This is a paid post, written by the New York Film Academy.
The New York Film Academy is a purveyor of great cinematography of any genre, but faculty staff at the filmmaking school particularly enjoy a good film noir, especially when using it to teach students the nuances of expressionism.
Here we unveil seven of the Academy’s favorite film noir flicks. Where possible, we’ve provided links to the full movies.
“White Heat” (1949, Raoul Walsh)
Starring: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O’Brien
James Cagney gives a matchless performance in “White Heat.”
Heist films don’t get any better than this. “White Heat” is a precursor to many of the great gangster and prison movies of the ’50s, albeit a lot grittier and a lot darker than the films it went on to inspire.
Virginia Mayo is a divine femme fatale, and James Cagney’s performance as psychotic mobster Cody Jarrett is electrifying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghapUv2Tp2I
“Sudden Fear” (1952, David Miller)
Starring: Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, Gloria Grahame
After a string of marvelous hard-boiled flicks with Warner Bros., Joan Crawford left the studio and went on to star in the psychological masterpiece “Sudden Fear.” It’s a great movie and one of the best of Crawford’s ’50s output; it also earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress. Palance received a nod for Best Actor in a supporting role. The film itself rightfully received nominations for best costume design and best cinematography.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ttC8gPoAMA
“D.O.A” (1950, Rudolph Maté)
Starring: Edmond O’Brien and Pamela Britton
“D.O.A.” is a film that broke the mold and blew audiences’ minds with its high-concept storytelling and a daringly original premise: Edmond O’Brien is slipped a dose of slow-acting poison and has to solve his own murder. If you haven’t seen it already, you’re missing out on one of the finest noirs of all time. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to find a screening; while it’s always better on the big screen, “D.O.A” is in the public domain and can be seen in full on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMDJ6pwSfo
“Odds Against Tomorrow” (1959, Robert Wise)
Starring: Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan, Shelley Winters
It’s odd to think that we got to nearly the ’60s before it happened, but “Odds Against Tomorrow” was the first noir to feature a black actor (Harry Belafonte, who co-produced the film with Robert Wise). “Odds Against Tomorrow” addresses race issues in a way that isn’t overbearing. While the story itself is a simple heist story, which doesn’t offer many surprises, the excellent actors, strong writing (by the uncredited Abraham Polonsky) and expertly built dramatic tension make it a must-see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRjCfV4FQ6o
“Force of Evil” (1948, Abraham Polonsky)
Starring: John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Marie Windsor
Like many other groundbreaking film noir titles, “Force of Evil” has been preserved in the National Film Archive and justly so. Directed and co-written by Abraham Polonsky, a film noir legend and victim of the Black List, the film stars John Garfield as a mob lawyer caught up in an attempt to take over the New York City numbers racket. Polonsky also wrote the scripts for the equally good Garfield boxing picture “Body and Soul” (1947) and “Odds Against Tomorrow” (1959), though he did not receive screen credit for the latter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiBiRmYN2RY
“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955, Robert Aldrich)
Starring: Ralph Meeker, Maxine Cooper, Albert Dekker
“Kiss Me Deadly,” director Robert Aldrich’s knockout adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s detective thriller, is another entry in the National Film Archive. It was deemed worthy of preservation not only for its status as a film noir classic but also for its sharp representation of cultural fears about the Cold War and the bomb. The film pulls no punches – it’s as nihilistic as they come, and hasn’t lost any of its force in the 58 years since its release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HES8eEUaBL0
“The Big Combo” (1955, Joseph H. Lewis)
Starring: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Jean Wallace
What could be one of the most memorable and beautifully shot crime movies of the era, “The Big Combo” saw director Joseph H. Lewis push the envelope in the same way he did with his earlier success, “Gun Crazy,” in 1950. Aesthetically the film is at the top of its class – “The Big Combo” has been held up as a master class in cinematography, thanks to lensman John Alton. In addition, Cornel Wilde gives a nuanced, powerful performance as Lt. Leonard Diamond.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXuC1_HycKY
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