The MoFo Top 100 Film Noir Countdown
→ in Movie Reviews
Reply to Topic
1 for 2. Have watched Drunken Angel but wouldn't have thought it was a noir at first glance. It's not on my ballot but there is a Kurosawa there.
Haven't seen Phantom Lady.
11 of 32 seen.
Haven't seen Phantom Lady.
11 of 32 seen.
Kurosawa's Drunken Angel was #54 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1940s.
__________________
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
X
Favorite Movies
...I didn't even recognize Confidential Report at first, because I only think of it as Mr Arkadin (which is what I voted for it as). So it's possible there are other ones whose titles I simply don't recognize
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Once again excerpts from my old reviews here at MoFo
:
:Phantom Lady
Visually the film is stunning being steeped in the German Expressionist /Noir lighting and compositing style. I swear literally ever frame of this movie could do double duty in a still photo exhibit...it looks that good.
Unfortunately the screenplay that was undoubtedly forced onto Sidomak is a non-sequitur idea that even the most casual viewer will immediately see makes no sense at all. In the movie the accused man was seen in a bar and also in a cab, proving that he wasn't at the murder seen and yet no one can remember the mystery woman, but she's not part of the alibi so all that is for naught. Even sillier is the scene that shows the locating of her hat to have significance when it proves nothing at all.
Siodmak does a first class job directing and that alone along with the beauty of Ella Raines and a potent jazz jam scene with Elisha Cook banging on the skins in what must have been meant to be a hopped up on drugs drummer. At least he plays the scene like someone high as a kite.
Drunken Angel
Terse & intense characters battling their inner demons in a vivid setting that defines the story. I loved that image of the sewer water pond that seem to draw the despots in, like flies. The gangsters rule the roast and have arisen during the U.S. occupation of Japan. There's a subconscious layer to the film which functions as an expose on the breakdown of the Japanese culture which has become fixated on all things western. A top notch film for me.
Visually the film is stunning being steeped in the German Expressionist /Noir lighting and compositing style. I swear literally ever frame of this movie could do double duty in a still photo exhibit...it looks that good.
Unfortunately the screenplay that was undoubtedly forced onto Sidomak is a non-sequitur idea that even the most casual viewer will immediately see makes no sense at all. In the movie the accused man was seen in a bar and also in a cab, proving that he wasn't at the murder seen and yet no one can remember the mystery woman, but she's not part of the alibi so all that is for naught. Even sillier is the scene that shows the locating of her hat to have significance when it proves nothing at all.
Siodmak does a first class job directing and that alone along with the beauty of Ella Raines and a potent jazz jam scene with Elisha Cook banging on the skins in what must have been meant to be a hopped up on drugs drummer. At least he plays the scene like someone high as a kite.
Drunken Angel
Terse & intense characters battling their inner demons in a vivid setting that defines the story. I loved that image of the sewer water pond that seem to draw the despots in, like flies. The gangsters rule the roast and have arisen during the U.S. occupation of Japan. There's a subconscious layer to the film which functions as an expose on the breakdown of the Japanese culture which has become fixated on all things western. A top notch film for me.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Drunken Angel is good, briefly considered it for my ballot, ended up at #36.
This was my favorite part of the film:
SEEN 7/32
BALLOT 00/25
This was my favorite part of the film:
SEEN 7/32
BALLOT 00/25
John-Connor's Film-Noir Top 50:
Last edited by John-Connor; 03-20-24 at 02:49 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Bring on the Phantom Lady…
Noir buffs know Robert Siodmak’s name very well. I, like many, consider him to be the director of the genre (clicky HERE for more). The casual fan likely won’t know who in the heck he is. His first Noir was indeed Phantom Lady, and it tells the wonderfully convoluted tale of a man (Alan Curtis) wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. There is no Richard Kimble-like breakout where he clears his name himself, instead his longtime secretary (Ella Raines) who has been quietly in love with him from afar for years is the one who becomes a very determined and quite clever amateur sleuth. He has an alibi, a woman he spent the evening with while his wife was being murdered, but he knows nothing about her other than her distinctive hat. The problem is that all of the witnesses who saw him in public that night claim he was alone. Thus the search for the phantom lady, as well as the real killer.
Elisha Cook Jr. gets one of his craziest, most fun roles as a coked-up, horny drummer who knows more than he is letting on, and the cinematography by Woody Bredell, who would go on to lense Siodmak’s Christmas Holiday and The Killers, has some fantastic, Expressionistic touches that just scream Noir.
Not one of Siodmak's best known titles but very glad to see it make the list. That makes a half dozen of my picks. It was thirteenth on my ballot, good for thirteen points.
HOLDEN'S BALLOT
3. Too Late for Tears (#81)
13. Phantom Lady (#69)
14. Born to Kill (#84)
18. He Walked By Night (#88)
19. Fallen Angel (#80)
22. Panic in the Streets (#98)
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP
Noir buffs know Robert Siodmak’s name very well. I, like many, consider him to be the director of the genre (clicky HERE for more). The casual fan likely won’t know who in the heck he is. His first Noir was indeed Phantom Lady, and it tells the wonderfully convoluted tale of a man (Alan Curtis) wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. There is no Richard Kimble-like breakout where he clears his name himself, instead his longtime secretary (Ella Raines) who has been quietly in love with him from afar for years is the one who becomes a very determined and quite clever amateur sleuth. He has an alibi, a woman he spent the evening with while his wife was being murdered, but he knows nothing about her other than her distinctive hat. The problem is that all of the witnesses who saw him in public that night claim he was alone. Thus the search for the phantom lady, as well as the real killer.
Elisha Cook Jr. gets one of his craziest, most fun roles as a coked-up, horny drummer who knows more than he is letting on, and the cinematography by Woody Bredell, who would go on to lense Siodmak’s Christmas Holiday and The Killers, has some fantastic, Expressionistic touches that just scream Noir.
Not one of Siodmak's best known titles but very glad to see it make the list. That makes a half dozen of my picks. It was thirteenth on my ballot, good for thirteen points.
HOLDEN'S BALLOT
3. Too Late for Tears (#81)
13. Phantom Lady (#69)
14. Born to Kill (#84)
18. He Walked By Night (#88)
19. Fallen Angel (#80)
22. Panic in the Streets (#98)
25. The Crimson Kimono (DNP
X
Favorite Movies
I've seen both of today's films, and one was even on my list! A nice change of pace since out of the previous four films I'd only seen Blue Dahlia and don't really remember much about it.
I watched Drunken Angel when it was nominated for the Asian Film Hall of Fame. I had mixed feelings about it, and this was what I said at the time:
Drunken Angel / 醉いどれ天使 (1948)
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Chieko Nakakita
I watched Drunken Angel when it was nominated for the Asian Film Hall of Fame. I had mixed feelings about it, and this was what I said at the time:
Drunken Angel / 醉いどれ天使 (1948)
Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Chieko Nakakita
Drunken Angel is a highly symbolic film that critiques not only the Western occupation of Japan after World War II and its influence on Japanese culture, but traditional Japanese ideals of honour and sacrifice as well. The heart of Japan is plagued by poison, both from outside sources and from within, just like the town's water is swamped by pollution. Wardrobe and musical choices work well to reinforce these themes, but unfortunately I found little substance beneath them.
My problem with Drunken Angel is that the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. There's no major conflict at the centre of the story, just personal issues that aren't fleshed out enough to be the main focus. It feels like a slice of life film, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I don't typically find them very compelling. There isn't much in the way of character development or growth either, which coupled with the aforementioned lack of conflict, makes for a rather dull viewing experience.
Perhaps that lack of direction and resolution are meant to be symbolic as well, but I can't help but feel that the film would be far more interesting if the narrative was told more from Matsunaga's perspective instead of the doctor's. Matsunaga's diagnosis throws his entire life into disarray, but we only see his struggle from an outsider's point of view. To see him more intimately question his beliefs and loyalty would've been far more engaging to me. While I do appreciate certain aspects of Drunken Angel, I think I just expected more from it.
My problem with Drunken Angel is that the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. There's no major conflict at the centre of the story, just personal issues that aren't fleshed out enough to be the main focus. It feels like a slice of life film, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I don't typically find them very compelling. There isn't much in the way of character development or growth either, which coupled with the aforementioned lack of conflict, makes for a rather dull viewing experience.
Perhaps that lack of direction and resolution are meant to be symbolic as well, but I can't help but feel that the film would be far more interesting if the narrative was told more from Matsunaga's perspective instead of the doctor's. Matsunaga's diagnosis throws his entire life into disarray, but we only see his struggle from an outsider's point of view. To see him more intimately question his beliefs and loyalty would've been far more engaging to me. While I do appreciate certain aspects of Drunken Angel, I think I just expected more from it.
I had it towards the bottom of my voting ballot, but it was still a fairly interesting watch and I'm glad I saw it.
Phantom Lady is a film that definitely captures that German expressionist-inspired noir aesthetic I love so much. My memory is a little hazy on the details of the plot, and I didn't rewatch it before submitting my list, but the visuals still stood out in my mind strongly enough that I put it at #19.
Seen: 10/32
My List: 4
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69
Phantom Lady is a film that definitely captures that German expressionist-inspired noir aesthetic I love so much. My memory is a little hazy on the details of the plot, and I didn't rewatch it before submitting my list, but the visuals still stood out in my mind strongly enough that I put it at #19.
Seen: 10/32
My List: 4
03. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) - #92
08. Ministry of Fear (1944) - #75
11. This Gun for Hire (1942) - #78
19. Phantom Lady (1944) - #69
__________________
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Drunken Angel was my #2. I was really impressed by it. It has engaging characters who are both symbolic types and individuals, the journey inevitable but interesting to watch. But what really makes it is the setting itself; the disease filled swamp outside the doctor's office working both literally and metaphorically. It looks great too, with a definite noirish tinge to scenes like a gangster playing a guitar beneath a neon sign. Definitely recommended.
X
Favorite Movies
I see Drunken Angel as mediocre for Kurosawa but it was still good enough to make the latter part of my ballot.
I gave Phantom Lady - back in 2017.
7. Body and Soul (#94)
15. Force of Evil (#85)
20. The Blue Dahlia (#74)
24. Drunken Angel (#70)
25. The Letter (#72)
I gave Phantom Lady - back in 2017.
7. Body and Soul (#94)
15. Force of Evil (#85)
20. The Blue Dahlia (#74)
24. Drunken Angel (#70)
25. The Letter (#72)
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I could have sworn that when I checked Drunken Angel it didn't qualify but in this regard, in both countdowns, I have been known to be wrong. Oh well it's a great film and I may or may not have voted for another Kurosawa film that may or may not be from the same era.
Siodmak did make some great film noirs, at least from the five that I've seen I give them all good ratings. Phantom Lady was in contention but I may or may not had to go with another film of his that may or may not be one of the top tier noirs of all time.
Siodmak did make some great film noirs, at least from the five that I've seen I give them all good ratings. Phantom Lady was in contention but I may or may not had to go with another film of his that may or may not be one of the top tier noirs of all time.
__________________
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
X
Favorite Movies
I believe that Drunken Angel is the first movie in this thread that I haven't seen. I'll put it on my list.
But Phantom Lady is a very fine noir. The people involved really make up a noir dream team: story by Cornell Woolrich (authored most noir stories filmed), directed by the great Robert Siodmak (The Killers, Criss Cross), photographed by Woody Bredell (Lady on a Train, The Killers), Joan Harrison producing (Hitchcock protege), the very alluring Ella Raines, the great Elisha Cook, Jr., and with Francot Tone thrown in. What a gang!!
I have a lot of respect for this picture, although it didn't force its way into my 25..... but it could have..
But Phantom Lady is a very fine noir. The people involved really make up a noir dream team: story by Cornell Woolrich (authored most noir stories filmed), directed by the great Robert Siodmak (The Killers, Criss Cross), photographed by Woody Bredell (Lady on a Train, The Killers), Joan Harrison producing (Hitchcock protege), the very alluring Ella Raines, the great Elisha Cook, Jr., and with Francot Tone thrown in. What a gang!!
I have a lot of respect for this picture, although it didn't force its way into my 25..... but it could have..
X
Favorite Movies
I've seen The Desperate Hours. A very tense, dread-filled film where a family is held hostage by a bunch of desperados, including one played by Humphrey Bogart who is especially (and surprisingly) menacing. I remember that there's a kid in it - which always makes the hostage situation worse, because the family the kid belongs to is especially vulnerable. It reminds me somewhat of Suddenly (1954) - although in that film it's presidential assassins instead of regular crooks. I guess there's a small sub-genre there when it comes to home invasions and hostage-taking - of which The Desperate Hours and Suddenly are very early entrants. Anyway, always a pretty big shock to have seen a film revealed in this thread at the moment. If I'd remembered The Desperate Hours as film noir it would have had a chance to make my ballot - I liked it a little more than some of the lower placed films on my list. (I do wonder if Suddenly will make the countdown now.)
Seen : 4/30
Seen : 4/30
Good movie and I see it's on Youtube.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
If this countdown were an exam I'd be failing it so badly, and probably getting a letter I'd have to take home and show to my furious parents who'd ground me and force me to watch a dozen old film noir classics until I could go out with my friends again.
__________________
Remember - everything has an ending except hope, and sausages - they have two.
We miss you Takoma
We miss you Takoma
Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Had not heard of Drunken Angel but it sounds great. Again, another on my list that I haven't seen is Phantom Lady. But I'm very intrigued from what others have said. Elisha Cook Jr. high as a kite and Ella Raines? Oh, what a dish! Definitely will see. No go again.
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78
#15 He Walked By Night List Proper #88
#22 This Gun For Hire List Proper #78
__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."
Last edited by dadgumblah; 03-21-24 at 07:51 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
one vote. if i have it correct, drunken angel ended up at #14 on my final ballot. i don't know how close it is to being a true kurosawa masterpiece but it's a solid piece of work about an ordinary doctor having to deal with the various challenges - material and moral - of dealing with a yakuza patient. have not seen phantom lady.
__________________
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
X
Favorite Movies
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Selznick International Pictures
Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov
50 Points, 5 Lists
'A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.'
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Last edited by Citizen Rules; 3 weeks ago at 02:48 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Director: Ida Lupino
Production: The Filmakers
Cast: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman
52 Points, 9 Lists
'Two fishermen pick up a psychopathic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over.'
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Last edited by Citizen Rules; 3 weeks ago at 02:48 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
X