The Film Noir tradition lived its classic era in the 40s and 50s. Great directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, John Huston and Orson Welles made some of the most iconic and unforgettable films that deserve this label. Today, we’re listing down ten of my favourite noirs of the classic era. Note that this list focuses mainly on the Hollywood noirs of this period, not on the neo-noir revivals nor its original french designation. A little bit of history: the first movement to be considered as film noir was what we know today as french poetic realism, where directors such as Jean Renoir and Marcel Carné worked on social dramas that often revolved around a criminal world and the fall of a hero. This influence came to America, accompanied by the aesthetic principles of german expressionism (after all, due to the extreme migrations out of the third reich many of the great directors the Weimar republic came to Hollywood and left their own print), and that coupled with the angst and anxiety felt on the post-war era, a new film tradition was born. Wheather its a genre, a style or a movement, no one can agree on that. Lets take a look at these 10 noir films and see if we can get our own definition out of it.

Please note: the following films I have not yet seen, though I do intend to in the future, and therefore they won’t feature on the list – “The Killers” (Robert Siodmak, 1946), “In a Lonely Place” (Nicholas Ray, 1950), “The Asphalt Jungle” (John Huston, 1950), “The Big Heat” (Fritz Lang, 1953), “Kiss Me Deadly” (Robert Aldrich, 1955), among others.

And some honourable mentions: “Laura” (Otto Peminger, 1944), “Detour” (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1945), “Notorious” (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946), “The Lady from Shanghai” (Orson Welles, 1948), “The Killing” (Stanley Kubrick, 1956).

And now without further ado, here are my 10 favourite film noirs:

10. Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)

Hardly as noir-esque as the other films on this list, since back in 1940 it was still early days for the movement/style/tradition, but still boasting some of the main themes and classic tropes. The film follows a young woman played by Joan Fontaine, who meets and quickly falls in love with Maximilian de Winter (Laurence Olivier), a rich aristocrat with a troubling past. They get married and the new Mrs. de Winter goes to live in her new manor, but the memory of the first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, still remains quite vivid for most of the inhabitants of the manor. As it turns out, there are more than a few missing pieces of the puzzle that’ll shed a light on Rebecca’s untimely death. It does not follow the classic noir plot, but it does delve into a pessimistic mood and world view, plays cleverly with its black-and-white cinematography and different women may play he part of the femme fatale at different stages of the film, without fully embracing this persona. Not as great as Hitchock’s later films -and later noirs- but still a worthy addition to this list.

9. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947)

Considered as a classic example of what a noir narrative should look like, with virtually every trope being on fantastic display: the stoic hero whose past comes back to haunt him, the complicated conspiracy that drives the plot, the letal femme fatale pulling the strings, you’ve got it all. The film tells the story of Jeff Markham (Robert Michum), now going by the name of Jeff Bailey, a previous private detective who retired after a job involving the mysterious Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) went wrong. He now owns a gas station and wants to marry Ann, a good local girl (Jane Huston). Sadly, this has to wait, as he is contacted by Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), his former employers, who still believes Jeff owes him a result after that last job. It is a great example of a noir story and all of its players. The performances are spot on, the dialogues are sharp and witty, and even if it has a slow start once the story picks up momentum there’s nothing that can stop it from reaching its explosive finale.

8. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941)

John Huston’s directorial debut was one for the ages with this crime mystery that quickly established itself as one of the best entries the noir canon has to offer. Humphrey Bogart stars as Sam Spade, a private investigator who gets thrusted into a hunt for an ages old relic known as the Maltese Falcon by the duplicitous Ruth Wonderly (Mary Astor). A thriller about conspiracies, murder and a treasure hunt, Huston’s first picture is one of the immediate titles that jumps to the head when someone says film noir. Bogart fits into his role seamlessly and embodies the noir detective perfectly, something that he’d do and refine more than once later in hs career. Also great in their supporting roles were Peter Lorre, Walter Huston and of course Mary Astor. The Maltese Falcon may be one of the earliest examples of a McGuffin in action (though I believe Hitchcock was already using it, at least as far back in 1939 with “The 39 Steps”), and it is a perfect example of how to execute such a plot device and get the best out of your narrative and characters through it.

7. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)

This was sadly the only film that Charles Laughton got to direct in his life before his untimely death. What could have been if he’d been able to build upon the greatness of his debut feature? Now, the status of “The Night of the Hunter” as a film noir is indeed often discussed and controversial. On the surface it doesn’t appear to be your typical noir: the setting is rural instead of the bleak urban landscape we get in most films of the tradition, there’s no classic noir hero and instead we rely on two children to solve the mystery, neither is there a femme fatale pulling the strings of everything going on. Still, if we take these tropes to be rather cosmetic instead of definitory, and if we go by the premise that the essence of film noir rather lies on its themes and atmosphere, then Laughton’s masterpiece may very well fit the bill. The tone is as bleak as any other film in this list, and while it may delve into religious themes, something a little unusual for noir at the time, it manages to tell its story about deceit and moral corruption in spectacular fashion -and that, in essence, is what constitutes film noir.

6. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943)

One of Hitchcock’s most underrated films, “Shadow of a Doubt” starts Joseph Cotten as Charles Oakley, a man who’s in Santa Rosa for a visit to his family. His young niece, Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright), has deep love for her uncle. However, as the police start looking for the Merry Widow Murderer, suspicion begins to boil in her that her uncle may not be as wonderful as she thinks. Unsurprisingly, the film is an excellent exercise on suspense and built of tension. Hitchcock slowly feeds the audience with new information, letting them put the pieces together, and even if the answer may seem obvious we , as Charlie, don’t want to believe it. Cotten’s performance finds the perfect balance between charismatic and mysterious, likeable and ominous. And Wright’s young unlikely hero is one that seems to sadly been forgotten by most. She asserts herself as a curious and nobly tenacious character, and is ultimately a true hero, even greater than many other less shiny examples in the genre.

5. Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)

Considered by many as the very last noir of the classic period, and one of Orson Welles greatest features, “Touch of Evil” certainly caputred the zeitgeist and marked the close of a very interestig period of american cinema. Charlton Heston stars as Mike Vargas, a police officer stationed at the mexican border. After a bomb explodes on the US side of the border, being planted on the other side, Vargas takes an interest in the investigation. Unfortunately for him, this puts him at odds with police captain Hank Quinlann (played monumentally by Welles himself). Their morality and honour codes could not be further apart from one another, and their conflict may put the entire investigation in jeopardy. Excellently plotted and executed, delving into complex moral ambiguities, and spear headed by the juxtaposition of its two central characters who are played by excellent ctors on their prime, “Touch of Evil” remains without a doubt a quinessential addition to the classic noir canon.

4. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)

Billy Wilder’s “Double Indemnity” is certainly one of the first titles that springs up in our heads when we think of film noir. Indeed, its machiavellian murderous plot, its anti-hero lost in a web of deceit, the femme fatale that ultimately causes his downfall, it all fits into the noir bill. The film tells the story of Walter Neff (Fred McMurray), an insurance salesman, as he is seduced by Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) to assist her in the murder of her husband. Yet, what at first seemed like a pretty straightforward ordeal is complictaed when Walter’s coworker and friend Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) starts putting the pieces together. Wilder shows his prowess at crafting mischievous plots and capturing the audience’s breathe and not letting go until the last second. The lighting on display is very characteristic of film noir and it gave us some of the most unforgettable images the category has to offer. Wilder’s first entry into this tradition is certainly one to remember, but it won’t be the last of him that we see on this list.

3. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawkes, 1946)

Legendary director Howard Hawkes directs screen legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, based on a screenplay written by (among others) legendary author William Faulkner, which in turn is based on a novel by another legendary author, Raymond Chandler. It follows private investigator Phillip Marlowe (Bogart) as a rich family hires him to settle some gambling trouble by the youngest daughter, but as things progress the only thing clear is that there’s a lot more going on than initially thought. A deeper-cutting story about murder, disappereances and blackmail soon starts to unravel itself, and Marlowe is there to just try to make sense of it all. There’s a famous anecdote that at the time of writing the screenplay Faulkner called Chandler to ask him what exactly went down in the story, to what he answered that he didn’t know. That’ll tell you a thing or two about this plot. And still, even if there are no easy answers, the whole ordeal is one very worth undertaking, be it for Bogart’s electrifying performance, for Hawkes masterful direction or for its mischievous screenplay.

2. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)

Wilder’s second entry in this list is probably the most meta film noir of the classic period, and certainly one of the most biting critiques of Hollywood and the star system. It stars William Holden as Joe Gills, an unsuccesful writer trying to make a living in the city of angels. As fate may have it, he finds himself in the mansion of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a prominent actress during the silent era who slowly fell out of grace as talkies became the biggest thing in Hollywood. She hinges constantly on a return to the big screen, and upon learning that Joe is a writer she sees this as an opportunity to get her most desired comeback going. Of course, the years of narcisism and substance abuse have taken a toll on Norma’s psyche, and Joe is there to pay the price. Certainly one of the very best films of all time, and boasting one of the greatest performances to ever be put on screen in Swanson’s Norma Desmond, a character with whom she shared more than a few similarities, “Sunset Boulevard” is one of the sharpest dissections of the star system, arguably its prolific director’s masterpiece, and without a doubt one of the best film noirs of all time.

1. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)

It is hard to describe the legacy of Carol Reed’s “The Third Man”. Based on a novelle by Graham Greene, who wrote the screenplay himself, its set in post-World War II Vienna and follows Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) as he flies in to the city divided in four factions because his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) has a job offer for him. However, upon arrival he hears about Lime’s sudden death. Martins starts investigating, since all the accounts of Limes’ associates and acquaintances don’t seem to add up, and ends up uncovering a more sinister reality than he expected. Expertly crafted and inmortalized through its powerful and provocative cinematography (it is one of the pioneers of the dutch angle), “The Third Man” may very well be Reed’s best film and the epitome of noir cinema. More than a few scenes rank up there with the very best of the medium: Martins following a cat down an alley at night, the ferris wheel scene, the epic climax and, of course, the coldy beautiful last shot. Welles’ performance is definitely one of his best, up there with his portrayal of Charles Foster Kane. Anton Karas’ simple-yet-haunting score has become iconic with time. Every aspect is in perfect conjunction in this masterpiece, and the result is even greater than the sum of its parts. For this and much more Carol Reed’s “The Third Man” proudly stands on top of this list as probably the very best film noir of all time.

So that’s that. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. Do you agree with my picks? Did your favourite film noir make the cut? If not, which ones would you add? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts. If you could share this post with your friends and family I would really appreciate it. Also, if you want to stay up to date with the contents of this blog don’t forget to hit the follow button. Until next time!