How to Choose a Classic Film Noir

We have the French to thank for the term "film noir," but plenty of American movies fit the category. If you like gritty urban settings and hard-boiled, jaded heroes battling shady characters and deceitful women, then you should love this movie genre. Finding the best film noir titles takes a little effort, but the payoff is always terrific.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet Access
• Classic Film Memorabilia
• Movie Tickets
• Movie Videos

1. Read about film noir in film history books such as those by Gerald Mast or David A. Cook. This will give you a clearer sense of the genre and its roots.
2. Use major search engines to do a little online research on film noir. Yahoo! and Google work well.
3. Start a list of film noir classics based on your reading and online searches.
4. Be sure to include such must-see standards as "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "This Gun for Hire" (1942), "Laura" and "Double Indemnity" (1944), "Murder, My Sweet" and "Scarlet Street" (1945), "The Killers" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946), "Out of the Past" and "Desperate" (1947), "Raw Deal," "The Lady From Shanghai" and "The Dark Past" (1948), "D.O.A." (1949), "The Asphalt Jungle" and "In a Lonely Place" (1950), "On Dangerous Ground" (1952), "The Big Heat" and "Pickup on South Street" (1953) and "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955).
5. Remember to add newer movies to your list as well, such as "Chinatown" (1974), "Body Heat" (1981) and "L.A. Confidential" (1997).
6. Look for local video stores that carry a good selection of film noir titles.
7. Watch for films on your list when you check television listings. Pay particular attention to cable stations such as American Movie Classics and Bravo.
8. Consider buying the titles you can't find. Here again, online sources, including Reel.com, will be helpful.

Tips & Warnings

• Make friends with other film noir buffs, in person and online. You'll find film noir clubs and forums in cyberspace. These can be great sources of titles for your must-see list.
• Seeing a vintage film such as Nicholas Ray's "They Live by Night" in a big-city theater can be great fun, especially on a foggy night.
• Watch out for remakes. Sometimes they can be major disappointments, especially when producers have given them "up" endings or manipulated the stories to take advantage of modern special effects. The original version of "Cape Fear" sticks to the gritty tradition of true film noir, but the remake with Robert DeNiro goes right over the top.
• Writers and directors who attempt to create modern film noir classics are likelier to fail than to succeed. So wait for new releases to pass muster with the critics before you don your gangster outfit and head for the theater.