Film noir. French for a black (literal) or dark (common meaning) film. It’s difficult to define in a nutshell, but I think I know it when I see it. Black and white, dark, shadows, urban setting, and an element of crime. Private eyes, femme fatales, and morally-flawed characters are other staples of film noir. But not all film noir movies contain these elements, and while often in the city, some have taken place in rural areas. Is it more of a visual style and/or driven by plot and character development? The films seem to have a certain mood and attitude, but lots of movies have crime and darkness as the major components. Is it a unique form of movie making or a blend of other cinematic styles?
The term “film noir” was not applied to the classic noir films during their prominent era of the 1940s and ’50s. They were referred to as melodramas. Film noir became widely used in the 1970s. The debate in the cinema community continues on whether it is a distinct genre. In the words of cinema historian Mark Bould, film noir remains “an elusive phenomenon… always just out of reach.”
Despite the elusiveness of categorization, certain movies are deemed my most to be film noir. Possibly, the most definitive of the bunch is Double Indemnity, starring Fred MacMurray and the creme de la creme of femme fatales, Barbara Stanwyck. Others in that group include The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Big Heat, D.O.A., The Set-Up, The Glass Key, and Detour. Hitchcock film noirs include Strangers on a Train, Notorious, and Shadow of a Doubt (but maybe not Suspicion highlighting the squishiness of the label). Crime and detective novels by Dashiel Hammett, James M. Cain, and Raymond Chandler are a particularly good source material for film noir and are well reflected on the list above. The last of the classic film noir era was probably Touch of Evil in 1958, starring and directed by Orson Welles.
Noir Alley is a Turner Classic Movies (TCM) program devoted to film noir, hosted by Founder and President of the Film Noir Foundation, Eddie Muller. It airs on Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. (PST) and Sunday mornings at 7:00 a.m. (PST). I loved the Robert Osborne introductions of the classics on TCM and Eddie Muller at his red-lit bar provides expertise and fascinating behind-the-scene peeks at film noir. Next up on the Noir Alley calendar is one of Hitchcock’s best, Shadow of a Doubt. A bored teenager (played by Teresa Wright) gets a visit from her uncle…turns out he’s more than good old uncle Charlie (played by Joseph Cotten).
If calling a movie film noir is a little blurry around the edges of definition, I’m OK with that. Since it’s not clearly designated as a genre, I think that leaves it up to the individual movie viewer. Maybe it really doesn’t matter what we call it, but I like the film noir moniker. One such film that meets my “I know it when I see it” is Kiss of Death, a film introduced to me by Noir Alley.
Kiss of Death has crime, darkness, a psychopath, and was filmed on location in NYC. Directed by Henry Hathaway (The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Niagara) and starring Victor Mature (One Million B.C., My Darling Clementine), as an ex-convict on a heist gone awry in the opening of the film. The authorities get involved and make deals with the partners-in-crime to squeal on one another. The cast includes Richard Widmark in his film debut, or as Eddie Muller puts it, “one of the most legendary debuts in motion picture history.” His “casual sadism,” as Muller describes, was unusual for the times in Hollywood (1947). This was a crazy character for audiences to behold. There’s no denying that his maniacal laugh brings comparison to The Joker. And there’s a wheelchair scene, that is jarring by today’s standards, and is all the evidence you need that this movie broke some boundaries.
It’s a good movie, not great. The plot runs out of gas at places and the ending might have you wondering about those abrupt Hollywood endings. But it’s one to watch for several reasons. I wasn’t too familiar with Victor Mature. He’s the epitome of a leading man as the somewhat sympathetic Nick Bianco. His eventual wife, Nettie (played by Coleen Gray, also in her first role) delivers some fresh air. Karl Malden plays Sgt. Cullen in one of his early roles. Richard Widmark’s performance is worth it alone. And although, we’re not quite sure what to call it, the movie has that film noir feel and look. We know it when we see it.
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐ ☐
Trivia ? – Who directed Double Indemnity?
Answer: Billy Wilder (Considered one of the legendary filmmakers of the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema; he directed such films as The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like it Hot, and The Apartment.)