Film noir

[Martin]

Not sure if it is really Film Noir but I have always thought of Hitchcock's Rebecca my favorite.

[bugen]

Rope (1948) - directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Arthur Laurents (screenplay), Patrick Hamilton (play)

Two men, morally and intellectually superior, decide to commit a murder just for the thrill. They throw a party with the victim's friends and family in attendance and his body hidden in a chest in the room, but an old college professor (Stewart) gets suspicious.

The entire film takes place on one set, and despite the murder happening right at the film's opening, this one doesn't really get rolling until the guests arrive, particularly Jimmy Stewart. But man, it ratchets up the tension and is right up there with my favorite Hitchcock films. Loved it.

5-

[bugen]

Figured I'd make a new thread to gather comments from people on the best film noir. Here's a list of the ones I've seen as well as those that keep showing up near the top of various lists and need to be watched. I'll try to keep this updated with my own rating for each.

Anyone please add films you think are essential noir!

12 Angry Men
Ace in the Hole - 4+
Anatomy of a Murder - 5-
Angels with Dirty Faces - 4+ (precursor)
Asphalt Jungle - 5
Beat the Devil
Big Combo - 5-
Big Heat - 5
Big Sleep - 5- (4+)
Blast of Silence - 4
Blue Dahlia - 5-
Brute Force - 4+
Criss Cross - 5
Crossfire - 5-
D.O.A. - 5-
Dark Passage - 4
Desperate Hours - 4+ (5-)
Detour - 4+
Double Indemnity - 5
Gilda - 5-
Glass Key
Gun Crazy - 4+
Honeymoon Killers - 5- (5)
In a Lonely Place - 5
Killers
Killing - 5-
Kiss Me Deadly - 5-
Lady From Shanghai - 5-
Lady in the Lake
Laura - 5-
Maltese Falcon - 5-
Mask of Dimitrios - 4+
Murder, My Sweet 5-
Naked City - 4
Night and the City - 4+ (unxpected, but excellent)
Night of the Hunter
Nightmare Alley - 4
No Man's Woman - 4
Notorious - 5-
Odd Man Out - 5
On Dangerous Ground - 4+ (5-)
On the Waterfront
Out of the Past - 5
Pickup on South Street - 5-
Postman Always Rings Twice - 4
Raw Deal - 4+ (5-)
Rebecca - 5
Roaring Twenties
Rope - 5-
Scarlet Street - 5
Shadow of a Doubt - 5-
Strangers on a Train - 5- (4+)
Sunset Boulevard - 5
Sweet Smell of Success
They Drive by Night - 4- (questionable noir)
Thieves' Highway - 4+
Third Man - 5
Touch of Evil - 5
Woman in the Window - 4+
Wrong Man - 5
White Heat - 4+


*Because the list and ratings are shaping up like they are, an additional comment should probably be included. Just in case anyone thinks, 'the ratings are all so high because he just likes everything,' please note this list was assembled by cross referencing numerous 'best of film noir' lists, as well as incorporating favorite noir as noted by the story experts on this forum. The films listed are all supposed to be bad-ass, and that seems to be bearing out.