some good film noir movies.

[jwright82]

I have fallen in love with old movies and especially movies in the arena of film noir. Since I am new to this genre does anyone have any suggestions for good film noir movies that I could buy and/or watch?

 

[Tripel]

The Maltese Falcon
The Wrong Man
Vertigo (sort of a "noir")
Chinatown (probably my favorite)

 

[matthew11v25]

While not considered "noir" (but since you are getting into older films), I would strongly rec. watching and buying "Citizen Kane". Year after year it is ranked by critics as one of the greatest and most influencial films made...definetely influencing film noir.

 

[tommyb]

Body Heat. A bit more contemporary but an excellent example of the genre

 

[David Heesen]

"The Window" starring Bobby Driscoll. Check out the clip at YouTube - Bobby Driscoll in The Window

 

[Irish Presbyterian]

'The Big Sleep' is great.
Also:
Double Indemnity
Touch of Evil
Little Caesar
Public Enemy
White Heat
Scarface (1932)
The Third Man (also amazing).

 

[Galatians220]

"Laura" (1944), "Notorious" (1946), "Strangers on a Train" (1951), "The Letter" (1940; the Bette Davis version is incomparable). "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943) is another great one. So is "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), containing some of the finest screenwriting I've ever seen. Of course, classic forties "film noir" is "Casablanca."

"Strangers on a Train," a Hitchcock movie in which he cast his young daughter, Patricia, in a small but very effective role, has an unbelievable performance by Robert Walker in it. He was a troubled man who died not long after making the movie.

Margaret

 

[Philip]

The Asphault Jungle
The Killing (Stanley Kubrick directing noir!)
Night of the Hunter
Double Indemnity

You might also consider watching some of the silent German expressionist films that influenced and inspired noir. Good ones in the genre include:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (really weird, but interesting techniques)
Nosferatu (the first attempt at making Dracula)