Top Ten Movies By Type: Film Noir

This is one of my favorite genres, although purists will note that I have stretched the definition somewhat;


1) The Maltese Falcon: Probably the most perfect film ever made, brilliant acting by an amazing cast, incredible plot and dialogue very true to Hammet's novel, and perfect direction and pace. Wouldn't change a single second...I have shown this film to kids as young as 15, and even they loved it. If you haven't seen it, take a night off, curl up with the lights low, and treat yourself to one incredible film.

2) The Third Man: Greene's novel set brilliantly to film, with an at the time original and intriguing use of the title character as a semi-mythical shadow for most of the movie. Taut, exciting, and Welles at his best.

3) Chinatown: Twisted plot about twisted people in a twisted town, with Nicholson doing what he does best, Huston being uber-creepy, and Polanski in a small but memorable cameo, this is the film that brought film noir back to the mainstream.

4) Casablanca: Am unsure if I feel that this belongs on the list, as I see it as more of a romance, and the angles and lighting often defy film noir standards, but it's close enough. Many would rank it higher if they did include it, and it might be the most oft-quoted and memorable film ever of any type, but as a film noir, I'd rank it below those above. Can't go wrong with Bogart, Bergman, Lorre, Greenstreet and Raines...Side note, it's most famous line never took place.

5) L.A. Confidential: Exceptional film dominated by the performances of the three leads, Pierce, Spacey, and especially Crowe. Very true, for the most part, to Elroy's novel, which is itself a great read. Fast paced and action packed, and tense as a first time expectant father.

6) Touch of Evil: Great, often overlooked film which contains one of the most innovative and famous opening sequences in the history of film. Welles, again, shows his perfect feel for this genre, Leigh is sexy as hell, and Heston puts in a surprising performance.


7) The Big Sleep: The best film noir actor ever combines with the writer most suited to the genre, an introduction to one of the most effective on screen pairings in film history, and enough shadows, smokescreens and plot twists to keep most guessing till the end.

8) The Killers: Amazingly tense film with an incredible cast, inculding Lancaster's debut, this adaptation of Hemingway is the best translation of his work to the film medium. apologies to Tracy and Cooper.

9) The Night of the Hunter: Mitchum puts in one of the scariest performances in the history of film, and the pace is perfect for this chase flick. Hidden gem that many have never seen or even heard of.

10) To Have and Have Not: Bogey and Bacall again, this time during the war, with shades of Casablanca...He's simply the best at this stuff.


Honourable Mention: Double Indemnity, the Desperate Hours, Key Largo, Notorious, Thief, and almost anything Bogey did besides African Queen or Sierra Madre...

 

Forgot Seven, which should have made the Hon. Mention. Velvet and Fargo, for me, I find so hard to seperate from their directors, but were I to include any Coen Bros. on the list it would be Blood Simple. I didn't include any semi-comedic films, like WoR, or Gould's the Long Goodbye, etc.

 

Postman was great, Hon. Mention....Double made my Hon. list, although I recognize it as significant more than I enjoyed it, as to me the dialoge often seemed to fall flat.

 

I realized a year or so ago that Crowe had become among my favorite actors without my realizing it, as he was in my favorite movie, or close, in 3 of 4 straight years. I thought he was incredible in L.A. Con, although to me his Insider performance was his best.

 

The Killing I see as more of Kubrick's coldplay rather than film noir, although he is among my two favorite directors, so I', always willing to include him in any list...

Never likedd Sunset, although I am a minority on that one...Forgot Suspects, which might even make the top ten, if you qualify it. Great, great film...Strangers was excellent, although I felt that if you are going to include Hitchcock( my other favorite director), you can either include a whole bunch, like Rear Window, Vertigo, etc., or none...or just his most obvious ones, like Nototrious, which to me was his most obvious use of the genre...Grifters was among my favorite films from that year, and it should be on Hon. mention...Most of the fun of these lists is to be reminded of what you have forgotten.

 

yeah, which is part of the reason that that piece of crap Titanic winning the Oscar was such a joke...L.A. was clearly the best, although I'd even have been satisfied if Good Will or As Good As It Gets had beaten the ship that wouldn't sink soon enough...

 

Why? It's the original name, the recognized field of study of same, and "movie" is only a commercialized adaptation. Counter-pretension can be it's own form of snobbery when it's used on the same form as pretension, with the same intent...