Back in the mid-20th century, there were few traces of dark and gritty films, but it wasn’t long before filmmakers broke their creative boundaries and introduced the world to a new cinematic style – film noir. Emerging from the dark alleys of crime dramas, the genre baked existential dread and moral dilemmas into a potentially captivating storyline and blessed us with moody films that stayed long after they ended. Shadowy streets and doomed individuals; that was the aesthetic of these films.
Zooming out on the industrial map, we had French cinema, which was blossoming into an art form of its own by using bold experimentation and social commentary in films and on stage. Whether it wasa melancholic post-war dramaor a unique crime-tinged mystery, the industry took cues from America’s gritty noir genre and fashioned incredible stories. Directors like Jean-Pierre Melville and Jacques Becker were particularly responsible for adapting great novels into pieces of visual art.
Politics and philosophy came together in these complex and atmospheric movies. This list celebrates some of the most excellent works that not only twisted the noir style to their advantage but also expressed how much potential the genre held. All these films appeared on the screen at least five decades ago, but they are enduring classics that still hold up as masterpieces.
10Un Flic (1972)
Un Flicis the final film from director Jean-Pierre Melville, who basically brought in the rush of independent cinema and kicked off the French New Wave. It is gripping, dark, and visually stylish. From the very beginning, it immerses you into the neon-stained underworld of 1970s Paris where a disheartened and exhausted detective Commissaire Edouard Coleman shows interest in a woman named Cathy.
Cathy may be stunning, but she’s dismissive of him making passes and soon Edouard meets Cathy’s boyfriend, who turns out to be a suave master thief planning an elaborate bank heist. Melville brings a newfound panache to the storytelling andinfuses it with high-speed actionand a jarring climax. Moreover, the entire French noir atmosphere – from smoky nightclubs to empty seasides – makes the movie even more enchanting.
9Le Samouraï (1967)
Another crime thriller film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville,Le Samouraïproves that even a minimalist setting can be turned into an elegant neo-noir masterpiece when done right.
The film depicts a lone hitman prowling the city of Paris like a skilled nocturnal animal. As a steely assassin, Jef Costello (played by Alain Delon, who is absolutely mesmerizing) always executes a flawless hit and is being pursued by police and former employers, but to no win. When a witness claims he saw Costello murder a nightclub owner, Costello is in an ambush where he can’t even prove that his alibis are legit. With little dialogue, meticulous visuals, and a riveting performance by the main character, this iconic French film becomes an elaborate take on the Western lone-wolf narrative and to say it does well is an understatement.
8Compartiment Tueurs (1965)
A criminally overlooked movie from the 60s,Compartiment Tueurs, orThe Sleeping Car Murders, is a chilling and claustrophobic story of a man who is fleeing from a murder. He soon boards a train and joins a compartment with an odd assortment of passengers. When a woman’s body is discovered, the scene becomes paranoid and confusing. And when passengers begin to die one by one, the group is engulfed in a mystery as they suspect a killer is among them.
The Best Movies of the French New Wave, Ranked
The French New Wave exhibits the pure joy of cinema. Let’s look at the best films of this movement which changed movie history forever, ranked.
Shot entirely on a real night train using shaky camerawork, the movie weaves a tight suspense around its characters and their backgrounds. Director Costa-Gavras traps us into a confined setting that is both tense and innovative. As for the noir elements, it is the psychology, the back-and-white photography, and the atmosphere of distrust that stand shockingly strong.
7Le Septième Juré (1962)
Fans ofWestern courtroom dramas(particularly12 Angry Men) would delight in watching this nail-biting psycho-thriller that delivers not only a brutal suspense but also makes quiet commentary on truth and selfishness. The juror in this case is a respectable pharmacist, who votes not guilty despite actually murdering his mistress on a whim. Knowing the woman’s boyfriend has been imprisoned because of a false accusation doesn’t make him falter and he stands in front of deliberating jurors who slowly unravel the man’s motives and what led him to commit the crime.Le Septième Juréis a captivating drama.
Watching the characters confronting their own morals and beliefs and the chaos of group thinking as the camera turns to people talking is truly an experience worth having.
6Plein Soleil (1960)
Before Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow morphed into their iconic roles inThe Talented Mr. Ripleyin 1999, Alain Delon broke out with the character in 1960, where director René Clément adapted Patricia Highsmith’s story into a delicious and twisted rendering of envy and insanity of one man trying to assume the identity of another.
Tom Ripley travels all the way to Italy to verify his rich friend Philippe Greenleaf is willing to take over the family business, but once he gets a taste of his carefree, luxurious, yacht-laced lifestyle, Ripley has a change of heart. He kills the friend, begins to pursue Greenleaf’s girlfriend Marge, and plots to inherit his estate and wealth.Plein Soleil, orPurple Noon, is a story of ambition and madness and corroding rationales, but the way Clément tells it makes the noir film linger in your memory for years to come.
5Rififi (1955)
Rififimay use trademarks of heist films such as walking on tiptoes and waiting for a disturbance to make a louder sound and acquire whatever it is the heisters want to steal – jewels or money or bars. However, despite planning meticulously and having considered the consequences, the four thieves in this movie forget to not human frailty. Under American film director Jules Dassin’s gente gaze,this impactful heist dramaspeaks its own visual language of suspense and greed. Shot on a shoestring budget of approximately $200,000, the movie’s entire weight of success was carried by the subtle performances, shared brotherhood, moody atmosphere, and a stunning camerawork to bring it all together.
4Casque D’Or (1952)
Enveloped ina poetic romance and faint traces of comedyisCasque D’Or, a timeless classic from the mind of Jacques Becker. Becker is usually known for making crime comedies, but he fashions his films in a way that the narrative holds several characteristics that remind you of the noir genre. Be it his breakthrough works in the ‘40s or the one in discussion, the director infuses textures that evoke a sense of urgency and mystery. Georges Manda is an ex-convict who swears to become clean once he’s out of prison. All he wants is a good, respectable life. But when he crosses paths with an older gangster and his mistress, he develops an accelerated romance with the latter, leading Félix to indulge in ruining the carpenter.
3Panique (1946)
Julien Duvivier has a reputation for directing the most outstanding and edgy mysteries of his time. When it comes toPanique, he doesn’t hold back on the sharp atmosphere and double takes on morality. The film follows Monsieur Hire, a town outcast and easy prey being wrongfully accused of murdering an elderly woman. Because of his status in the society, it isn’t hard turning people against him.
10 Sad Black and White Movies That Are Total Tearjerkers
These tragic black and white films will leave you with a heavy heart and teary eyes.
And the woman responsible for framing Hire is Alice, who has just gotten out of jail to learn that it was her lover, Alfred, that actually committed the crime. Alice takes advantage of Hire’s affections in a way that is both manipulative and violent.Paniqueplays out as a nail-biting thriller where we get entangled in our own pursuit of what’s wrong and what’s right. Meanwhile, its noir-infused visuals make the movie more clever and fascinating.
2Le Quai des Brumes (1938)
Based on the novel of the same name by Pierre Mac Orlan,Le Quai des Brumes(titled in English asPort of Shadows) follows Jean Gabin playing Jean, an army deserted looking for a safe place to crash at and ends up in the small town of Le Havre. He meets and falls in love with Nelly, a run-away teenager who is also being pursued by her godfather. Also, the film has a local gang looking for Nelly’s former boyfriend, which only creates more tension between the men and their actions. From the fog-swept rural roads to that brutal ending, almost all the elements of the film are so beautifully choreographed by director Marcel Carné that it is impossible to not feel a sense of darkness illuminate the room.
1Pépé Le Moko (1937)
Pépé le Moko is the titular gangster and the most wanted Parisian thief who has been hiding out for two years in Casbah’s labyrinth. While he’s lost all hope of ever returning home, especially with Inspector Slimane hot on his tail, Pépé never thought he’d find love. Gaby Gould is a gorgeous woman who not only helps Pépé discover solace but also gives him hope of a better life by reminding him of everything he adored about Paris. Julien Duvivier was undoubtedly a legend in filmmaking and his films always managed to ignite a fire amidst the hearts of their audience.
ButPépé Le Mokois a classic noir film that speaks for itself. Whether it isthe dream-like cinematographyor Slimane’s hunt for Pépé, the film’s impact on French cinema is still felt 80 years later.
