Noir Cinema in The Criterion Collection
- Michael Daly
- Sep 22, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 23, 2019
Hello readers. My name is Mike Daly and I will be starting a blog about The Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a home video distribution company that releases 'important classic and contemporary films.' Each blog post will be about a specific theme instead of just blogging about one film. I first became aware of The Criterion Collection in 2013. Since then, I have watched many movies that are in The Criterion Collection from different countries and time periods that have shaped my perspective on film. My first post will be on film noir.
I find film noir difficult to define in simplest terms, other than the literal translation of noir meaning black in french. It is now accepted as specific genre of film, but for me noir is about a specific mood, tone and look. Noir cinema is difficult to categorize because there are an incredible amount of components that could fit into classical noir cinema. These components usually revolve around a criminal underworld, urban environments, existentialism, voice-over narration, smoking, private detectives, power dynamics and moral dilemma's. There are of course a lot more elements, but those are some of the major ones. The 1940's and 50's is generally regarded as the peak movement of noir cinema, at least in American Hollywood with movies such as The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Double Indemnity (1944). And these movies were influenced by the German Expressionism movement with it's low-key black and white lighting. The questions of whether film noir is a genre or a specific style and structure is not really important, but those aspects are still intriguing and involves great debate of what noir cinema really is. Here are some must see noir films that are in The Criterion Collection.
1. The Third Man (1949) Directed by Carol Reed
The Third Man is a British film noir that is set in post World War II Vienna. The story revolves around an American who travels to Vienna for a job and finds out that his friend has mysteriously turned up dead. The rest of the narrative revolves around the main protagonist investigating his friend's death.
The Third Man is a great example of a film that relies on look and mood. Not only does it display a harsh, high contrast type of lighting, but the different type of angles that are used in the movie create a more atmospheric and disoriented look. The Dutch camera angle is utilized frequently throughout the movie. This is when the camera is tilted on to one side where it unbalances the composition of the shot. This technique was used heavily by the German Expressionism movement and you clearly see the inspiration here.
My Personal Experience with The Third Man. I first saw The Third Man right around when I first watched Citizen Kane (1940) and Touch of Evil (1958). Even though Orson Welles didn't direct this, I had these preconceived notions that his character would be a large part of the movie. I was wrong. He's only in the movie for brief moments, yet his presence still resinated with me the most. A moment that stood out for me is the scene on the ferris wheel where Joseph Cotten and Orson Wells meet. It's a memorable sequence because again, everything is unbalanced. Were really high up and the frame of each shot keeps tilting. The ferris wheel is an astonishing set piece, but it is also a showcase's Welles talent as an actor. He puts on an array of emotions without much dialogue. His facial expressions, the way he moves, and his overall body language make such an impact on this memorable sequence.
2. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) Directed by Robert Aldrich
Kiss Me Deadly is about private investigator who decides one night to pickup a women who is hitchhiking. His decision sends him down horrifying pathways of paranoia.
Kiss Me Deadly is all about paranoia and was released during the height of the Cold War. The film is filled with many symbolic imagery and narrative moments of Cold War fear. It has all the trademarks of noir, but pushed it to another level where it might of started contemporary film noir, neo-noir. It's also more of a deconstruction of the private detective character. The film is very low budget that features many disjointed scenes, but is still able to present an incredible film noir style.
My Personal Experience with Kiss Me Deadly Kiss Me Deadly was one of the first Criterion movies I purchased. It was the most polarizing noirs I had seen. It was not like any of the ones I had watched before. I can't discuss this movie without mentioning the opening scene and opening credits. For me, an opening scene should suck you right into the movie's world. An opening scene should tell you almost everything you need to know about the ideas behind the film. Kiss Me Deadly was that for me. We see a hopeless women running on this country road in the middle of the night screaming and crying while trying to hitchhike. She's obviously lost, but we don't know why. When she get's picked up by a man, the opening credits begin and the credits roll backwards. That's when I knew I was experience something completely different. This movie was doing the complete opposite from all the classical noirs I had previously watched.
3. Rififi (1955) Directed by Jules Dassin
Rififi is a french heist film. Some might say it is the ultimate heist film. Four ex-con men plan to rob a jewelry shop. The movie is focused on the meticulous planning of how a robbery goes. It's most famous 30 minute sequence that is free of dialogue and music has influenced many films. Jules Dassin gave us many other noir films such as The Naked City (1948) and Brute Force (1947).
My Personal Experience with Rififi. Rifif is the most recent movie I have watched out of these four. It is fresh in my mind. It is a movie I wanted to see for a very long time and I already knew about it's most iconic scene, but even knowing that bit of information, it still created a suspenseful feeling on me because of how sound is utilized in the infamous heist scene, whether it's the sound of the jewelry that is being stolen or the drilling noise inside a ceiling. These moments of course stayed with me, but as I watched this movie I thought to myself, what's next? How will the 32 minute heist sequence transition to the next section of the movie. How will anything after the heist the scene be just as thrilling. Rififi is a movie that is remembered for one sequence, yet everything before and after the heist is worth noting too. It is brutal and suspenseful with many stand out moments.
4. The Killing (1956) Directed by Stanley Kubrick
The Killing is another heist film that is directed by Stanley Kubrick. Most people associate Stanley Kubrick with landmark films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980), but his first professional film is essential and classical noir. Like Rififi, this movie focuses on the the detailed planning that goes into a heist. The Killing however incorporates voice over narration and is relied on non-linear storytelling. The Killing has more of brisker pace than Rififi. Clocking in at under 90 minutes, The Killing sets up all the characters and plot tensions which awards us with a memorable conclusion.
My Personal Experience with The Killing. The Killing was one of the last Stanley Kubrick films I had watched. I'd already laughed at the absurdity of Dr. Strangelove (1964), I was already terrified of the blood gushing in The Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980) and I was in awe of the mysteriousness and grandness of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). A heist movie from Kubrick seemed interesting to me. What I remembered about The Killing that it had a lot of the conventional elements of classical noir cinema, but it still displayed Kubrick's trademark's, a dense narrative, dark ironic tone, and striking imagery. My favorite moment of the film is when Johnny's suitcase filled with money breaks open on the runway. The money that was stolen from the heist flying everywhere from the aircraft propellors is one of my favorite images in noir cinema, but in all of movies as well.
There are many other film noirs in The Criterion Collection worth checking out such as Detour (1945), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), and The Asphalt Jungle (1950), but these four films have an essential noir style and are all artistically well crafted while being highly entertaining as well.
Stay tuned for my next post which will focus on Japanese filmmaker Seijun Suzuki.
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