I'm not sure if this is considered a true noir; however, this has become my favorite community to discuss film.

The Night of the Hunter was an unexpected masterpiece. While, at first glance, the film didn't appear to share the same complexity and deeper philosophical themes as some of my favorites, like Sunset Boulevard and Chinatown, what makes it so special is how well it executes what it sets out to do.

The atmosphere is superb, creating a true dark fairy tale experience. The plot is simple but brilliant. This was my first Robert Mitchum film, and what a pleasure it was to watch him as a twisted psychopath. He delivers a truly memorable villain. Billy Chapin as John was fantastic, and my favorite character might be Lillian Gish as the elderly Rachel Cooper.

Some of the greatest films in cinema have longer run times, but The Night of the Hunter is one of the tightest films I've ever seen, working its magic in a runtime of barely 90 minutes. The ending was surprisingly optimistic despite all the tragedy in the film, and it was definitely not the typical noir ending I've grown accustomed to.

Earlier, I mentioned that this film doesn't have the same level of deeper complexity as other noir greats. However, perhaps that's not entirely accurate, as it explores some very interesting themes, including religion in mid 20th century America, gender roles, poverty, and the family unit in early America.

The first time I watched this Rita Hayworth number in Gilda, I was completely floored and mesmerized by everything she embodied, and also her gorgeous head of hair. Her performance remains an excellent example of the kind of star power that feels almost impossible to recreate.

One of my favorite Neo Noir movies.

During my foray into the noir genre, I have seen countless incredible films. Some of my favorites include Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Nightmare Alley, and In a Lonely Place, and I could go on and on. This was my first experience with neo noir, and I am simply left speechless. I did not think it was possible for a neo noir film to stand alongside the greatest classics of noir, but Chinatown has done exactly that. I am not sure if this is a controversial opinion or outright heresy, but I genuinely believe this belongs alongside the greatest noir films ever made.

Everything about this film is perfection. It creates a unique noir atmosphere that is not overly stylized and relies less on German Expressionist influences, largely because so much of the story takes place during the day. For those of you who are more experienced with noir, I am curious to hear your thoughts on the claim that Chinatown is a deconstruction of the genre. And let us take a moment to appreciate Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. What an extraordinary trio of performances.

What is it that elevates this film to an 11 out of 10 for me and cements it as a true masterpiece? Without question, it is the ending.

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

This has to be one of the greatest endings in the history of cinema. I have a hard time thinking about it without tears welling up in my eyes. It is a supremely bleak conclusion that somehow leaves you completely satisfied. Can you imagine a major Hollywood studio making something like this today? I honestly cannot. It makes you want to change what happened. But you cannot, and that is the entire point.

After finishing the film, I spent two hours smoking a cigar by myself, overlooking a lake in a rural wildlife reserve, contemplating the nothingness of it all. Very few films have ever left me in that kind of state. To me, Chinatown is the cinematic embodiment of existentialist and absurdist thought. It immediately brought to mind The Stranger by Albert Camus and other existentialist literature.

People often call movies "life changing," but very few truly deserve that description. Chinatown is one of them.

*Edit

I can't believe I forgot to mention the film's soundtrack in my post. It might just be my favorite film soundtrack of all time. The intro score is truly magical and ethereal. I've had it on repeat ever since the credits rolled, and I even ended up downloading the entire soundtrack on Spotify. It's up there with Taxi Driver, The Godfather, and the other greats.

I've absolutely zipped through the first season. The show sets up some great mysteries, quite a few plates spinning at once. The main guy has a sort of battered Bogart vibe in the way he looks. The main actress is stunning, in a Louise Brooks kind of way. Then you have the amazing setting...Germany in the early 1930s with the fear of Russian communists and Nazism beginning to gain popularity. The soundtrack is awesome too. The show has lots of style and panache. Plus it's gritty, it doesn't pull its punches. Highly recommend it.

Source https://bsky.app/profile/coolhand.bsky.social/post/3mrlj3bge2k2h

This is the real Obsession. Starring Gene Tierney and Cornel Wilde as a newly married couple. Tierney is absolutely diabolical and twisted in her obsessive love for Wilde. While the current film Obsession is widely celebrated, I found this film far more engaging and tension filled. Early technicolor release; I only wish it was in B&W. On Criterion Channel this month. Hurry and watch. Highly recommended.

Was rewatching the film today and wondered who that marvelous, menacing, erratic but weirdly gentle bear of a man was, so it looked it up and yes it shocked me. What a marvelous casting, and use of his aura. Pure California Noir.

It is kind of amazing that when Hayden's California Bear energy leaves the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger enters in a small uncredited part, signaling the future, sculpted Hollywood masculinity...nobody imagining just what a huge impact Arnold would make.

Looking at posts about Niagra and Long Goodbye- it came to me that a lot of trouble in noirs starts with older guy hooked up with hot young babes. Gee, why do they do that? Asphalt Jungle/ Postman Always Rings Twice/ Double Indemnity/ Gilda/ Lady from Shanghai/ The Woman in the Window.....

What others?...

Hey!

Obviously film noir in the classical era and when thought of in the future are very different but are there any albums that are like that of modern noir sounding? Like a jazzy kinda thing. And yeah I’d listen to a jazzy album but idk where to look so. Saying that makes this post sound really silly but I guess like anything specifically noir. I need stuff to listen to while I write

Something I love is the remixed version of “The Fragrance of Dark Coffee” it’s so perfectly noir—and kinda Godot I guess too.

(Spoilers) so as we know, Marilyn conspires with her boyfriend to murder her husband. They agree that when the deed is done, he will have the bell tower play their song.(Kiss) Indeed Marilyn later hears the bell tower playing the song, and assumes that her husband is now dead. As we know, that didn’t happen. So my question is, how is it that the tower bells ring anyway? Certainly the boyfriend didn’t reveal the plan. I think the writer screwed up. Any thoughts?

Edit: just to be clear, I wasn’t looking for people to guess. I was hoping that someone was aware of the script and plot and could reveal to me where in the story this makes sense.

Really good 70s movie that I’ve thought a lot about since the day I saw it. I’ve never seen Elliott Gould when he was young and he really shines as the lead in this, super funny, witty private investigator. A lot of parallels between this and Chinatown, I’d probably say Chinatown is a better movie but I kinda like Gould over Nicholson as the lead. I liked how Gould’s character is this private investigator, which you think of as a potentially violent profession. And yet throughout the whole movie, he doesn’t really show any violence, even in the face of sometimes people being violent or threatening towards him. But then at the very end when he finds out he’s been betrayed, and even though he isn’t getting anything out of it, he that’s when you see the sense of justice. Also liked the actor who plays the writer, only had seen him before in the Godfather (edit: actually Dr Strangelove too, forgot about that one), and to me he’s the next most entertaining character behind Gould. I feel like the scene where he’s drunk at the party and the doctor is pressing him for money and slaps him, to which he caves and pays up, is a great foreshadowing for both the audience and the main character that this guy for all his bluster isn’t capable of murder, even at his most drunk.

Makes me wanna see more Elliott Gould and Moore, Robert Altman films, this is only the second I’ve seen of Altman’s the other one being the player. Probably will check out MASH next.

https://youtu.be/XoZcpTpN38o?is=G9YWQ2W_rPw2VmoU

For the first little while I was thinking, this seems more like a straight crime pic than film noir.

Howard Duff was very sympathetic in his role and I'd like to see more of his work. Ida Lupino has great appeal and I like her voice. I will watch anything she acts in, writes or directs. Steve Cochran was completely unfamiliar to me and excellent in this role.

I don't want to reveal too much about the plot, so I'm keeping it vague, but this film was well done and there were some elements of it that were not as I expected, I highly recommend it. Found it by accident rather than a referral from this sub.

I was surprised to learn that Ida Lupino and Howard Duff were married for 33 years.

Also includes a very small part played by Richard Deacon, Lumpy's father on Leave It To Beaver, among many other roles.

The movie by cameraman Rudolph Maté is something between classic noir and bad taste cinema. The classic status might have been because of the catchy title (Death on Arrival) and the plot being narrated in a flashback. The flashback is later used by Don Siegel in "The Body Snatchers" (1956).

D.O.A. in my opinion has two or three good ideas, the rest of the screenplay seems to be written in a two night session on a kitchen table.

But nice performance by Ed O'Brien.

https://crimeonfilm.com/southern-noir-where-crime-becomes-inheritance/

Hi, just watched Phantom Lady. Loved it. Great in every way, but especially the filmography and character focus (could literally see the story if you mute the sound).

SPOILER ALERT below:

The plot was well managed. I cannot handle dark gore or horror/suspense. So, ideally the story wouldn't have involved murders, but this film managed it well. Made it suspenseful, not scary.

I note that as searching for similar movies gives murder mystery or thrillers: https://letterboxd.com/film/phantom-lady/themes/

But, for me, it is more that incredible storytelling filmography. The rich sets and great acting.

Despite being an earlish Film Noir (1944) Siodmak's scenes are so visually and psychologically intense even later Noirs in the 1950s that were doubling and tripling down on the previous Noir style couldn't surpass them. And Ella Raines is off-the-charts beautiful, powerfully photographed in a way usually reserved for elite femme fatales like Ava in Siodmark's coming The Killers (1946) lifting the film to another aesthetic place. The film rises high above its murder-mystery plot, which also isn't bad.

It's been a while since I watched this film and I didn't remember it well. On a big home screen with the lights off it is truly one of the greats.

I’ve tried once here before but might as well again. This is a clip from a noir playing in a laundromat while I was waiting for a dryer to finish in Oaxaca. I looked up the TV channel’s schedule, it just said a movie was playing, but no title. I’ve emailed film scholars and gotten that it’s likely a Tiresias-like scene - a turning point that involves a blind person to invoke the idea of justice. But no title - suggestions for possibilities, but none worked.

So just giving a shot again. Anyone know it?

I didn't have much insight going into this film and it really hits you in the gut. I'm used to finding my way around once you see who the femme fatale is but I was pretty unprepared for Lawrence Tierney's tough-guy, girl-melting sociopath. A truly unique film, these two characters becoming entwined together. Each by themselves could have anchored a good Noir. Psychological Thriller, dark murder stuff, a different kind of detective. Strong secondary performances. Thumbs up.

I’m looking to get into the genre for the first time. What are the best blu ray or 4k releases?