By the1940s, major film studios (led by Warner Bros.) were caught up in the midst of a unique clash of technology with cultural impact. The arrival of sound in film,the rise of German expressionism(first started in the ’20s), and the race for vertical integration saw studios clamoring to own and operate the largest theaters, opening the door for the B-movie studio system to grow.
It was in that artistic incubator between the Great Depression, World War II, and the existential dread of the Holocaust, that a cloud of societal cynicism and foreboding began seeping its way into film. Encompassing darker and more pessimistic themes of fatalism, stories of the criminal underworld, detective thrillers,femme fatales, subversive characters, stylized filming, expressive lighting, and mise-en-scène productions, a new breed of filmmaking was born.
It was dubbed"Film Noir,“literally meaning dark or black cinema, and audiences everywhere were enthralled by it. The financial clout of American film studios may have raised its profile, but it was often the great foreign directors who flocked to Hollywood and revolutionized storytelling with their brilliant artistic voices that led to the Golden Age of Film Noir.
The discipline has since gone on to influence some of the most celebrated filmmakers around, with modern movies regularly paying homage to the legends of noir. In honor of those greats, whose mastery of noir has left an indelible mark on cinematic history, here are the 20 greatest film noir directors of all time.
1Edward Dmytryk (1908 – 1999)
One ofthe infamous “Hollywood Ten,“Edward Dmytrykwas the son of Ukrainian immigrant parents, and grew up in San Francisco. Losing his mother at a young age, his father’s abusive ways led Edward to run away from home, until juvenile authorities allowed him to live alone when he turned 15. He would later find work as a film editor, rejecting a chance to study at the California Institute of Technology on a scholarship in favor of being a filmmaker.
Career, Interrupted
Earning Best Director and Best Picture Academy Award nominations for his filmsCrossfire(1948) andThe Caine Mutiny(1955), Dmytryk was known to be exceptional atdark psychological tropes, complex characters, and seedy worlds defined by morally questionable actions.
His visual style was also immersive and gritty, and despite Dmytryk’s brilliance and contributions to film noir, his devout leftist leanings saw him jailed by the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee, something his career never fully recovered from.
2Jacques Tourneur (1904 – 1977)
A French-American filmmaker who came to prominence during the Golden Age,Jacques Tourneurwas known for a range of styles that featured many famous horror andatmospheric suspense filmsamong them. Tourneur was brilliant at emotive story telling and expressive camera techniques, and while he wasn’t actually known for film noir as a specialist style, it’s impossible to separate him from the discipline, since he gave the world what is often considered one of the greatest film noirs ever made.
Related:The 15 Best Hits From Hollywood’s Golden Age
An All-Time Great
Out of the Pastwas a masterpiece of film noir, and a movie that fans and cinema students regularly cite as the best of its kind. Starring an imperious Robert Mitchum and a dazzling Jane Greer, the film subverted morality and expectations at every turn, with a fatalistic style around Greer’s character Kathie, a femme fatale who pulls the men she encounters into her orbit. A scintillating production, it wasfilm noir perfected.
3Raoul Walsh (1887 – 1980)
High Sierra
Both a director and an actor,Raoul Walshis a Hollywood legend. His directorial career alone spanned more than five decades, and he directly or indirectly worked on over 200 films in that time. Walsh often worked withthe biggest names around, including John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and Rita Hayworth.
Walsh also worked with iconic actors like Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn on multiple occasions. By the ’20s, he was already showing a proclivity for subversive characters and themes that fearlessly explored things like sexuality, desire, sex work, and promiscuity at a time when such topics were heavily taboo.
Unapologetic and Bold as a Filmmaker
Among his other stand out pictures wasThey Drive by Night(1941),a film starring Humphrey Bogartthat explored the cutthroat world of long-haul trucking, told through a story of brothers who allow a femme fatale to come between them. A year later, Walsh madeHigh Sierra(1941), a film that cemented Bogart’s reputation as an icon of film noir, as it tackled the seedy underbelly of crime and dark psychology.
Rent High Sierra on Apple TV+
4Carol Reed (1906 – 1976)
The Fallen Idol
Best known for films that portrayed suspense and mystery,Carol Reedwas a British director who was a master at depicting well-drawn characters whose complexity saw them skirting the edges of human nature.
Related:Film Noir: The Quintessential Movies to Get into the Genre
Between 1947 and 1949, Reed would make three films that could all be considered masterclasses of noir. Among them wasOdd Man Out(1947), a brilliant meditation on human nature and a divided Irish society haunted by the IRA.
True Masterpieces
The next year, Reed followed that up withThe Fallen Idol(1948), another fascinating take on the nuances of suspense as the audience is kept guessing if a young man’s butler really is who he says he is. Reed’s noir filmThe Third Man(1949) is widely regarded as one of the best movies ever made, andwon the Palme d’Orat the 1949 Cannes Film Festival. It showcased the gloom of post-World War II tragedies, and contained legendary performances by Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten.
Stream The Fallen Idol on Plex
5Akira Kurosawa (1910 – 1998)
Synonymous with period Japanese films and samurai movies,Akira Kurosawa’siconic films includeSeven Samurai,which was a watershed moment in 1959 for Japanese cinema as itgreatly influenced the west, leading to a Hollywood remake that becameThe Magnificent Seven.Despite film noir being associated with American films, its techniques were often practiced by foreign directors and done masterfully. Kurosawa was one of those, noted for his brilliant film noirs, such asDrunken Angel(1948).
Post-War Gems
The next year he madeThe Stray Dog,which took a harsh look at Japanese societal life after World War II and the horrors of adjusting to life after war. In 1960, his filmThe Bad Sleep Wellprovided a scathing depiction of corruption in post-war Japan. Although a versatile director, those famous films stamped Kurosawa’s name as a legend of film noir as he brilliantly coaxed stunning performances from his leads, and played with expressive lighting to create visually sumptuous films.
6Ida Lupino (1918 – 1995)
A British actress, writer, producer, and director,Ida Lupinoholds the distinction of being one ofthe most prolific female filmmakersof her generation. Her inclusion as a film noir great stems from the fact that she was the first woman to ever direct a film noir,The Hitch-Hiker(1953). An amazing all-round icon of Hollywood, she used her platform as a filmmaker to highlight woman-centric stories.
A True Pioneer
Her films likeThe Bigamist(1953) tackled contentious topics such as rape and women under the weight of social conventions through sensational noir lenses. Earning herself two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the fact that Lupino was able to make standout film noirs in an utterly male-dominated arena was a testament to her prodigious talents.
7Anthony Mann (1906 – 1967)
Anthony Mannworked his way up from a talent scout to a casting director, assistant director, and then eventually to a director himself. In the ’40s, Mann carved a name out for himself by demonstrating exceptional talent as a director when he made a string of film noirs that were praised for their quality, despite beingmade with modest budgetsand tightly packed shooting schedules.
An Icon of B-Movies
Films likeT-MenandDesperatein 1946 established Mann as a film noir savant, able to make dark and gritty crime films with unknown casts that punched far above the weight of their budgetary constraints. Mann also shot several scenes forHe Walkedby Night(1948), and fully directed the spy-thrillerRein of Terror(1949). Later in 1949, he madeSide Street,a police procedural shot on location in New York and praised for its frenetic action scenes and superb cinematography.
Related:10 Black and White Noir Films That Will Have You on the Edge of Your Seat
8Jules Dassin (1911 – 2008)
Another victim ofthe infamous Hollywood blacklistdue to his links to communism,Jules Dassinwas an American filmmaker who later moved to Europe when he was blacklisted. Transitioning to film in the ’40s, he became known for shooting on location, and films that delved into human nature in exciting and creative ways. Dassin’s work in Hollywood and Europe made him a prodigious talent and a legend of film noir.
The Gold Standard
Films likeThe Naked City(1948) provided a combination of styles that exquisitely spotlighted crime and corruption in New York City, honing in on the murder of a girl. Raw and authentic, Dassin set up hidden cameras in the city to film in public. His use of aerial shots and quiet moments that reflected the city’s pulse were pure genius.
Dassin would later make exuberant crime dramas like the French filmRififi,which is widely regarded as the inspiration behindheist filmslikeOcean’s ElevenandThe Italian Job.Meanwhile, by 1950, his films likeNight and the Cityset a gold standard for noir, and seemed to be infused with the pessimism of his own plight after being shunned.
9Fritz Lang (1890 – 1976)
As another significant filmmaker who glamorized eye patches,Fritz Langwas an Austrian director and producer who is often touted as one of the most significant in cinematic history. Between the ’20s and ’30s, Lang made a name for himself with German expressionist films.
However, Lang fled Germany after Joseph Goebbels offered to make him the head of the German film studio, UFA. He would later go on to define himself through bold and unapologeticanti-Nazi films in America.
Activism Through Art
Despite his abhorrence for prejudice, Lang was hamstrung from making the kind of full-fledged anti-racism films he wanted, and it was that kind of restraint put on him that helped birth the noir era. His fiercely anti-hero cop dramaThe Big Heat(1953) was a forerunner of gritty police films that had a significant impact on themes of stylized violence that are still prevalent today. As Lang’s worldview grew more cynical, films likeWhile the City Sleeps(1956) became powerful pioneers that helped drive film noir into an art form that is still widely appreciated for its use of subversive themes.
10Phil Karlson (1908 – 1982)
A law student who took odd jobs at Universal Studios,Phil Karlsonrose to become a director, but had a career that sadly never graduated in terms of his true potential. Now recognized as one of the greats of film noir, Karlson spent most of his career making B-films and stagnated as a product ofthe B-movie studio system.
Despite this, Karlson left his mark in the ’50s with a range of crime noirs that have since been hailed as brilliant. He’s also noted for giving film debuts to Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris inThe Wrecking Crew(1968)
A Master of Brooding Atmospheres
Karlson’s films likeKansas City Confidential(1952) are now seen as shining examples of noir. It tells the story of a disgruntled cop who puts together a team of criminals drawn from police files to knock over an armored car.
Related:20 Chilling Noir Crime Shows That Will Keep You On the Edge of Your Seat
Portraying insurrectionist characters at their finest, Karlson was brilliant at directing his films amid brooding atmospheres of crime and corruption. His other noirs, like99 River Street(1953) andTight Spot(1955), followed similarly adroit executions of layered plots, highly adept cinematography devices, and nuanced characters.
