Hollywood's classic film noir period extends from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. The film noir movies of this period are associated with a black-and-white style that has its roots in German Expressionist Cinema. Many of the typical stories of film noir have their progenitors from the crime fiction that emerged from the United States in the depression.
The term film noir was first coined by French film critics ( notably Nino Frank in 1946 ) who noticed how downbeat and dark many of the crime and detective themes coming out of America were.
Film noir was invented and perfected solely in the United States. It's not a formal genre, but in the 40s and 50s, many films shared certain characteristics that could be loosely described as film noir.
Film noir stories often centre around a cynical, disillusioned male character, primed to be seduced by an amoral, double-dealing femme fatale. A femme fatale uses her feminine wiles to manipulate the male lead into becoming the fall-guy. Usually the relationship ends in destroying them both.
The top ten film noir movies as voted for by members of the internet movie database are as follows:-
Most sources credit Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) as the first full-blooded film noir. It stars Peter Lorre as the eponymous sinister stranger in a story about the after-effects of a circumstantial murder trial.
The first detective film to use the film noir technique was The Maltese Falcon (1941). Humphrey Bogart plays private eye Sam Spade in pursuit of some greedy crooks searching for a priceless statue.
A classic film noir that exemplifies the destructive effects of a femme fatale is Double Indemnity (1944). In this film an insurance salesman is seduced into murdering a client's husband so that they can collect the insurance money.
Ace in the Hole (1951) stars Kirk Douglas as Charles Tatum, an amoral, cynical journalist who orchestrates a media frenzy around a man trapped in a tunnel.
Strangers on a Train (1951) is Alfred Hitchcock's famous foray into film noir. Two strangers meet on a train and find that they would each like someone murdered. To one party the wish is a mere fantasy. However, the other party is far more enthusiastic about the idea.
Orson Welles's Touch of Evil (1958) is considered to be the last film noir made of the classic period. It is a stunning portrait of corruption and abuse in a Mexican border town.