Foster Hirsch

This is a well-written overview of the genre, designed for the general reader and not academics. As such, there is no in-depth analysis of individual films, but it provides some insight into what makes a film noir, such as lighting, camera movement, casting, direction. Immensely readable, Hirsch lays out some background - the influences of art and literature, the German Expressionist films, etc. Individual chapters concern the major directors, actors, styles. If you're looking for film-class-worthy erudition, you might look for one of those collections of essays written by academics; this book is more of an introduction to the genre with the major films described, and can be useful for someone fairly new to the genre.

Despite its modest goals, the book is pretty engaging; although I think I've seen over 150 films noirs, I still found myself noting films that I would like to see, such as the bizarre pairing of two musical stars in "Christmas Holiday" (Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin). This large format book includes an abundance of interesting stills from many films, nice crisp reproductions in black and white. The appendix lists the film credits for 112 films selected by Hirsch, which is not exhaustive; noir encyclopedias by Alain Silver have listed over 400 films.

A typical complaint by readers of noir literature is the inclusion of crime/gangster films, which may use elements of noir, such as the use of shadows, but do not fit into the plot lines that define noir as a distinct genre. Hirsch isn't perfect either; I don't consider films like "White Heat" (gangster), "The Breaking Point" (crime), and "Clash By Night" (romantic melodrama) to be noir.

The other wrinkle of the selection process is the omission of major films in his discussion of noir directors. The most egregious example of that is the inexplicable oversight of omitting "In a Lonely Place" in the section on Nicholas Ray. The Criterion Collection selected the film for its release as an example of the quintessential film noir. It gets some mention later in the book, but one would hardly think this gem even matters from Hirsch's treatment of it.

I do take Hirsch to task on his disapproval of the neo-noirs; certainly some of these films are either too cartoony or too strained, but as of his writing there were two excellent ones that he didn't care for: "Chinatown" and "The Long Goodbye". In the hands of talented directors, the genre can be tweaked in creative ways, but it is a risky endeavor.

Despite its minor flaws, I still give the highest rating to the book, since it succeeds very well for its intended audience, us regular movie fans, and points us at the major films and why they are worth watching. And what to watch for when viewing.

By the way, my copy is the original 1981 publication.… (more)