Dish of the Day

Just some film musings of a more succinct, spontaneous and sometimes seditious nature:

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Today’s “Dish of the Day” concerns a challenging question regarding U.S. Film Noir's Classic Timeline (1940 - 1958).

There are more than several classic film noir related Facebook chat rooms where the definition of film noir, even limited to those films made in the U.S. during the classic time period (1940 - 1958), is constantly being expressed with widely varying claims which are often subjected to fiery debates.

One member challenged the generally accepted classic time period in the U.S. questioning why those particular parameters were considered to be so concrete

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

… which prompted my response:

"1940 marks the greatest influx of U.S. crime films that were noticeably distinctive from the vast majority of their earlier counterparts. In the predominate crime films of the 30s, the characters' simple, fearless quest for money and power would constitute enough reason for their criminal pursuits. In addition, there was typically a lack of inner conflict for the agents assigned to apprehend them. In films noir, there’s a notable shift in focus to the dark consciousness of those who are committing or considering such nefarious activities. This attention to the individual’s internalised thought processes would sometimes extend to law enforcement. The latter would often work undercover and thus have to behave and think like the criminals they were after. Many cite Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) for its numerous noir qualities as being the first. 1958 marks the dropping off point with Touch of Evil (1958) signalling an end to the movement with a bang... kind of like what The Wild Bunch (1969) did for westerns. Filmmakers whose stories were about crime in the ‘60s began to move toward greater social concerns, generally speaking. That is not to say films noir did not exist in other countries, or in the U.S. before 1940 (Proto-noir) or after 1958 (Neo-noir). Those crime films released between 1940 - 1958 are just generally accepted as film noir's heyday, so to speak. In no way do they define their legitimacy or quality as some have wrongfully surmised, just as there have been accomplished westerns made after The Wild Bunch.”

Touch of Evil (1958)

All responses are not only welcomed but encouraged in the comments section below.

Hope to see you tomorrow.

A.G.