The Film Noir Thread - Beyond Tiki

J JOHN-O Tiki Socialite Dogtown, USA Joined: May 16, 2008 Posts: 2721	J JOHN-O Posted posted on Sat, Sep 19, 2009 1:41 PM So what else do you like besides Tiki? For me it's Film Noir. (Also first and second generation Punk Rock, 1976-1984, but that's another post). Like Tiki, Film Noir is a post-WWII American cultural style that I take great interest in. Film Noir is also synonymous with my home of Los Angeles where many of the classics take place. These films are also a visual record of places and neighborhoods which have long since been demolished (that's LA for you). I like to separate Film Noir into two categories, classic (mid-1940's through late 1950's) and neo-noir (1970's+). CLASSIC To me Film Noir arguably begins and ends with Billy Wilder. He defined the genre with "Double Indemnity" (1944). "Sunset Blvd" (1950) is his 2nd classic although purists would argue its more of a gothic satire than noir. I disagree, any movie that's told in flashback by the dead protagonist floating face down in a swimming pool is noir enough for me. Wilder's 3rd contribution is "Ace in the Hole" (1951) which stars Kirk Douglas as an opportunistic newspaper reporter. This little known gem lacks the urban setting of typical Film Noir but is a dark and cynical (as well as prophetic) tale of ambition. Highly recommended. I have a lot of favorites, but these are at the top of my list. Here are the well-known films. Asphalt Jungle (1950) - Classic heist movie told in prospective from the crooks' side. Lots of great character acting (like noir tough guy Sterling Hayden) and it includes Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles. The setting is supposed to be back East but I can identify downtown LA in some shots. The Killing (1956) - Stanley Kubrick's docu-noir which might be a sequel to "Asphalt Jungle" if Sterling Hayden hadn't died in that one. Also you can see where Quentin Tarantino got his non-linear storytelling inspiration from. Night and the City (1950) - It takes place in London and has one of the most haunting endings in Film Noir history. It stars the late great Richard Widmark. The Killers (1946) - Burt Lancaster plays the doomed protagonist in a film based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - A violent and whirl-wind tour through mid-1950's LA. This film was a major influence on the French New Wave of cinema. Check out the great shots of downtown's Bunker Hill neighborhood (which was razed in the 1960's). Also the first use of the iconic "what's in the briefcase?" Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - This film has the snappiest dialogue of any movie I've ever seen. Fans of "Mad Men" should check out Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis playing the original dog-eat-dog Manhattanites. Touch of Evil (1958) - I have mixed feelings about this one. Pluses - Story, classic opening tracking shot, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, and vintage location shots of Venice, CA. Minuses - Charlton Heston in "brown face". Here's some lesser-known favorites. Criss Cross (1949) - Burt Lancaster as another doomed character. Directed by Robert Siodmak (who also did "The Killers"). Lilly Munster plays the femme fatale and lots of great location shots of 1940's downtown LA. Crime Wave (1954) - Sterling Hayden again. This film shows what Glendale looked like in the 1950's. It's available on DVD and has an entertaining commentary by noir expert Eddie Muller and the "Demon Dog of American Fiction" James Ellroy. I actually met James Ellroy once who gave me his definition of Noir - "We're all fucked". Quicksand (1950) - I like this movie because it takes place in my neighborhood of Ocean Park, Santa Monica. It stars Mickey Rooney and has been aptly described as "Andy Hardy goes to Hell". Check out the long demolished Ocean Park Pier and what the current Santa Monica Pier used to look like (where the film dramatically ends). The Sniper (1952) - I recently saw this at the New Beverly (revival) Theater, it's not yet available on DVD. Think Travis Bickle was cinema's first "God's lonely man" in Taxi Driver? This film was ahead of it's time by portraying a character so alienated from society that he snipes off innocent people to feel any emotion. He's portrayed as sympathetic since the viewer is made to feel his pain and he knows he's crazy and must be stopped. I was floored. I'll follow up with my neo-noir favorites in a later post. Please feel free to share your comments. [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-09-30 22:31 ]

So what else do you like besides Tiki?

For me it's Film Noir. (Also first and second generation Punk Rock, 1976-1984, but that's another post).

Like Tiki, Film Noir is a post-WWII American cultural style that I take great interest in. Film Noir is also synonymous with my home of Los Angeles where many of the classics take place. These films are also a visual record of places and neighborhoods which have long since been demolished (that's LA for you).

I like to separate Film Noir into two categories, classic (mid-1940's through late 1950's) and neo-noir (1970's+).

CLASSIC

To me Film Noir arguably begins and ends with Billy Wilder. He defined the genre with "Double Indemnity" (1944).

"Sunset Blvd" (1950) is his 2nd classic although purists would argue its more of a gothic satire than noir. I disagree, any movie that's told in flashback by the dead protagonist floating face down in a swimming pool is noir enough for me.

Wilder's 3rd contribution is "Ace in the Hole" (1951) which stars Kirk Douglas as an opportunistic newspaper reporter. This little known gem lacks the urban setting of typical Film Noir but is a dark and cynical (as well as prophetic) tale of ambition. Highly recommended.

I have a lot of favorites, but these are at the top of my list. Here are the well-known films.

Asphalt Jungle (1950) - Classic heist movie told in prospective from the crooks' side. Lots of great character acting (like noir tough guy Sterling Hayden) and it includes Marilyn Monroe in one of her first roles. The setting is supposed to be back East but I can identify downtown LA in some shots.
The Killing (1956) - Stanley Kubrick's docu-noir which might be a sequel to "Asphalt Jungle" if Sterling Hayden hadn't died in that one. Also you can see where Quentin Tarantino got his non-linear storytelling inspiration from.
Night and the City (1950) - It takes place in London and has one of the most haunting endings in Film Noir history. It stars the late great Richard Widmark.
The Killers (1946) - Burt Lancaster plays the doomed protagonist in a film based on a short story by Ernest Hemingway.
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - A violent and whirl-wind tour through mid-1950's LA. This film was a major influence on the French New Wave of cinema. Check out the great shots of downtown's Bunker Hill neighborhood (which was razed in the 1960's). Also the first use of the iconic "what's in the briefcase?"
Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - This film has the snappiest dialogue of any movie I've ever seen. Fans of "Mad Men" should check out Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis playing the original dog-eat-dog Manhattanites.
Touch of Evil (1958) - I have mixed feelings about this one. Pluses - Story, classic opening tracking shot, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, and vintage location shots of Venice, CA. Minuses - Charlton Heston in "brown face".

Here's some lesser-known favorites.

Criss Cross (1949) - Burt Lancaster as another doomed character. Directed by Robert Siodmak (who also did "The Killers"). Lilly Munster plays the femme fatale and lots of great location shots of 1940's downtown LA.
Crime Wave (1954) - Sterling Hayden again. This film shows what Glendale looked like in the 1950's. It's available on DVD and has an entertaining commentary by noir expert Eddie Muller and the "Demon Dog of American Fiction" James Ellroy.

I actually met James Ellroy once who gave me his definition of Noir - "We're all fucked".

Quicksand (1950) - I like this movie because it takes place in my neighborhood of Ocean Park, Santa Monica. It stars Mickey Rooney and has been aptly described as "Andy Hardy goes to Hell". Check out the long demolished Ocean Park Pier and what the current Santa Monica Pier used to look like (where the film dramatically ends).
The Sniper (1952) - I recently saw this at the New Beverly (revival) Theater, it's not yet available on DVD. Think Travis Bickle was cinema's first "God's lonely man" in Taxi Driver? This film was ahead of it's time by portraying a character so alienated from society that he snipes off innocent people to feel any emotion. He's portrayed as sympathetic since the viewer is made to feel his pain and he knows he's crazy and must be stopped. I was floored.

I'll follow up with my neo-noir favorites in a later post.

Please feel free to share your comments.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-09-30 22:31 ]

Post #484246 by JOHN-O on Sat, Sep 19, 2009 1:41 PM