Great job hosting Citizen! Those custom banners for every film were a great touch, and no doubt a lot of work as well, so thank you for putting in the time and effort! Holden, Thief, and everyone else who added facts to the Countdown deserve some recognition as well, so thank you all!
I actually haven't seen
Sunset Boulevard, but I probably should since it's apparently very well regarded.
There's only one film that hadn't already been revealed on my list, and that was
Double Indemnity, which I had at #2. When it was nominated in the 2nd 40s HoF, I wrote this:
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dir. Billy Wilder
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
The film noir visual style, with its roots in German expressionism, is incredibly appealing to me. So being the film other noirs aspired to be like, Double Indemnity certainly delivers in the cinematography department. The dark corners and strong shadows on screen are a constant dramatic presence, with the main characters frequently concealed in darkness, or framed in a prison-like light effect created by window blinds. The stark contrast between the bright exterior shots, and the carefully crafted dusty sound stage interiors complement the characters' sinister undertones beautifully. It has a rather cynical feel to it, which I thoroughly enjoy.
The film is very cleverly written as well, with a lot of great wordplay in the script, particularly between Walter and Phyllis in their earlier scenes. While I didn't think MacMurray and Stanwyck's chemistry was a strong as that between MacMurray and Robinson, it was still very plausible, and I never questioned the allure they felt for each other. I never liked Stanwyck's hair in the film, but I recently learned that it was actually a wig, and that Wilder always intended for it to look fake and slightly sleazy. Knowing that this time around, I thought it worked really well, and did a great job reflecting what kind of person Phyllis really was.
The occasionally discordant score accompanying many scenes really enhanced the film's atmosphere, though most of the time it actually went unnoticed by me, since I was too engrossed by everything else. I've been wanting to rewatch this film for a long time, but didn't nominate it because I was sure someone else would have already beaten me to the punch, and I'm glad I was right about that.
I'm just now realizing that I forgot to post yesterday, so technically there were 2 films on my list I hadn't yet confirmed since I had
The Maltese Falcon at #21. With
House of Bamboo and
The Hidden Room/
Obsession being on the near miss lists, I actually came quite close to having all 25 films on my list make the Countdown. It's a very pleasant surprise.
Seen: 45/100
My List: 23
01. Laura (1944) - #10
02. Double Indemnity (1944) - #1
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
04. Murder My Sweet (1944) - #28
05. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - #12
06. Detour (1945) - #24
07. Rebecca (1940) - #35
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
09. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - #40
10. House of Bamboo (1945) - DNP
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
12. Mildred Pierce (1945) - #15
13. Odd Man Out (1947) - #47
14. The Big Sleep (1946) - #8
15. Strangers on a Train (1951) - #18
16. The Third Man (1949) - #4
17. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - #16
18. Night and the City (1950) - #25
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69
20. The Hidden Room/Obsession (1949) - DNP
21. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - #3
22. The Killing (1956) - #11
23. Touch of Evil (1958) - #5
24. Kiss Me Deadly (1955) - #14
25. The Stranger (1946) - #38