Plato did not write the „Odyssey“! That was Homer. Plato wrote about philsophical themes in form of dialogues, Homer lived much earlier and wrote epic poetry.
As a film noir lover it's so difficult to pick up just 10 titles. I would say more: -City Streets -Scarface (1932) -The Man who Knew too Much -G Men -The Glass Key -Shadow of a Doubt -Murder, my Sweet -The Woman in the Window -Double Indemnity -Detour -The Chase -The Killers -Nightmare Alley -The Lady from Shanghai -Dark Passage -Naked City -Pitfall -CrissCross -White Heat -The Crooked Way -Dead or Alive -Stray Dog -The Third Man -Where the Sidewalk Ends -Mystery Street -Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye -Woman on the Run -The Asphalt Jungle -Strangers on a Train -Man Bait -Kansas City Confidential -The Big Heat -The Good Die Young -Crime Wave -Dial "M" for Murder -Suddenly -Hands Off the Loot -The Big Combo -Los Peces Rojos -Rififi -Accused of Murder -The Killing -The Price of Fear -The Long Haul -The Line-up -Rusty Knife -Touch of Evil -A Sangre Fría -Odds Against Tomorrow -The Sleeping Beast Within -The Last Gunfight -Blast of Silence -Experiment in Terror -A Tiro Limpio -High and Low -Youth of the Beast -Black Express -Cruel Gun Story -Escape from Japan -El Salario del Crimen -Cash Calls Hell -Le deuxième souffle -Point Blank -A Colt Is My Passport -Le Samourai -Massacre Gun I think I can stop already
I’m over here thinking i’ve seen a good amount of stuff and then I see a comment like this😂😂. I can do nothing but respect how enormously deep your bag is. What kind of pace are you watching at? I’ve watched over 1100 films over the last 5 years since I really became interested and I feel like if I went any harder I’d get burnt out
Well I love film noir, especially classic noir. This is definitely one of the very best and most comprehensive definitions/break downs I have ever seen or read. Awesome video!
Great video. I will use this in my Film Studies class. A couple more elements in Film Noir is the influence of German Expressionism and the 6-1 lighting ratio, heavy use of shadow, and often an atmosphere of smoke, or fog. Keep them coming, they are much appreciated.
Much appreciated, I tried to avoid the visual analysis of the genre because I feel like it is more than that, but of the 1940's/50's "golden age" of film noir, the smoke, fog, shadows, and darkness is an essential part of it.
Hi, I'm a Literature and Cinema Teacher: yours is truly a Great Video, not superficial yet not too deep into the subject, entertaining, suggesting plenty of good movies (watched some of them but still many missing), humble in giving definitions, dynamic. Great work!!!
Classic noir are Black & White films with these themes from the 40s & 50s. Neo noir are color movies with these kinds of themes like Chinatown or Blade Runner.
@@steveweinstein3222 Exactly I turned off this video when he claimed films of today can be noir.He doesnt even mention chiaroscuro!Noir has to be chiascuro AND criminal elements/themes in said film.ie Leave her to Heaven is not noir,White Heat isnt noir,I dont even consider Sunset boulevard noir,its a drama with a crime in it,but not noir
Yea one of the main defining traits of noir is the black and white, because just those simple colors change the emotion so much and make everything more dark and sinister.
@@Gos1234567 so you're saying I cannot make a black and white film today... You can buy the movie Logan in black and white Edit: make a noir film put a black and white filter on it simple
My first entry into Noir is oddly Max Payne 1 lol. still remains one of my favorite examples of Noir in video games. It felt more Noir than L.A. Noir and I know they were going for fundamentally different feels.
As a student of film way back in the 80s, we studied a lot about the genre (I do consider it a genre). We investigated a great deal the influence of Joseph Von Sternberg (1894-1969) films and how they set a lot of the tones and themes of film noir to come. Beyond the obvious elements like the chiaroscuro lighting, oblique camera angels, emotional intensity, especially through the music, and the emphasis on hard light and shadow, the essential thematic elements IMO are the femme fatale character and the main character's demise. 'He' has to go down, either literally or figuratively. That's why Double Indemnity is almost unanimously considered to be the epitome of Film Noir. As the film begins, the main character is already dying (met his demise) as he recounts his demise by the femme fatale.
This essay is great at describing what makes a noir. I love the Max Payne trilogy and to many they think because of the setting Max Payne 3 doesn't count as noir but based on all of the examples you've shown Max Payne 3 is most definitely a noir story. I also highly recommend the game to anyone, it's very well crafted.
I'm so appreciative that you list the spoilers in the description! For myself, I've seen many but not all but more so, so I can share it with good conscience. Good on you.
Film Noir is my favorite genre. I always want to learn & understand more ; and I believe it is still being defined. This was a great piece in expanding my knowledge of Noir. I don't see how it can ever be a lost genre of film. It is, to this day still evolving. It was actually "Chinatown,"(1974) , that got me hooked. That's a somewhat harsh way of saying it ; but ,, "Chinatown ," had an overpowering effect on me. As a result , I try to watch as many Film Noirs as I can . I must add that, Gloria Grahame, to me, is the most impressive, & haunting of all the Femme Fatales on screen.
An excellent video essay that scratches the surface of the definition of Film Noir. I really enjoyed it. You could definitely expand this into a longer film.
Plato didn't write the Odyssey, Homer did. Other than that, great analysis. Kinda makes me think about Burton's Batman movies. Specifically Batman Returns, what with Catwoman being that quintessential femme fatale. I just wish those films could've played up to that Noir archetype a bit more.
Very good short. Obviously so much left out due to how short it was but I enjoyed it. I love Film Noir. Not sure how to define it, always. Dark, Relativistic, often gritty, and true to life in uncomfortable ways. I have more but must leave a lot out too, due to the shortness of comments section. Don't want to be longer than the documentary itself. Thank you for doing it.
Yeah good take on this. Noir means dark in french so that could be in plot, theme, and setting combined. I think you describe classic noir well. The sub genres are certainly extensive, but its influence can be seen widely in many films in various forms to the present day.
Thank you so much for making this video!! It introduced me my love for noir films and started binge-watching them. Im trying to write a noir-inspired story and this video was such a great help. Liked and subscribed 😁😁🙏
It’s an interesting topic of discussion because you can tell that even directors today struggle with their definition of it. Definitely worth diving into what makes noir distinctly noir.
man, loved the video, i just watched Chinatown on school but didnt understand what all the fuzz about the movie was about, your video made me looked at it differently. The movie had a much stronger impact when it was realesed because of its setting.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! I love Chinatown, I really only talked about it from one angle, and the briefly, there's a lot of great content to the movie!
Is like dark mirror reflection of our society, is this a right assumption? Like you said, normally has the femme fatale, the detective, the anti-hero and shows the dark side of our society, the underworld, instead of a bright view of things.
I agree completely with your definition. I've read that film noir came about because with the end of WWII bringing so much death and misery, people could no longer swallow the typical Hollywood Donna Reed style happy endings. They knew in their gut that sometimes the good guy lost. I was surprised that there was no mention of my favorite noir "Detour". To me, it contains the basic template.
I think the big kicker with Sunset Boulevard is that the opening scene finds the protagonist floating dead in the pool. Already you are set up for his 'downfall'
Some recommended films of this genre of which there are many - "Double Indemnity"-""The Maltese Falcon"- "Cape Fear"(the 1962 version)- "HangThe Gallows High"-and one that is unique in it/s presentation "The Night Of The Hunter".
orchardist1965 "Laura," "The Big Sleep ," "In a Lonely Place," Kiss Me Deadly," " The Big Heat " ,"The Lady From Shanghai." "Chinatown;" " Body Heat;" & "The Talented 'Mr. Ripley ;"just to name a few. Must add "Touch of Evil ;" & of course , "Citizen Kane," which I know some may not consider it 'Noir,' It certainly has many elements of ' Noir. ' Finally. William Wyler 's Classic , "The Letter," who l.had the great pleasure of meeting.
Cape Fear and The Night of The Hunter are not noir. The former is a thriller and, arguably, a grand guignol horror. The latter is a biblical fairy tale though and visuals are far more surreal than noir.
Jack, my perspective is that noir films can be defined by there cynical tone because over the years lots of traits of it like feme fatale , detectives etc are have gone but it's cynical tone always remains. Although lots of films considered as noir like John Wick, Heat and Collateral have only that visual tone and not the cynical tone itself.
I have to disagree about Noir continuing on. I think Noir is part of a time period. Once you leave the time period then it’s something else. Blade runner for example had a noir feel, and was sometimes referred to as a tech noir film, but in truth was the beginning of the sci-if genre Cyberpunk on film. And just as Cyberpunk is a genre reflective of a time period and is no longer the same once it leaves it, the same is true for noir.
The novelty of the psychological motive in the 1940s, deeply rooted in every individual for good and evil, is given center stage in film noir, regardless of current events or in spite of them. The bottom line is futility, which only some people will experience in their lives,.These stories are theirs while the rest of us are curious, even spellbound (haha), wondering if we could survive the same fate! New film noir has special effects which provide colorful, daring escape routes that defy gravity instead of falling prey to it on the sharp cliffs on a raging sea. Love the cliffs!!!
Nice to see montages of classics, even if classic individual shots (such as Sebastian's mother's ruthlessness illustrated by how she LIGHTS her cigarette) are eclipsed to mere glimpses. By the way, a major point misinterpreted here regarding NOTORIOUS is that the character alleged by "Jack" to be a femme fatale is actually a victim in perpetual descent and that she absolutely does NOT fall in love with the Nazi that our government FORCES her to marry.
I think you're taking liberties with the true definition of noir. They're traits or tropes that are peculiar to Film Noir. Some samples cited would be more in line with character driven dramas. Subscribed nonetheless!
I consider noir a genre as much as any other genre. All genres can be blurred but more clearly defined by how many boxes are checked. I guess the only controversy are exactly what those boxes are. I think that film noir is so hard to categorize because it's more about how it makes you feel rather than something you can put into words.
It’s really a matter of semantics, but I think it’s useful to split the categorization into three groups: noir, film-noir, and neo-noir. The real distinction between film- and neo-noir, to me, just has to do with what year the film was made. A real “every square is a rectangle, not every rectangle is a square” situation
Very nice video, Jack. I never thought about noir films reflecting the times in which they were made, great insight there. One comment on "Notorious": I don't feel Alicia "falls in love" with Sebastian, I see it as the assignment given to her by Devlin (Grant) and Prescott (Calhern). The goal is marry him and get his secrets. It's Sebastian that falls in love with her (to his peril!).
That may have been poor wording, but I do feel like she begins to care for him, I haven't seen the movie in a few years, I watched some of it for the video, but not much.
@@JacksMovieReviews , One thing Hitch never let's us forget is that people are just people with both lovable and terrible traits. For me the best noir films are actually tinted. Jim
I guess I've confused Film Noir with the classic Black and White film style as opposed to the type of story. I love the dramatic composition, lighting and the film techniques of the old black and whites.
Thinking any black and white movie with a crime element is Film Noir is very common...people do argue about what is and isn't Noir so maybe it's not perfectly clear but it's perfectly clear it's a genre of film with its own style but just copying the style isn't Noir, Noir is Noir is it not? "I know it when I see it" and it often is about a woman with a past and a man with no future... and the darkness and desperation of the human heart...with no happy endings, broken hearts, broken dreams, broken people, broken promises... people trying to get across, come across, bear a cross without being double crossed.
Thanks for providing this exposition. // My favorite plot within this genre is that of a criminal whose final crime goes awry. It is somehow enjoyable to experience pity for the downfall of a flawed character, with "The Asphalt Jungle" as my favorite. The original "Blade Runner" was also superb although with a very different plot. // I will be on the lookout for a chance to watch "Sunset Boulevard" and "Kiss Me Deadly". // Cheers and thanks again!
Good, concise intro to Noir. A few favorites 'Kiss Me Deady' (seen here) - 'the great whatsit' ...plus Mike Hammer's uber cool state of the art answering machine, 'The Asphalt Jungle', 'Odds Against Tomorrow'.
Thanks, this review was very interesting! :) You'll such a gem among the movie youtubers. Also, I have a few spontanious suggestions for future dissections.. just some movies i'd like to be interpreted more hehe. It's so hard to not comment already regarding what you'll about to experience in those movies since most people have very strong opinions about them, but i guess it's nicer to just judge yourself. 1.-The Death And The Maiden by Roman Polanski 2.-Martyrs by Pascal Laugier 3.-Kairo by Kyoshi Kurosawa 4.-Excision by Richard Bates Jr. (! All trailers might be misleading to some extend- exept for Nr.1 but especially for Nr.2!) Warmest greetings from Germany!
Film Noir is the genre of holding snub nose pistols close to your waist pointed in the general direction of the target. Also, fast talking and high trousers.
I'm w/ you. I beleive film noir has really never stopped. Just got watered down but it's influence is really undeniable. The Batman is definitely noir. Total noir & could mean it's about to make a big comeback but even films like the Terminator was pretty noir. Watch how dark it gets but also newer movies like D.C. noir. It's still out there
That closeup of Ingrid, around 4:01, demonstrates the perfect use of filtration in front of the lens..probably gauze. It's perfect. Gauze also causes jewelry to dazzle up. I'd love to know just exactly what kind of gauze was used for these effects. I hear nylons, I hear rare silks....anyone really know?
From what I know various techniques were used back in the day. The very first thing is of course soft lighting to avoid shadows (a lot of soft fill light and/or bouncing off from matte white surfaces). Anything to avoid hard shadows. Correct lighting is the most important even before any filter is applied. Many times vaseline on glass (front of the matte box) was used for controlled blur. The dazzling "star" effect was often done with special filters that had fibers embedded in a square or checker/diamond pattern. These were popular until the 1970s and even available for amateur film cameras. And yes: gauze and nylon stockings were also used, but they cause haze and not star pattern sparkles. I also suspect that (at least later when film stock became faster and with higher latitude - during the 1940s) the camera negative was slightly overexposed to reduce film grain and further soften the facial skin texture. Hope this helps.
Isn't Barbara Standwyck in Double Indemnity the greatest Femme Fatale ever? I would say greatest Evil Mother Ever Award would go to Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate. There are so many great ones it's hard to really name just a couple.
Jason Cromwell My votes for Angela too, w/ honorable mention to Gladys Cooper as Bette Davis'S Mother in , "Now Voyager." That is a movie that walks the fence on being 'Noir.' It certainly has elements of 'Noir.' I believe Barbara Stanwyck is in the top 2 greatest Femme Fatales, w/ Gloria Grahame as my choice for # 1.
B Wyland I concur. While someone like Angela or Mrs Bates or Carrie's mom are all pure evil Gladys is the worst of all. She is like to many mother's I have seen over the years. Very manipulative, and doesn't everything they can to ruin their children's lives whether on purpose or purely by accident. So she gets "Movie Mom too Close to a Real Evil Mom" Award. Can't believe I totally forgot about her. Good call.
Trench coat = film noir lol
...and Venetian blinds.
And fadora hats.
and smoke, lots of smoke
And sad, lonely men
And ciggaretes
Plato did not write the „Odyssey“! That was Homer.
Plato wrote about philsophical themes in form of dialogues, Homer lived much earlier and wrote epic poetry.
Did Homer write it before or after Bart was born?
Xulius Caesar, After but before Lisa.
thank you was just going to comment on this!
thank you lmao i was like uh time out
As a film noir lover it's so difficult to pick up just 10 titles. I would say more:
-City Streets
-Scarface (1932)
-The Man who Knew too Much
-G Men
-The Glass Key
-Shadow of a Doubt
-Murder, my Sweet
-The Woman in the Window
-Double Indemnity
-Detour
-The Chase
-The Killers
-Nightmare Alley
-The Lady from Shanghai
-Dark Passage
-Naked City
-Pitfall
-CrissCross
-White Heat
-The Crooked Way
-Dead or Alive
-Stray Dog
-The Third Man
-Where the Sidewalk Ends
-Mystery Street
-Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
-Woman on the Run
-The Asphalt Jungle
-Strangers on a Train
-Man Bait
-Kansas City Confidential
-The Big Heat
-The Good Die Young
-Crime Wave
-Dial "M" for Murder
-Suddenly
-Hands Off the Loot
-The Big Combo
-Los Peces Rojos
-Rififi
-Accused of Murder
-The Killing
-The Price of Fear
-The Long Haul
-The Line-up
-Rusty Knife
-Touch of Evil
-A Sangre Fría
-Odds Against Tomorrow
-The Sleeping Beast Within
-The Last Gunfight
-Blast of Silence
-Experiment in Terror
-A Tiro Limpio
-High and Low
-Youth of the Beast
-Black Express
-Cruel Gun Story
-Escape from Japan
-El Salario del Crimen
-Cash Calls Hell
-Le deuxième souffle
-Point Blank
-A Colt Is My Passport
-Le Samourai
-Massacre Gun
I think I can stop already
Kiss me Deadly
No Maltese Falcon?
Looper
I’m over here thinking i’ve seen a good amount of stuff and then I see a comment like this😂😂. I can do nothing but respect how enormously deep your bag is.
What kind of pace are you watching at? I’ve watched over 1100 films over the last 5 years since I really became interested and I feel like if I went any harder I’d get burnt out
"Forget it, Jake -- it's Chinatown." I never go a week without saying that -- to myself or someone else.
It's at least a daily part of my life!
leviathanmg I'm glad to know I'm not alone. It applies to so much.
You’re no longer alone.
One of the greatest movies....
Love Chinatown but its neo-noir
Cowboy Bebop is an anime that falls into the film noir category in a space cowboy setting.
It's definitely sci-fi noir.
I would tend to agree that it has Film Noir elements. But because of the comedic elements, it falls a bit short.
I don’t know, I think that’s really stretching it. Cowboy Bebop doesn’t really feel noir.
@Kevin can't noir be funny a little? Does the characters have to be dark and miserable all the time? Lol
100% noir
Well I love film noir, especially classic noir. This is definitely one of the very best and most comprehensive definitions/break downs I have ever seen or read. Awesome video!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!
Great video. I will use this in my Film Studies class.
A couple more elements in Film Noir is the influence of German Expressionism and the 6-1 lighting ratio, heavy use of shadow, and often an atmosphere of smoke, or fog.
Keep them coming, they are much appreciated.
Much appreciated, I tried to avoid the visual analysis of the genre because I feel like it is more than that, but of the 1940's/50's "golden age" of film noir, the smoke, fog, shadows, and darkness is an essential part of it.
Hi, I'm a Literature and Cinema Teacher: yours is truly a Great Video, not superficial yet not too deep into the subject, entertaining, suggesting plenty of good movies (watched some of them but still many missing), humble in giving definitions, dynamic. Great work!!!
Classic noir are Black & White films with these themes from the 40s & 50s. Neo noir are color movies with these kinds of themes like Chinatown or Blade Runner.
Film NOIR has to black and white. There can be none of that chiaroscuro in a color film.
@@steveweinstein3222 Exactly I turned off this video when he claimed films of today can be noir.He doesnt even mention chiaroscuro!Noir has to be chiascuro AND criminal elements/themes in said film.ie Leave her to Heaven is not noir,White Heat isnt noir,I dont even consider Sunset boulevard noir,its a drama with a crime in it,but not noir
@@steveweinstein3222 chiaroscuro doesn’t have to be black and white lmao
Yea one of the main defining traits of noir is the black and white, because just those simple colors change the emotion so much and make everything more dark and sinister.
@@Gos1234567 so you're saying I cannot make a black and white film today... You can buy the movie Logan in black and white
Edit: make a noir film put a black and white filter on it simple
My first entry into Noir is oddly Max Payne 1 lol. still remains one of my favorite examples of Noir in video games. It felt more Noir than L.A. Noir and I know they were going for fundamentally different feels.
I think Max Payne is more of neo-noir?
@@alltimegamer1343 max Payne 3 yeah, 1 and 2 no
As a student of film way back in the 80s, we studied a lot about the genre (I do consider it a genre). We investigated a great deal the influence of Joseph Von Sternberg (1894-1969) films and how they set a lot of the tones and themes of film noir to come.
Beyond the obvious elements like the chiaroscuro lighting, oblique camera angels, emotional intensity, especially through the music, and the emphasis on hard light and shadow, the essential thematic elements IMO are the femme fatale character and the main character's demise. 'He' has to go down, either literally or figuratively. That's why Double Indemnity is almost unanimously considered to be the epitome of Film Noir. As the film begins, the main character is already dying (met his demise) as he recounts his demise by the femme fatale.
didn't know I was waiting for this video
Well I'm glad you could see it!
Thank you so much for this! Im writing a paper on film noir, so this really helps gather my ideas.
You just taught me more in this 8 min video than my teacher did in a whole year
This essay is great at describing what makes a noir. I love the Max Payne trilogy and to many they think because of the setting Max Payne 3 doesn't count as noir but based on all of the examples you've shown Max Payne 3 is most definitely a noir story. I also highly recommend the game to anyone, it's very well crafted.
Ripthefalcon That and LA Noire are great games that cover the genre of Noir
Drive is a great modern example.
Neo noir
Film Noir is not a genre its a mood, its a feeling.
I'm so appreciative that you list the spoilers in the description!
For myself, I've seen many but not all but more so, so I can share it with good conscience.
Good on you.
Yes! You included a clip from blue ruin. The whole time all I could think was "does blue ruin count as noir?". Thanks for clearing it up for me
Private Investigator + Fedora = Film Noir.
Don't forget the cig!
Film Noir is my favorite genre. I always want to learn & understand more ; and I believe it is still being defined. This was a great piece in expanding my knowledge of Noir. I don't see how it can ever be a lost genre of film. It is, to this day still evolving. It was actually "Chinatown,"(1974) , that got me hooked. That's a somewhat harsh way of saying it ; but ,, "Chinatown ," had an overpowering effect on me. As a result , I try to watch as many Film Noirs as I can . I must add that, Gloria Grahame, to me, is the most impressive, & haunting of all the Femme Fatales on screen.
Blade Runner and Cowboy Bebop got me hooked.
An excellent video essay that scratches the surface of the definition of Film Noir. I really enjoyed it. You could definitely expand this into a longer film.
Make sure you tune in Saturday at 7AM PST!
Robert Pattinson and The Batman is neo noir. Saw it last night and it was amazing
I'm writing a noir at the moment,and this was very helpful. Keep up the good work!
Great video! The atmosphere of the 1940s Noir (the dark, "the world might not be so great after all") tone is really what I love about that era.
Thank you! And I'm the same way, definitely one of the highlights of the era!
All the directors who fled the Nazis had first-hand experience.
Plato didn't write the Odyssey, Homer did. Other than that, great analysis. Kinda makes me think about Burton's Batman movies. Specifically Batman Returns, what with Catwoman being that quintessential femme fatale. I just wish those films could've played up to that Noir archetype a bit more.
Thanks for pointing that out, something slipped through the cracks while recording, and somehow I didn't notice when I was editing the video...
I didn't know Homer Simpson wrote the Odyssey...
Ciarán Laverty even batman the animated series has some film noir influences with some art deco too
I always thought it was called 'noir' because the lighting was done in such a way to create a spooky shadow effect.
Now I know differently!
Very good short. Obviously so much left out due to how short it was but I enjoyed it. I love Film Noir. Not sure how to define it, always. Dark, Relativistic, often gritty, and true to life in uncomfortable ways. I have more but must leave a lot out too, due to the shortness of comments section. Don't want to be longer than the documentary itself. Thank you for doing it.
Great video. I'm showing this to my kids for our family film festival night. Thank you.
Yeah good take on this. Noir means dark in french so that could be in plot, theme, and setting combined. I think you describe classic noir well. The sub genres are certainly extensive, but its influence can be seen widely in many films in various forms to the present day.
Thank you so much for making this video!! It introduced me my love for noir films and started binge-watching them. Im trying to write a noir-inspired story and this video was such a great help. Liked and subscribed 😁😁🙏
Thanks for having made this video because I was confused before but now I understand much better! So well done!!!
Great video man: just one thing: the Odessy is not by Plato, but Homerus :|
Thank you, and thank you for pointing that out, it was a total oversight on my behalf!
odyssey**
James De Bello is homer
@@JacksMovieReviews Odd you didn't see that one coming (and going) 🙂 JIM
This helped me a lot! I finally understand why I love the aesthetics and themes of film noir
Always my goal!
Really enjoyed this. Doing some research for a short comic, and this has helped a ton. Great job!
It’s an interesting topic of discussion because you can tell that even directors today struggle with their definition of it. Definitely worth diving into what makes noir distinctly noir.
man, loved the video, i just watched Chinatown on school but didnt understand what all the fuzz about the movie was about, your video made me looked at it differently. The movie had a much stronger impact when it was realesed because of its setting.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed! I love Chinatown, I really only talked about it from one angle, and the briefly, there's a lot of great content to the movie!
AWSOME piece .......cant live without FILMNOIR!
It's such an interesting genre! I'm glad to talk with another fan!
Is like dark mirror reflection of our society, is this a right assumption? Like you said, normally has the femme fatale, the detective, the anti-hero and shows the dark side of our society, the underworld, instead of a bright view of things.
Those 40s & 50s movies were based on books that were written in the 30s during the great depression
What are the conflicts you would expect to see in this genre?
@@amayacunningham2034
Did u ever saw Sin City, Dark City or the Watchmen?
I agree completely with your definition. I've read that film noir came about because with the end of WWII bringing so much death and misery, people could no longer swallow the typical Hollywood Donna Reed style happy endings. They knew in their gut that sometimes the good guy lost. I was surprised that there was no mention of my favorite noir "Detour". To me, it contains the basic template.
I think the big kicker with Sunset Boulevard is that the opening scene finds the protagonist floating dead in the pool. Already you are set up for his 'downfall'
A masterpiece by director Billy Wilder
"plato's the odyssey" I nearly died
"play-doh's the odyssey"
Recently found your channel and this is one of the many great and helpful videos I have found!
Awesome, glad you enjoyed!
Some recommended films of this genre of which there are many - "Double Indemnity"-""The Maltese Falcon"- "Cape Fear"(the 1962 version)- "HangThe Gallows High"-and one that is unique in it/s presentation "The Night Of The Hunter".
orchardist1965 The Night of the Hunter is a great film.
The "Asphalt Jungle" (1950, John Huston) would be another one.
+saigokun Agreed.
orchardist1965 "Laura," "The Big Sleep ," "In a Lonely Place," Kiss Me Deadly," " The Big Heat " ,"The Lady From Shanghai."
"Chinatown;" " Body Heat;" & "The Talented 'Mr. Ripley ;"just to name a few. Must add "Touch of Evil ;" & of course , "Citizen Kane," which I know some may not consider it 'Noir,' It certainly has many elements of ' Noir. ' Finally. William Wyler 's
Classic , "The Letter," who l.had the great pleasure of meeting.
Cape Fear and The Night of The Hunter are not noir. The former is a thriller and, arguably, a grand guignol horror. The latter is a biblical fairy tale though and visuals are far more surreal than noir.
Just found you. Great piece. Loved it Thank you.
Homer wrote "The Odyssey" not Plato 3:34
Jack, my perspective is that noir films can be defined by there cynical tone because over the years lots of traits of it like feme fatale , detectives etc are have gone but it's cynical tone always remains. Although lots of films considered as noir like John Wick, Heat and Collateral have only that visual tone and not the cynical tone itself.
I have to disagree about Noir continuing on. I think Noir is part of a time period. Once you leave the time period then it’s something else. Blade runner for example had a noir feel, and was sometimes referred to as a tech noir film, but in truth was the beginning of the sci-if genre Cyberpunk on film. And just as Cyberpunk is a genre reflective of a time period and is no longer the same once it leaves it, the same is true for noir.
Defenstrator they continue it’s just very underrated/ hard to find films
Interesting. As a cyberpunk fan I had a similar observation recently. The genre has lost its relevence in today's culture.
Hey I’m sure it was an honest mistake, but The Odyssey was written by Homer.
This essay is really good! You deserve a lot more subs man. Keep it up the good work.
Thank you and will do!
Thanks for posting this! I am trying to understand Film Noir a bit more in an effort to understand The Big Lebowski. This has been a big help :)
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed! If you haven't be sure to check out my video on The Big Lebowski!
Hahaha, I should have guessed there might be one! Thanks I will :D
Thank you for this free-wheeling discussion about film noir. Greetings from Marian in UK.
The novelty of the psychological motive in the 1940s, deeply rooted in every individual for good and evil, is given center stage in film noir, regardless of current events or in spite of them. The bottom line is futility, which only some people will experience in their lives,.These stories are theirs while the rest of us are curious, even spellbound (haha), wondering if we could survive the same fate! New film noir has special effects which provide colorful, daring escape routes that defy gravity instead of falling prey to it on the sharp cliffs on a raging sea. Love the cliffs!!!
Is the typical film shots, camera movements, lighting, editing techniques, or use of sound?
Damn loving that intro. Great video by the way.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed!
thank you sooo much for this!
Nice to see montages of classics, even if classic individual shots (such as Sebastian's mother's ruthlessness illustrated by how she LIGHTS her cigarette) are eclipsed to mere glimpses. By the way, a major point misinterpreted here regarding NOTORIOUS is that the character alleged by "Jack" to be a femme fatale is actually a victim in perpetual descent and that she absolutely does NOT fall in love with the Nazi that our government FORCES her to marry.
your voice is perfect for this genre
very well done, thank you, good look at all aspects of it.
Thanks, Jack. I'm teaching a college-level course on hardboiled fiction/film noir, and this will be a nice introduction on the first day of class.
Of course, go ahead, I would be honored. If possible, it would be great for you to mention my channel name to try and get a little bit more attention.
I definitely will!
I think you're taking liberties with the true definition of noir. They're traits or tropes that are peculiar to Film Noir. Some samples cited would be more in line with character driven dramas. Subscribed nonetheless!
For me one of the key themes is *justice over sentimentality*.
Great video! Now I know what noir film is. Great job.
Thank you!
I consider noir a genre as much as any other genre. All genres can be blurred but more clearly defined by how many boxes are checked. I guess the only controversy are exactly what those boxes are. I think that film noir is so hard to categorize because it's more about how it makes you feel rather than something you can put into words.
It’s really a matter of semantics, but I think it’s useful to split the categorization into three groups: noir, film-noir, and neo-noir. The real distinction between film- and neo-noir, to me, just has to do with what year the film was made. A real “every square is a rectangle, not every rectangle is a square” situation
Very nice video, Jack. I never thought about noir films reflecting the times in which they were made, great insight there. One comment on "Notorious": I don't feel Alicia "falls in love" with Sebastian, I see it as the assignment given to her by Devlin (Grant) and Prescott (Calhern). The goal is marry him and get his secrets. It's Sebastian that falls in love with her (to his peril!).
That may have been poor wording, but I do feel like she begins to care for him, I haven't seen the movie in a few years, I watched some of it for the video, but not much.
All films reflect the times in which they are made. How can they not?
All film is about other film.
@@JacksMovieReviews , One thing Hitch never let's us forget is that people are just people with both lovable and terrible traits. For me the best noir films are actually tinted. Jim
Anyone know the name of the movie with the girl at 0:32
The Big Sleep (1946)
What about chiaroscuro?
Jack, I would also add to your recommend list Eddie Muller's Dark City.
I'll have to check it out, I'm a big Eddie Muller fan!
I guess I've confused Film Noir with the classic Black and White film style as opposed to the type of story. I love the dramatic composition, lighting and the film techniques of the old black and whites.
Thinking any black and white movie with a crime element is Film Noir is very common...people do argue about what is and isn't Noir
so maybe it's not perfectly clear but it's perfectly clear it's a genre
of film with its own style but just copying the style isn't Noir, Noir is Noir is it not?
"I know it when I see it" and it often is about a woman with a past and a man with no future...
and the darkness and desperation
of the human heart...with no happy endings, broken hearts, broken dreams, broken people, broken promises...
people trying to get across, come across, bear a cross without being double crossed.
Lotso Huggin Bear has a film noir segment in Toy Story 3! LOL
I define noir by the look of it,not theme. The shadow,lighting plays an important of the definition.
So film noir is more a style than a genre then?
Thanks for providing this exposition. // My favorite plot within this genre is that of a criminal whose final crime goes awry. It is somehow enjoyable to experience pity for the downfall of a flawed character, with "The Asphalt Jungle" as my favorite. The original "Blade Runner" was also superb although with a very different plot. // I will be on the lookout for a chance to watch "Sunset Boulevard" and "Kiss Me Deadly". // Cheers and thanks again!
Good, concise intro to Noir. A few favorites 'Kiss Me Deady' (seen here) - 'the great whatsit' ...plus Mike Hammer's uber cool state of the art answering machine, 'The Asphalt Jungle', 'Odds Against Tomorrow'.
That is a good start to the genre!
Can’t help watching Nora Desmond and thinking Carol Burnett!!! 😂
Thanks for this video! It was very informative.
Thanks, this review was very interesting! :) You'll such a gem among the movie youtubers.
Also, I have a few spontanious suggestions for future dissections.. just some movies i'd like to be interpreted more hehe. It's so hard to not comment already regarding what you'll about to experience in those movies since most people have very strong opinions about them, but i guess it's nicer to just judge yourself.
1.-The Death And The Maiden by Roman Polanski
2.-Martyrs by Pascal Laugier
3.-Kairo by Kyoshi Kurosawa
4.-Excision by Richard Bates Jr.
(! All trailers might be misleading to some extend- exept for Nr.1 but especially for Nr.2!)
Warmest greetings from Germany!
Awesome, I'm glad you enjoyed! I've seen half of those, I may cover it, but we'll have to see!
Love it. Thank you ❤
5:21 in 1980s
the three people around the computer. please, what movie is that?
Paul Schrader long ago determined that film noir is not a genre, but a style.
Notorious is my favorite film, and 2020 has become "The Year of Living Dangerously..." Talk about out of control!
Very cool. We love your voice (no sarcasm)
Film Noir is the genre of holding snub nose pistols close to your waist pointed in the general direction of the target.
Also, fast talking and high trousers.
Great video. One item: Homer wrote The Iliad and The Odyssey, not Plato (3:32)
‘ . . . being manipulated every sense of the way. ‘ Every STEP of the way, junior.
I'm w/ you. I beleive film noir has really never stopped. Just got watered down but it's influence is really undeniable. The Batman is definitely noir. Total noir & could mean it's about to make a big comeback but even films like the Terminator was pretty noir. Watch how dark it gets but also newer movies like D.C. noir. It's still out there
Good stuff you got here. Thanks for this content.
Much appreciated, I'm glad you enjoyed!
That closeup of Ingrid, around 4:01, demonstrates the perfect use of filtration in front of the lens..probably gauze. It's perfect. Gauze also causes jewelry to dazzle up. I'd love to know just exactly what kind of gauze was used for these effects. I hear nylons, I hear rare silks....anyone really know?
From what I know various techniques were used back in the day. The very first thing is of course soft lighting to avoid shadows (a lot of soft fill light and/or bouncing off from matte white surfaces). Anything to avoid hard shadows. Correct lighting is the most important even before any filter is applied.
Many times vaseline on glass (front of the matte box) was used for controlled blur. The dazzling "star" effect was often done with special filters that had fibers embedded in a square or checker/diamond pattern. These were popular until the 1970s and even available for amateur film cameras. And yes: gauze and nylon stockings were also used, but they cause haze and not star pattern sparkles. I also suspect that (at least later when film stock became faster and with higher latitude - during the 1940s) the camera negative was slightly overexposed to reduce film grain and further soften the facial skin texture. Hope this helps.
Sometimes, variations of Vasoline.
Plato’s “The Odyssey”??
Try Homer
Homer Simpson wrote" The Odyssey"? But he's just a fictional character, and dumb too!
Frédéri Banon love that from you bro
Don't you mean Homer not Plato?
Noir is more of a technical than a story genre.
Isn't Barbara Standwyck in Double Indemnity the greatest Femme Fatale ever? I would say greatest Evil Mother Ever Award would go to Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate. There are so many great ones it's hard to really name just a couple.
That was the trouble I had with this video, film noir is such a broad genre it is hard to single in on just a few elements!
Jason Cromwell My votes for Angela too, w/ honorable mention to Gladys Cooper as Bette Davis'S Mother in , "Now Voyager." That is a movie that walks the fence on being 'Noir.' It certainly has elements of 'Noir.'
I believe Barbara Stanwyck is in the top 2 greatest Femme Fatales, w/ Gloria Grahame as my choice for # 1.
B Wyland I concur. While someone like Angela or Mrs Bates or Carrie's mom are all pure evil Gladys is the worst of all. She is like to many mother's I have seen over the years. Very manipulative, and doesn't everything they can to ruin their children's lives whether on purpose or purely by accident. So she gets "Movie Mom too Close to a Real Evil Mom" Award. Can't believe I totally forgot about her. Good call.
I'm developing a feature length film noire film, this is helping me a lot. Thank you Jack!
Awesome! Glad I could help!
'pick up on south street' & 'night of the hunter.'
My favorite film noirs incorporate one of my other loves, art deco.
Therefore the big Lebowski is now my most favourite noir.
Plato's The Odyssey?!
awsome video, keep it up
Will do, thanks Ed!
I'm sure you mean Homer's The Odyssey not Plato
Plato’s The Odyssey?