Best Film Noirs

Hitchcock's great masterpiece, with incredible use of color, inventive cinematic technique, and a truly haunting story. Hypnotic cinematography, excellent performances, and one of Bernard Hermann's best scores highlight this tale of a man with an obsessive death wish for the past. Whether or not this film can truly be considered a "film noir" in the classic tradition is hotly debated. In any event, it is a "noir" of some sort, even if it is the only noir of its kind. which may be a possibility. Why would this film be my top noir? Because it is utterly unique, dripping with atmosphere, and totally unforgettable in almost every way. Even seeing this movie a single time will be enough to etch many of the aspects of the film into your memory in a permanent way. It is nothing but maximum quality from first frame to last. There is possibly nothing like it in cinematic history. It is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience that any serious cinephile should see. The final sequence is among the most impacting and jarring in cinematic history.

The greatest noirs often incorporate dimensions of other genres into their tapestry. This film is a sort of horror, fantasy, and noir all in one. It almost resembles a Grimm's fairy tale in the depths of its darkness and the keenness of its moral componentry. Rarely has a film ever combined such technical genius, acting prowess, originality, and design like this one does. Robert Mitchum's nefarious "preacher" is one of the quintessential villains from not only film noir, but from cinema itself. A particular scene from this film stands out: where Lillian Gish's character and Mitchum's preacher sing 'Leaning on the Everlasting arms' against one another during a key standoff. It is a pity that this was Charles Laughton's only film. He was so discouraged by the initially negative critical reception that he gave up on directing any future films. If only he had left us more masterpieces in this vein.

If a single movie defines the genre of "film noir," then it is this one or Double Indemnity. Everything about it is striking and memorable. From the beginning narration being revealed to be that of a dead man to the unbridled entitlement and lunacy of a film star who's fifteen minutes of fame has expired, this film is anything but conventional. The writing, direction, and acting are all among the best ever found in film. Billy Wilder made a number of great movies, but this is his best. The film depicts Hollywood as a place of vain narcissism and clutching, grasping egomania. Gloria Swanson is irreplaceable, and the closing scene, which is not coincidentally also the best scene in the film, is iconic: "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille!" There is something of the macabre in this classic, with equal parts horror and comedy interwoven into it.

What do you get when you have a Zither, Orson Welles, and slanted camera angles? Apparently, a masterpiece, because that's what The Third Man is. You could watch this movie once, not see it again for twenty years, and still remember many scenes. The Ferris wheel ride, the sewer chase, the balloon scene, and many more. What's not to like about this? Nothing. Every element of this film is excellent, and it is probably Carol Reed's masterpiece. This is easily a contender for best British film of all time. Ebert listed Harry Lime as his favorite film villain and said that no movie so captured the romance of going to the movies like this one. Lime's fingers clawing through the sewer grate is one of the great cinematic images.

For many, this is "the" film noir. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck act out the ultimate noir plot. Although I think Sunset Boulevard was slightly above this one, there are many who disagree with me. Many critics and fans have placed Double Indemnity at #1 on their list of the best noir films. Being a Billy Wilder film, everything about it of the most exquisite quality, and the performances are iconic. The dialogue, scenes, and plot are genre-defining. Stanwyck gives us the most quintessential femme fatale perhaps in all of movie history. You'll never look at an anklet the same way again.

It is no surprise that this film is the Citizen Kane of film noir - Welles directs it with the same level of genius as he did his first masterpiece. The opening sequence is one of the all-time technical marvels of filmmaking, and the rest of the film is nothing short of brilliant as well. The atmosphere, layers of mystery, and suspenseful intrigue combine to create such a thickly brooding aura that it borders on horror. This film draws the viewer in, creates an aesthetically pleasing nightmare, and leaves them with indelible memories of unique scenes and striking dialogue This is one of the greatest film noirs, as well as one of the last. This one is highly recommended not only for fans of the genre, but for cinephiles, classic movie buffs, and crime movie fanatics.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this film is the fact that despite its objectionable language and scenes, it delivers a morally sound conclusion. From a technical standpoint, what can we not say about this film? Pretty much everything is stellar. This should probably be classified as "Pulp Noir" because it almost makes its own new genre out of itself. The achronological, non-linear narrative creates a very unique flow to the film, and this aspect combined with all the other brilliant aspects of the film, set it apart from almost anything else of the decade. The dialogue and scenes are among the best in cinematic history. You are sure to remember and quote them from the time you see this movie onwards.

Intense, brooding, disturbing. Perhaps never has the meltdown of an individual been captured so eloquently as in this savage, brutal portrayal of one man's deranged freefall into madness. Everything hits home: the cinematography and soundtrack especially are unforgettable. A psychological investigation of the life and times of Travis Bickle culminates in one of the most shocking sequences in cinema history. The ending is ambiguous and thought-provoking, and leaves a sizable debate in its wake as to "what really happened?" Probably the best scene is when Bickle pushes over the TV, a perfect picture of his mental state. De Niro's performance is probably the best of his career, or close to it.

The screenplay is frequently cited as one of the best, if not the best, of all screenplays in cinema history, and won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. It delivers one of the all time gut-punches. When you see Chinatown, you may forget everything in the movie, but still have certain scenes, such as the "nose" scene, or the "slap" scene, stamped onto your memory. The soundtrack, cinematography, dialogue, mystery, atmosphere, and really everything else is of the utmost impeccable quality, and Nicholson's performance is arguably his best. This was probably the first true "neo-noir" in the full sense and it perfectly recaptures the feel of the genre and breathes new life into it.

L.A. Confidential proved that "they do make 'em like they used to." This movie made Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe stars, scored big at the box office, impressed critics, and was nominated for nine Oscars, winning two. It would have won more Oscars had it not been for James Cameron's epic Titanic being its competitor in every other category. Everything about Confidential is fantastic. It was a brilliant choice to not attempt to use traditional Noir lighting in the film, with the director opting instead for more naturalistic lighting. This technique worked perfectly, capturing all the nostalgic set design and showcasing Los Angeles masterfully. It's hard not to love this movie. The "Rollo Tomassi" scene is one of the all time great movie moments.

A great book adaptation based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1946 novel of the same name, about the potential for corruption found in the sudden acquisition of great power. The film made Broderick Crawford a star, and the rest of the cast is superb as well. The film editors achieved one of the great feats of cinema, trimming the original version of the film (which ran over four hours) down to less than two hours. They accomplished this by focusing on the center of each scene regardless of what else was going on in it. This is one of the great cinematic tragedies, with great depth and scope.

One of the all-time Hollywood classics. Unsurprisingly, this was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Technically brilliant, with extraordinary performances and direction, The Maltese Falcon set the standard for Film Noirs to come. Director of photography Arthur Edeson, who had a background that included Universal's monster films, used low-key lighting and arresting angles to emphasize the nature of the characters and their actions, to great dramatic effect.

One of Hitchcock's best works, and Roger Ebert's favorite of the Master of Suspense's films. Everything from A to Z in this film is fantastic. The film follows U.S. government agent T.R. Devlin (Grant), who enlists the help of Alicia Huberman (Bergman), the daughter of a German war criminal, to infiltrate a circle of executives of IG Farben hiding out in Rio de Janeiro after World War II. The situation becomes complicated when the two fall in love as Huberman is instructed to seduce Alex Sebastian (Rains), a Farben executive who had previously been infatuated with her.

The Sweet Smell of Success is coming off of this movie, because everything about it succeeds, although it was a box office flop due to viewers originally finding it too static and talky. But that is the movie's strength: it is one of the definitive examples of how great dialogue can make a movie exceptional, although this isn't the only thing that this film has going for it. Highly recommend. The cinematography, screenplay, direction, and performances are exceptional. It has its own peculiar sense of cool, with gripping music (by Elmer Bernstein) and it drips with atmosphere.

Hauntingly beautiful, this is one of the Flim Noirs that defines the genre. Dark cinematography, a complex plot, a true femme fatale, a man trying to escape from a life that keeps drawing him back in, and much more. The cast is fantastic, the technical elements are great, and the movie as a whole will stick in your mind. This is the magnum opus of director Jacques Tourner. The film and its performances are rightly considered archetypal.

Gritty, grainy, and edgy. The French Connection broke new ground for stark realism, while simultaneously telling a compelling story with a thought-provoking conclusion that sets the whole film in another light and prompts an almost immediate rewatch. Nominated for eight Oscars, winning five. Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle is one of the most memorable characters in cinema history. This film was one of Akira Kurosawa's favorites, and many other directors cite it as a profound influence on them. While most people remember it for the car chase scene, there are better car chase scenes in movie history, such as the one in Bullitt. However, there aren't many films more perfectly edited than this one. Any film editor should make this a part of his essential viewing in his training for his role.

Coffee was never as deadly as in this great Film Noir classic directed by Fritz Lang. The film starts off with a bang (literally) as we witness the suicide of a guilt-ridden figure, and it doesn't slow down from there. Glenn Ford plays his usual earnest hero, but Gloria Grahame steals the movie as an adorable ditz who proves to be the deciding factor in the story. Lee Marvin plays a truly despicable character and does it well. This movie has plenty of shocks, surprises, twists, turns, and suspense. Without a doubt, one of the best noirs of any kind, ever made.

A seedy, steamy, almost sadistic Mike Hammer mystery that has been credited as a stylistic precursor to the French New Wave and had a considerable influence on a number of filmmakers, including François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Alex Cox, and Quentin Tarantino. The "opening of the box" is without a doubt, one of the most shocking and exceptional scenes in movie history. Everything about this movie is fantastic: Ralph Meeker's Hammer is definitively excellent, the cinematography is exquisite, and the direction is superb.

I saw this movie as a boy, and Robert Walker's performance as the archvillain Bruno Antony has never exited from my memory. It has to be one of the best acting jobs committed to film. It is tragic that he died at the age of 32. This is not only one of the best Film Noirs, but one of Hitchcock's best films from his long, storied career. This is one of the best technical movies of the era and is rightly studied in film classes across the world to this day. Absolutely a must-see.

A groundbreaking film for various aspects of its realism, and nominated for numerous Oscars, winning two. The Naked City feels very "real," almost in the vein of The Bicycle Thief and seems to draw more on Italian Neorealism than on the Film Noirs that came before, but make no mistake, this classic is a prime example of Noir. There is something very good-natured about this movie, and it is immensely satisfying. Barry Fitzgerald is endearing as the pint-sized police Lieutenant Muldoon, and the supporting cast is magnificent. The cinematography is some of the best of the area, and justly won the Academy Award.

Memento received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing, and rightly so. Memento is probably one of the best edited films ever made - the editing makes the movie. Guy Pearce is fantastic in his role as the hero with short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories. This movie is one of the best films of the 21st Century, and fires on all cylinders for a rousing experience. Memento was Christopher Nolan's breakthrough film, and to this day, one can make an argument that it is still his best movie he ever made. Fantastic from start to finish, and not to be missed. Neo-noir at its finest.

The original, often-imitated Kurosawa ransom classic with Toshiro Mifune at his finest as the beleaguered executive whose son is kidnapped and held. As with many of Kurosawa's films, it is considerably long, but feels much shorter. It is tight and compact, despite its length, and moves along steadily, never failing to absorb the audience into what is transpiring. The performances, technical aspects, writing, cinematography, all fantastic. One of the great films from Japan. Martin Scorsese considered this to be one of the 39 foreign films that every film student should see.

Almost universally considered to be one of the best Film Noirs, this one has atmosphere, mystery, intrigue, and great performances from all involved. Howard Hawks often said that a good movie has three good scenes and no bad ones. The Big Sleep meets that criterion. Bogart and Bacall married while waiting for the film's release, and their chemistry is immediately visible in the movie itself. The story itself is a Phillip Marlowe mystery based on the 1939 book of the same name by Raymond Chandler. The elements of sexual perversion found in the book are heavily reduced in the screenwriting to avoid offending the Hays Code office. The plot is convoluted, but the dialogue is fantastic. It's a required watch for fans of Noir, as well as any Bogie buffs and old movie afficionados.

A lot of movies are allegedly about the evils of crime and how it doesn't pay. But none of them compare to Get Carter in portraying crime as a nasty, grimy, unrewarding business void of heroes or pleasant payoffs. This is a tight, economic little film. It has an amazing musical score, acting, and photography. Michael Caine is superb. There is no pretense in this film of portraying the protagonist as a good person, or even a person with redeeming qualities. It treats every other character like this too. Crime and its world is a dirty, draining, rotten business, and nothing shows that like this film. Get Carter is often considered one of the best films ever made in the UK, and while I wouldn't rank it at the top, for what it is, it's more than worth seeing.

Welles works more of his movie magic with this entertaining Film Noir about a rough and tumble sailor who falls for an irresistible seductress. Twists and turns abound, as well as the usually technical ingenuity from Welles. Every technical aspect is superb, the performances are exceptional. The courtroom scene where Bannister interviews himself is a classic of cinema. The dream sequence and mirror scene are highlights. One of the best of the Film Noir genre but sure to please almost any viewer.