Examples of Classic Film Noirs

Murder, My Sweet - Edward Dmytryk (1944)

A detective is hired to locate somebody's old girlfriend that he lost while he was in prison. On the detectives way he encounters a lot of trouble including lies, deceit and a gorgeous femme fatale who he cannot resist. The film features a detective, a femme fatale, gangsters and crime lords. This is a typical Film Noir.

This film includes all the typical characteristics of a Film Noir: the detective (the seeker-hero), the beautiful femme fatale and the gangsters. The film is in black and white and uses low angle shots and wide angle lenses – typical to Film Noir. It also is set in an urban environment and features flashbacks.

Phantom Lady – Robert Siodmak (1944)

A man fights with his wife and goes to a bar. He meets a beautiful girl there and they go out. However, the lady refuses to give him her name and throughout the film she becomes the Phantom Lady. When he returns home the police are there to inform him that his wife has been murdered with his tie. The police try to find the Phantom Lady as an alibi for the man. In the mean time the man is imprisoned and it is up to his secretary to find the Phantom Lady.

This is a slightly atypical Film Noir, it doesn't feature a detective – but instead a secretary who replaces our generic detective. On her way to find the Phantom Lady she encounters a lot of problems – similar to most Film Noirs.

The film includes some features of a typical Film Noir, but instead of a detective we have a secretary as our seeker-hero. The beautiful femme fatale is our Phantom Lady. The film is set in shadowy, nocturnal streets and features flashbacks. The film uses the typical Film Noir editing styles and cinematography such as low angle shots and Dutch angles.

The Killers – Robert Siodmak (1946)

A story of two killers who infiltrate a small town and kill a man. A detective – childhood friend of the man who was killed, sets a plan to trap the killers and the man who hired them. The film includes a detective, a femme fatale and gangsters/hit men. This is a typical Film Noir.

The film includes most typical characteristics of a Film Noir. Our detective is the seeker-hero who encounters a variety of problems along the way in finding the two contract killers. The film is in black and white and used Dutch angles and low angle shots which is stereotypical for the Film Noir genre. It uses a lot of shots which disorientate the viewer. The film also includes flashbacks and is set in an urban environment like most classic Film Noirs.