. Jules Dassin moved to France in the early fifties as a result of the Hollywood blacklist and made one of the most famous French films noir, Du rififi chez les hommes (1955). Other well-known French films sometimes considered to be noir include Touchez pas au grisbi (1954), Diabolique (1955), and Quai des Orfèvres (1947). The French director Jean-Pierre Melville is widely recognized for his tragic, minimalist films noirs, such as Le Samouraï or Le Cercle rouge. Additionally, the British director Carol Reed made The Third Man (1949), which is often considered film noir. It is set in Vienna immediately after the war, with the collaboration of Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, both prominent American film-noir actors.

Related Topics:
Pepé le Moko - Jules Dassin - Du rififi chez les hommes - 1955 - Touchez pas au grisbi - 1954 - Diabolique - Quai des Orfèvres - 1947 - Jean-Pierre Melville - Le Samouraï - Le Cercle rouge - Carol Reed - The Third Man - Joseph Cotten - Orson Welles

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Neo-noir is a term often applied to films made after the classic period. Neo-noir films have been produced internationally in most countries with a prominent film industry. Examples include High and Low (Japan), La Haine (France), Insomnia (Norway), Alphaville (France), The American Friend (Germany), and Blind Shaft (China).

Related Topics:
Neo-noir - High and Low - La Haine - Insomnia - Alphaville - The American Friend - Blind Shaft

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