JamesM

Mike Keaney's British film noir guide is up for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Steve Crook

I can't find much blurb on it saying what's in it. I presume he covers The Third Man as that's on the cover. Do you (or anyone else) know which other films are covered?

The Small Back Room?

Steve

batman

If it's as good as his Film Noir Guide it'll be a cracking read no matter what's in.

FILM NOIR GUIDE

The Small Back Room is a favourite of mine so I hope it is in there.

Bats.

JamesM

The Small Back Room has to be covered as it is already in standard film noir lists.

Steve Crook

One would certainly hope so. Although the strict definition of Film Noir says that they must be American films so it shouldn't really be on any such list
There is what could be regarded as a sub-genre of British Noir. There are also American films of the main Film Noir type which are outside the normally accepted dates for the genre.

Steve

Third Man

Yes the protection of the term Film Noir can get rather heated at times, I know some people are quite ardent about the fact that it should be only American films but quite a few others are not so sure, lately there has been an re-evaluation of the term and as American aficionados exhaust the search for even the most obscure US titles their eyes have traveled elsewhere. Lately Eddie Muller (Film Noir Foundation) who actually is very open minded about the term has cited a Spanish film in his bi-monthly email newsletter The Sentinel as film-noir that being Juan Bardem's Death of a Cyclist, in fact it can't be anything else but that just like The Third Man is definitely noir.

I'm looking forward to this book I think it comes out next week but I know some of the titles in the book have been leaked a long time ago so a new desperate search for those obscure British noirs is now on many peoples list or will be in a few weeks time.

Simon

christoph404

The term "Film Noir" was originally a term used by French critics writing for "Cahiers du Cinema" who were specifically referring to American film adaptions of detective or private eye stories as written by the likes of Raymond Chandler, Dashiel Hammet and James Cain. Its sometimes considered the 'genre that never was" as film makers at the time were not aware of the terminology nor were they consciously making films that they thought belonged to a genre known as "Film Noir". In many ways "Film Noir" is considered a style rather than a genre. Main exponents of the style in the US were directors like Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak and Otto Premminger, all of whom had roots in German Expressionist Cinema. Strictly speaking the term originated in the study of American films of the 1940s and 50s but I think it is now generally considered a term to describe a certain style of film from any country or any period. I think it is a term than has been widely adopted from its original source and applied to a much broader selection of films than it originally described.

Third Man

It certainly is a style that is prevalent after the Second World War it gradually evaporated by the late 50's maybe even the early 60's, Blast of Silence would definitely warrant a re-evaluation on Touch of Evil being the book end of a movement.

I agree because there are many countries who where reeling from the affects and effects of the Second World War and for those circumstances to affect film making as a whole.

Simon

julian_craster

The AA EDGAR WALLACE films as 'film noir' ? The author includes them in his book.....

The problem arises when 'film noir' is used as a label and marketing device to try and interest the public in any British B/W crime thriller, of which there are hundreds.......

Third Man

Yeah my noir sensibilities are struggling with that one as they also are with 'The Small Black Room' which has a fascinating noirish nightmare scene but apart from that I don't know why it would be listed in a film-noir guide.

Simon

Mark O

Thanks for the link Bats, looks an interesting website.........I guess 'No Orchids for Miss Blandish' is a British Film Noir? (even though some of the cast attempt 'American'!!)

Mark

dpgmel

Am in London tomorrow and want to check this book out at the BFI shop, does anyone know it's opening times as I can't find them on the BFI website ( it's probably me ! ) ?

Steve Crook

What about for the general look and feel of it? All those scene shot at night, often in the rain, on the streets of London?

BTW admirers of The Small Back Room will be pleased to hear that Criterion have now started working on their DVD release

Steve

Third Man

It has those facets as well but not enough to create the doom laden feel a noir should have, there's no doubt it has some elements perhaps thats why it's listed in the book. Looking forward to the DVD from Criterion though, they release it in August I believe, I'd like to see them do a good edition of Contraband as well.

Simon

Third Man

Arrived today from the US, I could not wait any longer for my local book shop to get this in.

The book is very small and I would of preferred a dust jacket instead of the photo case binding. Paper is a bit thin and the photo's could of been better quality but of course that's probably down to the paper it's all printed on - so for the price I paid - aesthetically I'm let down - in another twenty four hours I will have some idea on what substance it has.

Simon