Blu-ray.com Community Top 50 FILMS NOIR

[Juels Winnfield]

Welcome to the Blu-ray.com Community Top 50 Films Noir!

A lot of lists are dominating the forums this week, but the most revered genre of all has been put on the backburner...film noir. Some say it can't be classified as a genre but, chances are, one of your favorite films is possibly considered noir as it is a cross of several genres.

A little background:
Oxford Dictionaries defines film noir as "a style or genre of cinematograpic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism and menace." It has also been said that a film is noir if, upon viewing, you point, and say "that's film noir!" There are several types of film noirs, ranging from proto-noirs to classic noirs to neo-noirs. Characteristics identifying these films include low-key lighting, voiceovers, narrative flashbacks, the private eye and the femme fatale involved in a crime.

What counts:
It's easy to throw in films that many will agree don't belong, so this list will be less strict than others on this. For example, some consider Alien a neo-noir, whereas most will argue whether it's more sci-fi or horror. I would be one of the latter. Use good judgment and consider how good of an example of a noir any films in question are compared to how good of a (insert genre here) film it is.

The challenge for true fans is to figure out what's better: your #1 or #2 classic noir or your #1 or #2 neo-noir. This is why it's top 50 and not 25 to include everyone's favorite. Don't let your head explode just have fun.


Point system:
#1 50 points
#2 45 points
#3 40 points
#4 35 points
#5 30 points
#6 25 points
#7 20 points
#8-25 19-2 points
#26 and below 1 point

List at least 25 to give both classic noirs and neo-noirs a chance. We'll do through Mother's Day, May 14, as it is a difficult one. Now to make my own list...