Change Your Image
esman12
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Domingo de carnaval (1945)
Missed potential for early 20th-century Madrid's Carnival
Domingo de carnaval (1945) could have been much more interesting had it used the full potential of what early 20th-century Madrid during Carnival days has to offer, both in terms of aesthetics and atmosphere. Instead of that, it happens to be a mediocre (and very talkative) whodunit set during Carnival days in Madrid. Main elements include invasive dialogues, lack of tension and a lazy cinematography. Audience's interest in finding who is the real killer unfortunately vanishes after a few minutes. All in all, the sole interest of this film lies in the footages and portrait it paints of the carnival attractions and parades of that time.
Yek ghadam ta marg (1961)
A lesson in film noir cinematography from Iran
During a violent robbery, one of the thieves gets severely injured, so they take their friend to a doctor's house and force him to perform an emergency surgery taking his family hostage. Meanwhile, a girl part of the gang meets a man who happens to be a police detective. Things won't go as planned.
One Step to Death (1961) is a true showcase of the best that Iranian cinema has to offer in terms of cinematography and film noir tropes. The opening scene showing the robbery and the criminals' escape as well as the surgery without anesthetic are among the most memorable ones.
Although I consider the scenario to be weaker than the overall atmosphere and stylistic elements (including the music) in this movie, Samuel Khachikian (the director) and Ghodratallah Ehsani (the cinematographer) demonstrate here a genuine chemistry that had not been seen in film noir since Anthony Mann and John Alton. The use of deep camera angles, haunting shadows and facial close-ups is on point. This movie will definitely please any film noir enthusiast.
Delhoreh (1962)
Film noir in Tehran
Delhoreh is an intriguing film noir/horror hybrid by Iranian director Samuel Khachikian that was released in 1962. The wife of a wealthy industrialist gets trapped in a blackmailing spiral from which the only way out seems to be murder, but is it? It does remind of French noir masterpieces such as Henri-Georges Clouzot's, although the American influence and haunting aesthetics probably inspired by John Alton remain present throughout the movie, making the strong anxiety the main character suffers from very contagious to the audience. A must see for all cinema lovers who really wish to dig more deeply into the film noir universe.
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
"Which is which?"
Three men very different from each other gather for a bank robbery. Dave Burke (Ed Begley) is a ruined former police officer who plans a heist in a local bank so he can finally earn some big money. To do so, he needs two other men: psychopathic ex-con Earle Slater (Robert Ryan) and down-on-his-luck nightclub entertainer Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte). Although they initially both refused the job, their need for money will eventually bring these three men together.
Several elements should be mentioned here to explain how great this film noir truly is. The sharp and clean photography by Joseph C. Brun ("Walk East on Beacon!", the "Inner Sanctum" TV series, "Edge of the City") coupled with real-life NYC filming locations gives the movie its genuine noir atmosphere. Recurrent close-up shots and the Dutch angle used for one of the final scenes are mesmerizing. It is also important to mention here that infra-red film was actually used by director Robert Wise to give "a certain kind of mood in some (outdoor) sequences" in bright day, which gives that claustrophobic vibe to it.
On top of that, the movie is full of symbolism throughout the plot. For instance, the damaged doll lost in the mud represents Ingram's abandonment of his family after he accepted the job, while the car keys materialize the protagonists' downfall.
Finally, social topics are also part of the story, with racism being involved from the beginning to the end in a quite ironic way in this late but innovative American film noir.
Definitely Wise's best effort.
Au nom de la loi (1932)
Early French film noir in semi-documentary style
Directed by Maurice Tourneur (father of Jacques Tourneur), this fast-paced proto-noir tells the story of French policemen investigating a drug trafficking case after one of them got killed. I would not consider it a masterpiece, although it is still nice to see one of the main influences of film noir "à la française" outside of later American productions. One of the best things about this film is the filming locations, which really aim at showing how the French underworld looked like in the 1930s. The intensive use of contrasting lighting, characteristic of film noir, should also be highlighted.
Section des disparus (1956)
Love and hate triangle in Argentina
A Franco-Argentine production means you get the best of both worlds : French director Pierre Chenal, actors Maurice Ronet and Nicole Maurey finding themselves in 1950s Argentina supported by cinematographer Américo Hoss and actress Inda Ledesma. In this underrated South American B noir, a wealthy woman starts flirting with insanity after the tragic death of her husband who openly had an affair with a younger and cuter cabaret dancer before he died. Jealousy and despair will soon lead the characters to chaos. Although I would not list it among the best film noirs I saw, "Sections des disparus" is entertaining and remains a great example of what a Franco-Argentine production looks like.
Meurtre en 45 tours (1960)
The biter bit
Here is another underrated French film noir. With a plot inspired by French dynamic duo Boileau-Narcejac's (Les Diaboliques, Les Louves) novel "A coeur perdu", the story focuses on Eve (Danielle Darrieux), whose husband Maurice Faugères (Jean Servais) is said to have been killed in a car accident. The widow and her lover Jean (Michel Auclair), who both wished for Maurice's death just before the accident so they could live their love together, quickly fall into turmoil as Eve starts receiving vinyls with her dead husband voice saying that he will be back soon... Plot twists are numerous and the viewer gets played often during the movie, just like the widow and her lover do. Photography by Marcel Weiss is on point and really captures the state of fear the two protagonists go through. A minor but solid French noir.
Cette nuit là... (1958)
French film noir at its finest
I must have watched hundreds of film noir until now, including many French ones, and I can tell that "Cette nuit là..." is, in my opinion, a true masterpiece. Directed by Maurice Cazeneuve, this movie tells the story of Jean, artistic director of a fashion magazine in Paris, married to the beautiful Sylvie. They both work for André Reverdy, who openly covets Sylvie, which of course frustrates Jean more and more... Toxic love, big money, sexual tension, intense paranoia and cold blackmail : you get it all with this one. The Altonesque photography provided by Léonce-Henri Burel is in itself a definition of what "film noir" means as a style and perfectly depicts a mesmerizing portrait of Paris in the 1950s. Based on Michel Lebrun's novel titled "Un silence de mort" ("A deadly silence") released in 1957, the construction of the plot and the different characters were designed in such a way that one never gets bored while watching this film. No wonder why director Stanley Kubrick himself praised this French film noir as one of the best movies ever made...
Ankoku no ryoken (1959)
A lost Suzuki noir back from hell
As a huge fan of film noir, I had to wait for several years before I managed to find and watch this rare Nikkatsu movie directed by the great Seijun Suzuki (Take Aim at the Police Van, Branded to Kill). It tells the story of a jazz trombonist who dives into Tokyo's sin-city after being accused of the murder of his girlfriend in order to find out who actually killed her. Fast-paced, dark and stylish, this lost gem will please film noir fans thanks to its atmosphere, soundtrack and expressionist shots. This is a genuine Japanese film noir, with the involvement of quite unusual topics for that time (heroin, homosexuality) but a rather disappointing ending.
Les louves (1957)
True friendship and fake love
A forgotten French noirish crime movie. Wicked, delusive and hopeless are the adjective that depict « Les Louves » the best in my opinion. After the accidental death of his friend Bernard with whom he escaped jail, Gervais steals his identity and meets Hélène, a woman who corresponded with Bernard but who never got to meet him, as well as her sister Agnès. Manipulation and deaths will follow. The plot has a really good potential but it felt like the climax could have been more intense for this one. The voluntarily slow pace is not a problem since it directly contributes to its confined atmosphere, with the trap closing on the prey little by little... The great performances from Micheline Presle and François Périer should also be highlighted. I would describe this movie as a lesser-known cousin of "Les Diaboliques", which was actually written by the same duo : Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.
La femme bourreau (1968)
French New Wave meets Psycho
I read online about this little-known French movie and wanted to watch it for some time. Spring 1968 in Paris : after a serial killer got executed, murders of prostitutes in Pigalle continue while the police starts investigating the case. The movie is not bad and has a nice cinematography provided by Gérard de Battista that really gives a noir feel to it. The soundtrack by Bernard Vitet is just excellent and the political context of that time is well reflected in the movie. However, the ending is quite predictable and the jump cuts did not really do the job in my opinion. I recommend this movie to hardcore film noir lovers like me and to French New Wave fans. If you don't like disturbing films, stay away from this one.