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The most confusing film noir of all time?
Noirvember is here. I’ve written and gushed about film noir for most of my film buff-ing and bogging life (check out The Old Hollywood Garden for reviews). I have also written some scripts that were very much inspired by film noir, including a TV pilot that sort of made the rounds in a few competitions. The point is, film noir is my favorite genre and yes, I know it’s technically not a genre, but rather a ‘mood’, but that’s irrelevant for now. I love what film noir represents. I love what it says about the human condition. And I love that, despite belonging to one genre, they’re all so different. And this gave me an idea: what’s the most violent noir? What’s the sexiest? What about the funniest, or the bleakest? Well, here they are. Remember, this is just my opinion. I will probably change my mind the second I hit ‘Publish’.
Tensest: T-Men (1947) — Anthony Mann’s noir about two Treasury agents going undercover in order to take down a counterfeit ring has my vote for the tensest noir of all time. Starting with Charles McGraw’s face half lit behind an alleyway, which is always a terrifying sight, T-Men keeps on the edge of your seat because of how much is at stake. Will our good guys take down the Vantucci gang and make it out of there alive?
Hottest: Gilda (1946) — I mean, come on. Rita Hayworth at her sexiest, and Glenn Ford not that far behind…
