Noir Films

[charliechaplinfan]

It's a good thread on George Raft, Theresa, some lovely pictures.

1984, my hubby's favourite book, it is unsettling, not the kind of book to read late at night if you're prone to nightmares but interesting, very interesting. Strangely, I found the film with Richard Burton and John Hurt far more unsettling.

I haven't seen Out of the Past in the longest time, the title is more fitting to the storyline and for a while I didn't realise the change in title for the British audience, I was searching in vain for Out Of The Past without realising that I'd seen it as BWGH.

[RedRiver]

I think "Out of the Past" it IS The Best Noir

No one can challenge your qualified opinion, or this film's strong candidacy. I remember when I "discovered" it. It was before most people had VCR's. Before the term Film Noir was on everyone's lips. Back when late night TV showed movies. Real movies! I watched this masterpiece of darkness at two o'clock in the morning and thought, Holy ****! I won't forget this anytime soon. Was I right?

[CineMaven]

Holy **** Red. You were right!

[feaito]

1984, my hubby's favourite book, it is unsettling, not the kind of book to read late at night if you're prone to nightmares but interesting, very interesting. Strangely, I found the film with Richard Burton and John Hurt far more unsettling.

Ali, 1984 was the first film my wife and I saw together in a cinema when we were only friends, we both liked it very much and yes it's very unsettling; it caused us ANGST (very well done). My wife will always remember that day, because I took my John Kobal Dover Books with film stars portraits and I showed them to her (I treated those books like treasures back then)

[RedRiver]

I'm glad that movie date worked out. My brother took a woman to see a Charlie Chaplin film. She wanted to know who played Charlie Chaplin!

[CineMaven]

But he wound up marrying a girl he'd leave for Ida Lupino, huh?

[MissGoddess]

I'm 20 minutes in The Mob and loving it! What a script! The lines are hilarious.

[Jezebel38]

My wife will always remember that day, because I took my John Kobal Dover Books with film stars portraits and I showed them to her (I treated those books like treasures back then)

Yes, they were treasures! I just pulled out my two copies; Movie Star Portraits of the Forties and Hollywood Glamor Portraits 1926-1949. At first I only knew who a handful of the stars were, but I would pour over these volumes endlessly, while watching more and more films until after some years I saw each and everyone of these film stars in actual movies.

Never carted them along with me on a date, though!

[charliechaplinfan]

I love the memories, the Kobal books would have worked on me, only you'd have fuelled my collecting habit too. And having to ask who was playing Charlie Chaplin? There was only one sillier question I ever heard and that was when my hubby's friend who was quite bright was having doubts about his girlfriend, so we invited her out as a foursome and she asked 'So was Hitler a real person?' I was and still am flabbergasted that an adult would ask that question. The romance didn't break up though, perhaps it was the entertainment value.

Eyes Without A Face, I'm making another guess, is it the right thread? I'm guessing so because I found it dark and original and it spooked me slightly. Pierre Brasseur, I just saw him in Portrait of an Assassin, is one of the best French leading actors of his time, he doesn't give much away with his face, so much so that it took me a few minutes to place him. Music was important in this film, it reminded my husband of Ryan's Daughter but as it came afterwards, perhaps Maurice Jarre used themes from this movie score for his later score, it seemed to play whenever Alida Valli went out searching. Th restoration is very clear, the crisp black and white fitting the story like a glove. Brasseur is an eminent doctor who is trying face transplants, he's already performed a successful one on Alida Valli but can't have the same success with his daughter's face which he disfigured in a auto accident. He buries his first victim, who died after a failed transpant in place of his daughter, Christiane, being gruff with the father who had also gone to look at the dead body, he had the relief of knowing someone else had claimed the body, his daughter still missing (although we find out that it is his daughter) the doctor pretending it's his daughter tells him at least he has hope. The doctor is cold, driven to give his daughter another face without seeming to care about her. He keeps dogs, lots annd lots in kennels at his home, at first I thought it displayed a tender side to his personality but it doesn't he experiments on them and they are critical to the ending. His secretary played by a creepy Valli preys the streets of Paris looking for young students, promising them lodgings and takes them to the doctor, were they are tied to a gurney for the operation. Christiane, woth her mask she looks like a mime artist albeit a frightening one although she is gentle, it must be so hard acting when one's face is covered yet she was very effective in the role. The scene when the doctor takes a face off a patient is so well done, the effect's brilliant and of course resonating with what we know to be possible these days. Maybe this should be on the foreign thread or the horror thread but the crime element made me feel it was a noir but it is hard to quantify.

[feaito]

My wife will always remember that day, because I took my John Kobal Dover Books with film stars portraits and I showed them to her (I treated those books like treasures back then)

Yes, they were treasures! I just pulled out my two copies; Movie Star Portraits of the Forties and Hollywood Glamor Portraits 1926-1949. At first I only knew who a handful of the stars were, but I would pour over these volumes endlessly, while watching more and more films until after some years I saw each and everyone of these film stars in actual movies.

Never carted them along with me on a date, though!

At that time I exactly owned those same two books and since my "then friend" -current wife- was fond of classic cinema due to her father's influence she really appreciated my gesture carrying them with me and showing to them to her; I did not let her turn the pages, though I was so sensitive about those books that I did not let anybody turn the pages or touch the pictures!! (I was 18 or 19) She still remembers that and I still own those books -in very fine condition- plus Film Star Portraits of the Fifties, which I purchased later on.

[JackFavell]

In this day and age of people trashing books, or cutting them up to sell or to make ornaments out of them, I totally appreciate your care of your books, Fer!

My father is a rare book collector and always taught me to treat books with respect. I am not as careful as I used to be, but still cringe when I see someone folding pages back to mark their place or breaking the spine of a book.

[feaito]

In this day and age of people trashing books, or cutting them up to sell or to make ornaments out of them, I totally appreciate your care of your books, Fer!

My father is a rare book collector and always taught me to treat books with respect. I am not as careful as I used to be, but still cringe when I see someone folding pages back to mark their place or breaking the spine of a book.

Me too!!

[charliechaplinfan]

And me too. I hate lending books as no one takes care of them like I do.

[feaito]

And me too. I hate lending books as no one takes care of them like I do.

LIKEWISE!!

[charliechaplinfan]

You're both the kind of person I would lend my books too, that's quite an honour