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Chinatown (1974), a Neo-Noir Masterpiece
Chinatown (1974) is an impressive ode to the original film noir cycle, beautifully recreating the aura and inscrutability of the original black-and-whites while adding visual, thematic, and linguistic ‘color.’ The collapse of the Motion Picture Production Code and the drastically different social climate of the latter 20th-century enabled Chinatown to go where previous noir films Continue reading
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Breaking the Film Noir Mold, and the Viewer: The Killer Inside Me (2010)
Casey Affleck’s portrayal of Lou Ford in The Killer Inside Me (2010) is brilliant and cold. Something about his cheeks and upper lip simultaneously portray a stunning evil and nothing at all. That is what makes him an unusual noir leading man— he is never befuddled, never two things at once (cynical and kind, for Continue reading
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The Peculiar Eeriness of Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Like all film noir, death is a central aspect of the plot of Sunset Boulevard (1950). We begin with the dead man in the pool, Norma Desmond and Gillis’ first meeting involves a deceased chimp, Norma herself sleeps in an elaborate boat-shaped bed with high walls and satiny coverings, highly evoking a coffin. This is Continue reading
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Gun Crazy (1950) and its twist on the Femme Fatale
Laurie from Gun Crazy (1950) can easily slip into the mold of femme fatale, joining many other noir women who exude beauty and danger. Laurie, in fact, fills the mold completely; she does not become a femme fatale through the events of the film, she is not revealed to have secretly been a femme fatale Continue reading
