70 years of film noir.
The genre emerged seven decades ago, influenced generations of filmmakers, and created true icons of film history, such as the tough detectives portrayed by Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum.
247_Natália Rangel - The inaugural landmark of film noir was the film The Maltese Falcon, by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart, which premiered in the USA in 1941, 70 years ago, during World War II. But it was only after the conflict that the historical name by which the style became known to this day emerged. And as the saying goes, "no saint performs miracles," this nomenclature did not come from Hollywood, but from France: to the astonishment of their American colleagues, it was the cinephiles of the land of Honoré de Balzac who gave the style the name film noir. This is what researcher AC Gomes de Mattos tells us in his book The Other Side of the Night (Artemídia Rocco, 2001). The name of the school is a reference to the Série Noire, by the writer Marcel Duhamel, which had a theme similar to that of the inaugural films of the genre. Its characteristics? There was usually a private detective on the scene who bore no resemblance whatsoever to the aseptic Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Arsène Lupin, and Jane Marple, all Europeans. They were tough guys who spoke the language of the streets and, if necessary, would hit below the belt to achieve their goals.
What the French probably didn't know is that film noirs largely descended from infinitely better literary works. In fact, the relationship between literature and cinema reached its peak in these 1940s productions, which featured, among other screenwriters, masters like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, authors of suspense classics such as "The Big Sleep" and "The Maltese Falcon," both adapted for the screen – they earned three Oscar nominations for screenwriting: Chandler for Double Indemnity (1945) and The Blue Dahlia (1947); Hammett for Watch on the Rhyne (1943).
The mass production of color films, starting in the 1950s, reduced the space for film noir, whose somewhat somber vision of the world was better suited to black and white. The genre declined in the early 1960s, but it quickly adapted to the new Hollywood aesthetic, and continues to influence filmmakers from all corners of the planet to this day. Hollywoodland (2006), by Allen Coulter, L.A. Confidential (1997), by Curtis Hanson, and the cult classic Blade Runner (1982), by Ridley Scott, are just a few examples of films that drew from this good source. Below are others that audiences shouldn't miss:
Laura (1944), directed by Otto Preminger, starring Gene Tierney
On the Big Sleep (1946), an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel of the same name. Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart – an actor who occupies the same place in film noir that John Wayne conquered in Westerns. And the star Lauren Bacall, Bogart's wife at the time.
The Killers (1946), directed by Robert Siodmak, starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner.
Touch of Evil (1958), by Orson Welles, in which the filmmaker also plays the role of a corrupt police officer. The film also features Charlton Heston and Jack Palance.
Chinatown (1974), by Roman Polanski, with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in memorable performances. The Polish director was responsible for what is considered the best color film in the history of the noir genre.
Dick Richards' "The Last of the Bullies" (1975) stars Robert Mitchum as Philip Marlowe, the tough detective created by writer Raymond Chandler.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982), by Carl Reiner, boasts a star-studded cast including Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, and Bette Davis. It's a comedy starring Steve Martin that pays homage to film noir, showcasing a collage of scenes from classic films.
The film "A dama do cine Shangai" (1987), by Guilherme de Almeida Prado, is inspired by the classic noir film "The Lady from Shanghai" by Orson Welles, starring Rita Hayworth. The Brazilian production stars Antônio Fagundes and Maitê Proença.