Film Noir

“What are you gonna do? Charge me with smoking?”

Film Noir is an American creation, named by the French, and agreed upon by no one. Of course I have my idea on what Film Noir is, and I see no reason why everyone else shouldn’t immediately drop their own ideas and adopt mine. Hmmmm. Maybe I won’t wait for that. But you should at least read my Description of Film Noir so you know the basis for my reviews.

For those you in too much of a rush, I’ll point out I’m saving us both the hassle of dealing with such terms as Neo Noir, Future Noir, Film Gris, and including them all under Film Noir.

My Film Noir reviews are:

• Alias Nick Beal (1949)
• The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
• Basic Instinct (1992)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• The Big Sleep (1978)
• Bitter Moon (1992)
• Blood Simple (1984)
• The Blue Dahlia (1946)
• Brighton Rock (1948)
• Crossfire (1947)
• D.O.A. (1950)
• Dead Reckoning (1947)
• Detective Story (1951)
• Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• Double Indemnity (1973)
• Gilda (1946)
• The Girl Hunters (1963)
• The Glass Key (1942)
• Harper (1966)
• His Kind of Woman (1951)
• In a Lonely Place (1950)
• The Killers (1946)
• The Killing (1956)
• Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
• Lady in the Lake (1946)
• The Last Seduction (1994)
• The Maltese Falcon (1931)
• Marlowe (1969)
• Murder, My Sweet (1944)
• The Naked City (1948)
• The Narrow Margin (1952)
• Night and the City (1950)
• Ossessione (1943)
• Out of the Past (1947)
• Pickup on South Street (1953)
• Rage in Heaven (1941)
• Reign of Terror (1969)
• Satan Met a Lady (1936)
• Scarlet Street (1945)
• Sirocco (1951)
• The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
• This Gun For Hire (1942)
• While the City Sleeps (1956)
• The Woman in the Window (1944)

Additionally, I have critiques of the ten most significant Film Noirs:

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• Laura (1944)
• Mildred Pierce (1945)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• The Big Clock (1948)
• Sunset Blvd. (1950)
• Touch of Evil (1958)
• Body Heat (1981)
• Blade Runner (1982) as Film Noir

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Film Noir Reviews Sorted by Year:

• The Maltese Falcon (1931)
• Satan Met a Lady (1936)
• Rage in Heaven (1941)
• The Glass Key (1942)
• This Gun For Hire (1942)
• Ossessione (1943)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• Brighton Rock (1948)
• Murder, My Sweet (1944)
• The Woman in the Window (1944)
• Scarlet Street (1945)
• The Big Sleep (1946)
• The Blue Dahlia (1946)
• The Killers (1946)
• Gilda (1946)
• Lady in the Lake (1946)
• The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
• Dead Reckoning (1947)
• Crossfire (1947)
• Out of the Past (1947)
• The Naked City (1948)
• Alias Nick Beal (1949)
• The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
• D.O.A. (1950)
• Night and the City (1950)
• In a Lonely Place (1950)
• Detective Story (1951)
• His Kind of Woman (1951)
• Sirocco (1951)
• Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)
• The Narrow Margin (1952)
• Pickup on South Street (1953)
• Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
• The Killing (1956)
• While the City Sleeps (1956)
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
• The Girl Hunters (1963)
• Harper (1966)
• Marlowe (1969)
• Reign of Terror (1969)
• Double Indemnity (1973)
• The Big Sleep (1978)
• Blood Simple (1984)
• Basic Instinct (1992)
• Bitter Moon (1992)
• The Last Seduction (1994)