Top 10 Film Noir

Rommel202 · Nov 2, 2015

Obviously there is tremendous debate on what constitutes 'film noir' - whether it is a genre, a tone, a time period of film, etc. At times I alter my own definition. For this list however I have chosen a fairly restrictive formulation. In this effort Sunset Boulevard (1950, Wilder), The Night of the Hunter (1955, Laughton), Sweet Smell of Success (1957, Mackendrick) and most of the master Hitchcock's best known films (Vertigo, Rear Window) were left aside from consideration. So too any films that predate 1941 (The Maltese Falcon being the 'first' film noir to me). I did include considerations beyond American cinema. I also did not abide to any closing date such as 1958. Just a personal opinion - and there are many great ones beyond these ten.

1. Chinatown (1974) - Polanski
2. Double Indemnity (1944) - Wilder
3. The Third Man (1949) - Reed
4. Notorious (1946) - Hitchcock
5. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Huston
6. Out of the Past (1947) - Tourneur
7. Blood Simple (1984) - Coen
8. The Big Sleep (1946) - Hawks
9. Force of Evil (1948) - Polonsky
10. Strangers on a Train (1951) - Hitchcock

paranoid marvin · Nov 2, 2015

Blade Runner
Casablanca
The Third Man
Taxi Driver
Night of the Hunter
Maltese Falcon
Treasure of Sierra Madre
Soylent Green

Would all make my list

OvidsExile · Nov 2, 2015

The Maltese Falcon
Double Indemnity
The Big Sleep
Out of the Past
Sunset Boulevard
Asphalt Jungle
Scarlet Street
Kiss Me Deadly
The Big Combo
The Big Heat

Otranto · Nov 2, 2015

Angel Heart (1987)
The Hot Spot (1990)
Miami Blues (1990)
White Sands (1992)
Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
True Romance (1993)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Heat (1995)
Palmetto (1998)
Payback (1999)

Most of these are probably pseudo-noir or neo-noir, though.

paranoid marvin · Nov 2, 2015

Otranto said:
Angel Heart (1987)
The Hot Spot (1990)
Miami Blues (1990)
White Sands (1992)
Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
True Romance (1993)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Heat (1995)
Palmetto (1998)
Payback (1999)

Most of these are probably pseudo-noir or neo-noir, though.

Angel Heart is a good choice: definately noir.

Otranto · Nov 2, 2015

paranoid marvin said:
Angel Heart is a good choice: definately noir.

The Hot Spot and Romeo Is Bleeding are very noir too, I think. Maybe even more. I'm never sure, despite having read a few articles on the genre. I just go with my feeling.

Edit:

I think it's already obvious from the trailers they're pretty noir:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNlEZjsY8Y8[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTvLmW6ecno[/ame]

David Vagamundo · Nov 3, 2015

Rommel202 said:
Obviously there is tremendous debate on what constitutes 'film noir' - whether it is a genre, a tone, a time period of film, etc. At times I alter my own definition. For this list however I have chosen a fairly restrictive formulation. In this effort Sunset Boulevard (1950, Wilder), The Night of the Hunter (1955, Laughton), Sweet Smell of Success (1957, Mackendrick) and most of the master Hitchcock's best known films (Vertigo, Rear Window) were left aside from consideration. So too any films that predate 1941 (The Maltese Falcon being the 'first' film noir to me). I did include considerations beyond American cinema. I also did not abide to any closing date such as 1958. Just a personal opinion - and there are many great ones beyond these ten.

1. Chinatown (1974) - Polanski
2. Double Indemnity (1944) - Wilder
3. The Third Man (1949) - Reed
4. Notorious (1946) - Hitchcock
5. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Huston
6. Out of the Past (1947) - Tourneur
7. Blood Simple (1984) - Coen
8. The Big Sleep (1946) - Hawks
9. Force of Evil (1948) - Polonsky
10. Strangers on a Train (1951) - Hitchcock

Rommel--good list, but I'd like to see your reasons for excluding "Sunset Boulevard" and "Night of the Hunter"

David Vagamundo · Nov 3, 2015

paranoid marvin said:
Blade Runner
Casablanca
The Third Man
Taxi Driver
Night of the Hunter
Maltese Falcon
Treasure of Sierra Madre
Soylent Green

Would all make my list

Taxi Driver for sure.

Rommel202 · Nov 3, 2015

David - well the reasons may seem rather arbitrary but in this instance I was just trying to lay down fairly strict parameters as to what defined film noir. Both of the films you cited are great - so it's no reflection of that! With The Night of the Hunter, I feel, as I know others do, that this singularly unique film perhaps shares most in common with something akin to a fairy tale. The majority of the film takes place from the standpoint of two small children and its perspective of the story and of the world therein is inextricably linked to these characters. From that standpoint I think it shares less in common with the jaded worldview espoused in Chandler stories etc. I also look for character archetypes - the private eye, the femme fatale, which are not really present in The Night of the Hunter. So ultimately I think it's a truly great film but one that (like Citizen Kane) doesn't squarely fit within the film noir parameters.
With Sunset Boulevard it may be a more unpopular position as it isn't uncommon to see it listed as a film noir. Yes William Holden has some problems but those really are just preamble for his introduction to Gloria Swanson and her unusual lifestyle. Here I feel a conventional drama has wrapped itself in the veneer of equal parts satire (an early sendup of the Hollywood big studio era) and dark comedy (the monkey funeral, the waxworks etc). Some of these things may have a noirish feel to them considering the dialogue and script involvement of Billy Wilder - then most known for Double Indemnity. But it still lacks the archetypal characterizations present in Double Indemnity - so to me remarkably great film but not a strictly defined film noir.
One could make a pretty interesting top ten of Billy Wilder films come to think of it - overlapping a whole host of genres as well. Laughton on the other hand, hit a home run at his one ever at bat.

David Vagamundo · Nov 4, 2015

Rommel--thanks for the thoughtful response. Whenever I try to get a handle on what "film noir" is it eludes my grasp like mercury.

Agree that Kane is not noir. But it seems to me that Vertigo would fall right into your parameters--

Tercios Espanoles · Nov 4, 2015

Anything in which John Alton is the lensman.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L27Mp05H8fg[/ame]

I will also nominate "The Train".

Otranto · Nov 4, 2015

What is precisely the difference between film noir and neo-noir? Which elements, exactly, are there in one and not the other?

larkin · Nov 5, 2015

Just because a film in in black and white does not make it film noir.
I won't repeat the standards.

I am glad to see some color films included as film noir.

Just because a film imitates the noir period such as Chinatown shouldn't guarantee it being on the list although I would.

I would class “Blue Velvet”, "The Rivers Edge" and “Fargo” as film noir.

As a side topic I have noticed that many young people reject B+W just because. They miss many of the great films that led the way in the process.

A film that comes to mind is “The Last Picture Show”

Tercios Espanoles · Nov 5, 2015

Otranto said:
What is precisely the difference between film noir and neo-noir? Which elements, exactly, are there in one and not the other?

Well, technically, they should have the same elements. It's only "neo" noir because it's a contemporary rendition of the film noir style.

What are the elements? There's a lot of disagreement on that, but in bare bones it comes down to mood (dark), lighting (lots of shadows), suspenseful plot and a centrally-figured femme fatale. The best also has unusual camera angles, especially lots of low-angle stuff.

Otranto · Nov 5, 2015

Tercios Espanoles said:
Well, technically, they should have the same elements. It's only "neo" noir because it's a contemporary rendition of the film noir style.

What are the elements? There's a lot of disagreement on that, but in bare bones it comes down to mood (dark), lighting (lots of shadows), suspenseful plot and a centrally-figured femme fatale. The best also has unusual camera angles, especially lots of low-angle stuff.

I'm aware of the essential elements mostly, thanks, just not if neo-noir had to share them all. That's all it is then, a contemporary rendition. Hmm, not sure if the distinction is important enough to be made.

David Vagamundo · Nov 6, 2015

I'll nominate "the Postman Always Rings Twice" (first version).

Fenestella · Oct 21, 2017

1. Double Indemnity (1944)
2. Angel Face (1953)
3. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
4. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
5. A Place in the Sun (1951)
6. Detour (1945)
7. They Won't Believe Me (1947),
8. The Prowler (1951)
9. So Evil My Love (1948)
10. No Man of Her Own (1950)

or any of the following:

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
The Woman in the Window (1944)
Gun Crazy (1950)
Scarlet Street (1945)
Tension (1949)
Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
The Accused (1949)
Nora Prentiss (1947)
...

Melisende · Oct 21, 2017

Quite a few listed here for those interested:

60 Free Film Noir Movies | Open Culture

Heavily into noir fiction now - and some great titles out there amongst the classics.

cachibatches · Oct 21, 2017

Some of my favs, noir and noir inpsired:

Night of the Hunter
Touch of Evil
Sunset Boulevard
The Usual Suspects
True Romance
Blade Runnner
Angel Heart
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
52 Pick-Up

Corvidius · Oct 22, 2017

Do not some of Tarkovsky's films come into this category ?

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Top 10 Film Noir

Rommel202

paranoid marvin

OvidsExile

Otranto

paranoid marvin

Otranto

David Vagamundo

David Vagamundo

Rommel202

David Vagamundo

Tercios Espanoles

Otranto

larkin

Tercios Espanoles

Otranto

David Vagamundo

Fenestella

Melisende

cachibatches

Corvidius

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