Film Genres: Film noir

This filmography covers the noir titles released in the classic noir era, October 1940 to June 1962. All sub-genres are covered including British, western and science fiction.

This book is a guide to all of the films in this genre. Films listed in this book stop with the early 1990's.

This guide concentrates on films released between 1940 through 1959.

Film noir--literally "black cinema"--is the label customarily given to a group of black and white American films, mostly crime thrillers, made between 1940 and 1959. Today there is considerable dispute about what are the shared features that classify a noir film, and therefore which films should be included in this category. These problems are partly caused because film noir is a retrospective label that was not used in the 1940s or 1950s by the film industry as a production category and therefore its existence and features cannot be established through reference to trade documents. The Historical Dictionary of Film Noir is a comprehensive guide that ranges from 1940 to present day neo-noir. It consists of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, a filmography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on every aspect of film noir and neo-noir, including key films, personnel, themes, issues, influences, visual style, cycles of films, the representation of the city and gender, other forms, and noir's presence in world cinema. It is an essential reference work for all those interested in this important cultural phenomenon.

The earlier Film Noir Readers have all quite deliberately conveyed a sweeping overview of the classic period, demonstrating how broad and inclusive noir movies are. Film Noir Reader 4 moves in a different direction. Its purpose is to identify the key films and motifs of noir and to analyze in depth the prototypical pictures that, while vivid examples of certain cinematic themes, bend and break their molds to find new ways to enthrall and frighten us.

From 'The Maltese Falcon' (1941) to 'Touch of Evil' (1958), the classic film noir is easily recognizable for its unusual lighting, sinister plots, and feeling of paranoia. For critics and fans alike, these films defined an era. The Philosophy of Film Noir explores philosophical themes and ideas inherent in classic noir and neo-noir films, establishing connections to diverse thinkers ranging from Camus to the Frankfurt School.