“The stuff that dreams are made of.”

("The Maltese Falcon", 1941)

LIST OF

Film Noir movies feature a mood and film style, primarily associated with crime movies, that portrays its principal characters in a nihilistic and existential world. Film Noir is principally derived from the Hard-boiled style of crime fiction literature of the Great Depression era, (many Films Noir were adaptations of such novels written by Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain). The genre was first clearly seen in films released in the early 1940's. 

'Noirs' were typically made in black and white, and had a dark, high-contrast style with its roots in German Expressionist cinematography. The term 'Film Noir' was unknown to movie makers and actors while they were creating the classic Film Noirs. Film Noir was defined in retrospect by film critics and movie historians; many of the creators of Film Noir later said they were unaware at the time that they were creating a distinctive film genre. Film Noir is also a combination of styles with origins in painting and literature in addition to film. 

The aesthetics of Film Noir are heavily influenced by the German Expressionism of the 1920's. When Germany fell to Nazism (1933), many important - mostly Jewish - film artists were forced to flee, including Fritz LANG, Billy WILDER, Robert SIODMAK, John BRAHM, Otto L. PREMINGER, and many many others. They took with them techniques they developed, the most important of which were the dramatic lighting and the subjective, psychological point of view. Subsequently, these artists made some of the most famous Films Noir movies in the USA and France ("Polars").

Some precursors: 

• "Little Caesar" (dir. Mervyn LEROY, 1930) 

• "M, eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder" (Fritz LANG, 1931) 

• "City Streets" (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931) 

• "The Public Enemy" (William A. Wellman, 1931) 

• "The Maltese Falcon" (Roy Del Ruth, 1931) 

• "Scarface" (Howard Hawks; and Richard Rosson, 1932) 

• "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" (Mervyn LEROY, 1932) 

• "The Glass Key" (Frank Tuttle, 1935) 

• "The Fury" (Fritz LANG, 1936).

• "Pépé le Moko" (Julien Duvivier, 1936) -- 'polar', a great classic of French poetic realism.
  

Note: The best way to understand Film Noir is to watch Film Noir.  The Internet Movie Data Base lists 425 titles, but this LIST wants to show where Noir started and how it has developed.

• 1940
  
  
  • Stranger on the Third Floor (dir. Boris Ingster)
    
  • Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock; mus. Franz WAXMAN)
    
  • The Letter (William WYLER)
  
  
• 1941
  
  
  • High Sierra (Raoul Walsh; mus. Adolph DEUTSCH)
    
  • The Maltese Falcon (John Huston; mus. Adolph DEUTSCH) -- this is the third film version of Dashiell Hammett's novel and considered by many to be the greatest Film Noir ever made.
    
  • Suspicion (Alfred Hitchcock)
    
  • I Wake Up Screaming (H. Bruce Humberstone)
    
  • Citizen Kane (Orson Welles; mus. Bernard HERRMANN)
    
  • The Shanghai Gesture (Josef von STERNBERG)

• 1942
  
  
  • Casablanca (Michael CURTIZ; mus. Max STEINER)
    
  • The Falcon Takes Over (Irving G. Reis) -- based on the novel 'Farewell My Lovely' by Raymond Chandler.
    
  • The Glass Key (Stuart Heisler) -- based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett.
    
  • This Gun for Hire (Frank Tuttle)
    
  • Cat People (Jacques Tourneur)
    
  • Hangmen Also Die (Fritz LANG)
    
  • Street of Chance (Jack Hively)

• 1943
  
  
  • Time to Kill (Herbert I. LEEDS; mus. David RAKSIN, uncredited) -- based on the novel 'The High Window' by Raymond Chandler.
    
  • Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock)
  
  
• 1944
  
  
  • Double Indemnity (Billy WILDER; co-scen. Raymond Chandler) -- based on the novel by James M. Cain.
    
  • Gaslight (George CUKOR)
    
  • And Now Tomorrow (Irving PICHEL; co-scen. Raymond Chandler) 
    
  • The Lodger (John BRAHM)
    
  • Experiment Perilous (Jacques Tourneur)
    
  • Laura (Otto L. PREMINGER; and Rouben Mamoulian, uncredited; mus. David RAKSIN)
    
  • Murder, My Sweet / Farewell, My Lovely (Edward Dmytryk) -- based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
    
  • Phantom Lady (Robert SIODMAK)
    
  • Dark Waters (André De Toth; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
    
  • To Have and Have Not (Howard Hawks)
    
  • Guest in the House (John BRAHM)
    
  • Ministry of Fear (Fritz LANG; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
    
  • The Mask of Dimitrios (Jean Negulesco)

• 1945
  
  
  • The Unseen (Lewis Allen; co-scen. Raymond Chandler)
    
  • Cornered (Edward Dmytryk)
    
  • Detour (Edgar G. ULMER)
    
  • The Lost Weekend (Billy WILDER; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
    
  • The House on 92nd Street (Henry Hathaway)
    
  • Leave Her to Heaven (John M. Stahl)
    
  • Mildred Pierce (Michael CURTIZ; mus. Max STEINER) --  based on the novel by James M. Cain.
    
  • The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (Robert SIODMAK)
    
  • Scarlet Street (Fritz LANG)
    
  • Spellbound (Alfred Hitchcock; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
    
  • Lady on a Train (Charles David; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
    
  • Hangover Square (John BRAHM)
    
  • The Suspect (Robert SIODMAK)
    
  • Conflict (Curtis BERNHARDT)
    
  • The Woman in the Window (Fritz LANG)

• 1956
  
  
  
  • Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Fritz LANG)
    
  • Nightmare (Maxwell Shane)
    
  • While The City Sleeps (Fritz LANG)
    
  • The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock)
    
  • Crime of Passion (Gerd OSWALD)
    
  • Please Murder Me (Peter Godfrey)
    
  • Crime in the Streets (Don SIEGEL)
    
  • The Killing (Stanley KUBRICK)
  
  
• 1957
  
  
  • Sweet Smell Of Success (Alexander Mackendrick)
    
  • Baby Face Nelson (Don SIEGEL)
    
  • Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Louis Malle)
    
  • Nightfall (Jacques Tourneur)
  
  
• 1958
  
  
  
  • The Lineup (Don SIEGEL)
    
  • Party Girl (Nicholas Ray)
    
  • Touch of Evil (Orson Welles)

               

 

Recent examples

Some made as an homage to the genre. Sometimes referred to as neo-Noir:

• Odds Against Tomorrow (Robert WISE, 1959)
  
• The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (Charles GUGGENHEIM; and John Stix, 1959)
  
• Tirez sur le pianiste (François Truffaut, 1960)
  
• The Bad Sleep Well (Akira Kurosawa, 1960)
  
• À bout de souffle / Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960)
  
• Underworld U.S.A. (Samuel FULLER, 1961)
  
• Cape Fear (J. Lee Thompson, 1962)
  
• Le Doulos (Jean-Pierre MELVILLE, 1962)
  
• The Trial (Orson Welles, 1962) -- expressionistic Noir and psychological drama, adapted from the novel by Franz Kafka.
  
• Mélodie en sous-sol (Henri Verneuil, 1963)
  
• Chair de Poule (Julien Duvivier, 1963)
  
• High and Low / Tengoku to jigoku (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
  
• Le Meurtrier (Claude Autant-Lara, 1963)
  
• Les tontons flingueurs (Georges Lautner, 1963)
  
• Shock Corridor (Samuel FULLER, 1963)
  
• Bande à part / Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard, 1964)
  
• The Naked Kiss (Samuel FULLER, 1964)
  
• (Ernest Hemingway's) The Killers (Don SIEGEL, 1964)
  
• Compartiment tueurs (Constantin Costa-Gavras, 1965)
  
• Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)
  
• Le deuxième souffle (Jean-Pierre MELVILLE, 1966)
  
• Harper (Jack Smight, 1966) -- based on the novel 'The Moving Target' by Ross Macdonald.

  
  

• Le Samouraï / The Godson (Jean-Pierre MELVILLE, 1967)
  
• Point Blank (John Boorman, 1967)
  
• The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Roger Corman, 1967)
  
• Que la bête meure (Claude Chabrol, 1968)
  
• Bullitt (Peter Yates, 1968)
  
• Madigan (Don SIEGEL, 1968)
  
• Le clan des siciliens / The Sicilian Clan (Henri Verneuil, 1969)
  
• Marlowe (Paul BOGART, 1969) -- based on the novel 'The Little Sister' by Raymond Chandler.
  
• Le Cercle Rouge / The Red Circle (Jean-Pierre MELVILLE, 1970)
  
• Max et les ferrailleurs (Claude Sautet, 1970)
  
• Klute (Alan J. PAKULA, 1971)
  
• Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971)
  
• Dirty Harry (Don SIEGEL, 1971)
  
• Gumshoe (Stephen FREARS, 1972)
  
• Cabaret ***^1/2 (Bob Fosse, 1972) -- musical in this style
  
• The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973) -- Altman's post-Noir take, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
  
• Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
  
• The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Peter Yates, 1973)
  
• The Outfit (John Flynn, 1973)
  
• Chinatown (Roman POLANSKI; mus. Jerry Goldsmith, 1974)
  
• The Parallax View (Alan J. PAKULA, 1974)
  
• The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
  
• Peur sur la ville (Henri Verneuil, 1975)
  
• Farewell, My Lovely (Dick Richards, 1975) -- remake, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
  
• Night Moves (Arthur PENN, 1975)
  
• The Drowning Pool (Stuart ROSENBERG, 1975) -- based on the novel by Ross Macdonald.
  
• Police Python 357 (Alain Corneau, 1976)
  
• Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese; mus. Bernard HERRMANN, 1976)
  
• The Late Show (Robert Benton, 1977)
  
• The Big Sleep (Michael WINNER, 1978) -- remake, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler.
  
• The Driver (Walter Hill, 1978)
  
• The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (John Cassavetes, 1978)
  
• Série Noire (Alain Corneau, 1979)
  
• Last Embrace (Jonathan Demme, 1979; mus. Miklós RÓSZA)
  
• Double Negative (George Bloomfield, 1980) -- based on the novel 'The Three Roads' by Ross Macdonald.

  
  

• Body Heat (Lawrence KASDAN, 1981) -- remake of  "Double Indemnity"
  
• The Postman Always Rings Twice (Bob RAFELSON, 1981) -- remake, based on the novel by James M. Cain.
  
• Garde à vue (Claude Miller, 1981)
  
• True Confessions (Ulu GROSBARD, 1981)
  
• Diva (Jean-Jacques Beinex, 1981)
  
• Thief (Michael MANN, 1982)
  
• Hammett (Wim Wenders, 1982)
  
• I, the Jury (Richard T. Heffron, 1982) -- based on the novel by Mickey Spillane.
  
• Dead Men Don't Wear Plead (Carl REINER, 1982)
  
• Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) -- science fiction Noir, or future-Noir.
  
• La Balance (Bob Swaim, 1982)
  
• Still of the Night (Robert Benton, 1982)
  
• Blood Simple (Joel & Ethan COEN, 1983)
  
• Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983)
  
• Vivement dimanche (François Truffaut, 1983)
  
• Sudden Impact (Clint Eastwood, 1983)
  
• Tightrope (Richard Tuggle, 1984)
  
• Polar (Jacques Bral, 1984)
  
• Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984)
  
• Against All Odds (Taylor Hackford, 1984) -- remake.
  
• To Live and Die in L.A. (John FRANKENHEIMER, 1985)
  
• Jagged Edge (Richard Marquand, 1985)
  
• Trouble in Mind (Alan Rudolph, 1985)
  
• Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985) -- science fiction Noir, or future-Noir.

  

• Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)
  
• Mona Lisa (Neil Jordan, 1986)
  
• Blue City (Michelle Manning, 1986) -- based on the novel by Ross Macdonald.
  
• Someone to Watch Over Me (Ridley Scott, 1987)
  
• Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987)
  
• House of Games (David MAMET, 1987)
  
• The Big Easy (Jim McBride, 1987)
  
• No Way Out (Roger Donalson, 1987) -- remake of "The Big Clock".
  
• Black Widow (Bob RAFELSON, 1987)
  
• Frantic (Roman POLANSKI, 1988)
  
• Cat Chaser (Abel Ferrara, 1988)
  
• D.O.A. (Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton , 1988) -- remake.
  
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (Robert ZEMECKIS, 1988) -- billed as a "toon-Noir"
  
• Sea of Love (Harold Becker, 1989)
  
• Kill Me Again (John Dahl, 1989)
  
• Black Rain (Ridley Scott, 1989)
  
• The Hot Spot (Dennis Hopper, 1990)
  
• The Two Jakes (Jack Nicholson, 1990)

  

• Miller's Crossing (Joel & Ethan COEN, 1990) -- based on two novels by Dashiell Hammett.
  
• Narrow Margin (Peter HYAMS, 1990)
  
• Bad Influence (Curtis Hanson, 1990)
  
• Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty, 1990)
  
• The Grifters (Stephen FREARS, 1990)
  
• After Dark, My Sweet (James Foley, 1990)
  
• Revenge (Tony Scott, 1990)
  
• Genuine Risk (Kurt Voss, 1990)
  
• Homicide (David MAMET, 1991)
  
• The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
  
• Cape Fear (Martin Scorsese, 1991) -- remake.
  
• Liebestraum (Mike Figgis, 1991)
  
• Deceived (Damian Harris, 1991)
  
• Red Rock West (John Dahl, 1992)
  
• White Sands (Roger Donalson, 1992)
  
• Detour (Wade Williams, 1992) -- remake.

  

• Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven, 1992)
  
• Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992)
  
• Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992) -- western but very Noir in terms of theme and character.
  
• Glengarry Glen Ross (David MAMET, 1992)
  
• The Public Eye (Howard Franklin, 1992)
  
• Trois couleurs: Bleu / Blue (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993) -- contains many Noir elements (e.g. obsession with the past, shadows, lighting, staircases, mirrors, etc.)
  
• True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993)
  
• Kalifornia (Dominic Sena, 1993)
  
• Romeo Is Bleeding (Peter Medak, 1993)
  
• Guilty as Sin (Sidney LUMET, 1993)
  
• The Last Seduction (John Dahl, 1994)
  
• Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle, 1994)
  
• Léon: The Professional (Luc Besson, 1994)
  
• China Moon (John Bailey, 1994)
  
• Killer (Mark Malone, 1994)
  
• Natural Born Killers (Oliver STONE, 1994)
  
• Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
  
• Devil in a Blue Dress (Carl Franklin, 1995)
  
• The Usual Suspects (Bryan SINGER, 1995)
  
• The Underneath (Steven Soderbergh, 1995) -- remake of "Criss Cross".
  
• Get Shorty (Barry SONNENFELD, 1995)
  
• Kiss of Death (Barbet Schroeder, 1995) -- remake.
  
• Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
  
• Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (Gary Fleder, 1995)
  
• Caught (Robert M. Young, 1996)
  
• Jade (William FRIEDKIN, 1995)
  
• Fargo (Joel & Ethan COEN, 1996)
  
• Bound (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 1996)
  
• Hard Eight / Sydney (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1996)
  
• Mulholland Falls (Lee Tamahori, 1996)
  
• City of Industry (John Irvin, 1997)
  
• The Fifth Element (Luc Besson, 1997)

  
  

• L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997) -- based on the novel by James Ellroy.
  
• Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1997)
  
• The Game (David Fincher, 1997)
  
• The Spanish Prisoner (David MAMET, 1997)
  
• The Last Way Out (Mark Steensland, 1997)
  
• U Turn (Oliver STONE, 1997)
  
• The Big Lebowski (Joel & Ethan COEN, 1998)
  
• Palmetto (Volker Schlöndorff, 1998)
  
• Wild Things (John McNaughton, 1998)
  
• A Perfect Murder (Andrew DAVIS, 1998)
  
• Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)
  
• Following (Christopher Nolan, 1998)
  
• Grim Fandango (1998) -- video game Noir
  
• Ronin (John FRANKENHEIMER, 1998)
  
• A Simple Plan (Sam RAIMI, 1998)
  
• Payback (Brian Helgeland, 1999)
  
• The Matrix 1,2,3 (Andy & Larry Wachowski, 1999-2003)
  
• The Bone Collector (Phillip Noyce, 1999)
  
• Go (Doug Liman, 1999)
  
• Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000) -- contains elements of Film Noir, albeit in a slightly skewed fashion
  
• The Man Who Wasn't There (Joel & Ethan COEN, 2001)
  
• Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
  
• The Deep End (Scott McGehee & David SIEGEL, 2001)
  
• Novocaine (David Atkins, 2001)
  
• Picture Claire (Bruce McDonald, 2001)
  
• Max Payne (2001) -- video game Noir
  
• Training Day (Antoine Fuqua, 2001)
  
• Minority Report (Steven SPIELBERG, 2002) -- sci-fi Noir, or future-Noir.
  
• City of Ghosts (Matt Dillon, 2002)
  
• Cypher (Vincenzo Natali, 2002) -- sci-fi Noir, or future-Noir.
  
• Road to Perdition (Sam MENDES, 2002)
  
• Moment in Time (Robert Orlando, 2002)
  
• The Salton Sea (D.J. Caruso, 2002)
  
• Insomnia (Christopher Nolan, 2002)
  
• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Mike Hodges, 2003)
  
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003) -- video game Noir
  
• The Cooler (Wayne Kramer, 2003)
  
• Collateral (Steven SPIELBERG, 2004)
  
• El Maquinista / The Machinist (Brad Anderson, 2004)
  
• Sin City (Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino as special guest director, 2005)
  
• Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005)
  
• Lord of War (Andrew Niccol, 2005)
  
• The Ice Harvest (Harold RAMIS, 2005)
  
• Yesterday Was a Lie (James Kerwin, 2006)
  
• The Black Dahlia (Brian De Palma, 2006) -- based on the novel by James Ellroy.
  
• 
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2005-2006 Saul Akkemay @ PANBELL® ™ Projects. All rights reserved.