Noir Film Recommendations

[cinaed]

 Here is a classic noir films recommendation list I promised @madame-madeleine​ weeks ago. I put them in release order, because trying to organize them from personal best to least best was going to take too long. There are plenty of noir films out there besides these, this list just has my personal favorites!

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Summary: A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

Recommendation: This one's a classic for a reason, though I actually watched this film first for Peter Lorre and second for everything else. But it's a great film, with fascinating characters and an engaging plot. 

This Gun For Hire (1942)

Summary: When assassin Philip Raven shoots a blackmailer and his beautiful female companion dead, he is paid off in marked bills by his treasonous employer who is working with foreign spies.

Recommendation: I love Alan Ladd, and his portrayal of a ruthless assassin is amazing here. Raven's dynamic with Ellen, a woman he encounters in the film, is also really fascinating, and I think both the story and the characters will keep you engaged!

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) 

Summary: A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family.

Recommendation: Listen, I know this is a parody and that apparently Cary Grant hated his performance in this movie. It's still in my top five favorite movies of all time. Everyone is hysterical, the jokes are great, and this film cemented my love of Peter Lorre. I loved this movie so much I once requested it for Yuletide and got an amazing fic!

Double Indemnity (1944)

Summary: An insurance representative lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator.

Recommendation: This film has one of my favorite femme fatales, and the dialogue is great. Inspired by a true story, this one's a great psychological maze, and I really enjoyed it. 

Gaslight (1944)

Summary: After the murder of her famous aunt, a woman is sent to study in Italy to become a great opera singer as well. While there, she falls in love. The two return to London, and she begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night and gaslights that dim without being touched. 

Recommendation: "Fun" fact, this film and the play it was based on inspired the term gaslighting, which means to "manipulate by psychological means into questioning their own sanity." You can probably guess what happens in this movie, but oh man, that final scene between husband and wife? One of my all-time favorite scenes in any movie. 

Laura (1944)

Summary: A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.

Recommendation: I love this one. It's such a twisty, psychological thriller, and I love Laura's presence throughout this, and the way the detective falls in love with her the more he learns about her-- or at least falls in love with his concept of her. 

Gilda (1946)

Summary: A small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino learns that his ex-lover is married to his employer.

Recommendation: GILDA! I love her so much, and everyone's dynamics here are fascinating. Lots of homoerotic subtext, too. Some day I will write a less bleak queer fix-it version of this for myself, but in the meanwhile, I can always watch "Put the Blame on Mame" on Youtube. 

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Summary: A screenwriter is hired to rework a faded silent film star's script, only to find himself developing a dangerous relationship.

Recommendation: Another classic for a reason. Norma's faded glory and desperation is fascinating to watch, as is Joe being drawn to her despite himself. Also inspired an okay musical with like three or four great songs. 

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Summary: A psychotic socialite attempts to force an amateur tennis star to comply with his theory that two complete strangers can get away with reciprocal murders.

Recommendation: Hitchcock was a master of atmosphere, and this one's a prime example. The rising tension as the two go from a relatively normal interaction into something far darker and deadlier. 

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Summary: A tennis player frames his unfaithful wife for first-degree murder after she inadvertently hinders his plan to kill her.

Recommendation: Okay, I don't know why tennis players keep getting involved in noir, but it's a good movie! I read that Hitchcock filmed this one almost entirely inside rather than allowing a lot of outdoor scenes, to give a sense of claustrophobia and it works. 

Rear Window (1954)

Summary: A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

Recommendation: I love this one in spite of itself. I don't particularly like the main couple's dynamic in this, but I do love the glances into the lives of the people Jimmy Stewart's character is spying on, and the tension amps up wonderfully as the film progresses.

Comments

[anneapocalypse]

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT I need to watch more noir.

[cinaed]

I love noir so much, though I've read more noir novels than watched movies. The atmosphere and femme fatales are so fun!

[anneapocalypse]

Rear Window I have seen and love (because I love Jimmy Stewart) and Dial M for Murder I actually got to see as a stage production once! which was very cool.

[hokuton_punch]

The ones I have seen on this list I have loved (especially Arsenic and Old Lace and Gaslight), so I must check out the ones I haven't!

[cinaed]

Hope you enjoy! Arsenic and Old Lace I watch almost every year. It's so great. :D

[skygiants]

WHAT AN EXCELLENT LIST, the only thing I object to is the lack of Lauren Bacall's face.

[cinaed]

The only reason she was left off was because somehow I haven't seen any of her noir films! (Something I will have to fix ASAP. Time to track down Key Largo, The Big Sleep, and Dark Passage.)

[ambyr]

If you're looking for recommendations for things a bit out of the mainstream canon, I really loved Pale Flower (1964).

[cinaed]

Oh, I'm always looking for recs. I was just peering at the Wikipedia page going "Man I should watch some non-American noir!" as I writing up my list. Thanks!