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No genre is shaped as potently by the political and social moment of its time quite like noir.
Despite this quality, noir is an elusive category that ebbs and flows within the public imagination.
Lets start with a bit of a history lesson.
So, what is noir?
Noir began as a style that quickly coalesced into a genre.
Noir is an intrinsically political and psychologically attuned genre.
Some noir tended more toward poetic realism, and others hewed toward an almost surreal expressionism.
More than anything, noir is a very flexible genre, even in its original Hollywood-based era.
But this definition is a good frame of reference.
Whats the difference between noir and neo-noir?
For one, it comes down to timing.
The cutoff is 1959.
Color also distinguishes it.
Klute(1971)
The reason I fell in love with noir was its women.
InThe Long Goodbye,Marlowe, as played by Elliott Gould, is a man out of time.
His morality consistently juts against the cynicism and amorality of his peers.
Its a distinctive, highly radical take on the famed detective, with a brutal finish.
Its the same interest in dismantling the sanctity of the American dream, just from a different angle.
ButBlue Collarhas the soul of noir.
This makesMona Lisasound lurid, but it shirks expectations.
Each performance adds new dimensions to the otherworldly, scuzzy landscape of the film.
At first glance, it doesnt seem quite like a noir.
The city is brimming with hopeless malaise and hollow glamour.
(Sometimes, its more bluntly addressed, like in Sidney Poitiers early leading role inNo Way Out.)
And it simmers with intensity, thanks to the assured performances and direction.
One False Move(1992)
Black women have always operated in the margins of noir.
She has specific, moral reasons behind her involvement.
Suture(1993)
Sutureis a curiosity.
Writing, directing, and producing partners Scott McGehee and David Siegel have a design background and it shows.
The black-and-white cinematography is stark and richly textured.
The premise of the film suggests that its interested in the nature of identity and blackness.
(Yes,thatTom Cruise.)
The Last Seduction(1994)
Unapologetic.
Bridget is the ne plus ultra of modern femmes fatales, representing just how brutal theyve become.
Strange Days(1995)
Memories were meant to fade, Lenny.
Whats great about neo-noir is how it splices noir concerns with other genres.
In the case ofStrange Days,its science fiction.
The relationship between Corky and Violet teases new dimensions out of both women, making this neo-noir so memorable.
Jackie Brown(1997)
Jackie Brownis the only Quentin Tarantino film I truly, deeply love.
As the titular Jackie Brown, Pam Grier is the crown jewel in his oeuvre.
Grier is the best part of a film already marked by greatness.
Shes sexy with a naturalistic air, smart, tough, cunning.
Shes unlike anyone else in the genre.
Why dont we get more films like this?
But trying to pin down his work to any single genre feels like a futile exercise.
IsMulholland Drivea noir with elements of horror, or vice versa?
What about the neon hell ofThief?
Lust, Caution(2007)
There are certain films that are designed to haunt.
Mai (a revelatory Tang Wei).
Mother(2009)
Noir has long been viewed as a predominantly masculine genre.
To put it bluntly, I think thats bullshit.
Noir is nothing without women.
Amy is both a frustrating and awe-inspiring character for the lengths she goes to for vengeance.
With icy malevolence and practiced charisma, Pike brings to life my favorite femme fatale of the modern age.
Phoenix(2014)
Phoenixis the kind of film I remember for the physical experience.
I didnt feel the need to solve its mystery.
This argument holds merit.
Due to its dusty and sun-drenched West Texas setting,Hell or High Wateris considered a neo-Western.
Park Chan-wook transports Sarah Waterss novelFingersmithfrom Victorian era Britain to Korea under Japanese rule.
