Programmed July 2023

British Noir

Featuring a new introduction by critic Imogen Sara Smith In the aftermath of World War II, Britain cultivated its own form of film noir with a distinctly English accent. Marked by fatalistic wit, visual lyricism, and a pronounced concern for working-class lives, British crime dramas reflected an era of turbulent change, as generational and class conflict, the growing racial diversity of the postcolonial era, and ambivalence toward the U.S.’s new global dominance reshaped English society. Heavily influenced by the arrival of blacklisted Hollywood directors like Jules Dassin ( Night and the City ), Edward Dmytryk ( Obsession ), and Cy Endfield ( Hell Drivers ) working alongside homegrown talent like Carol Reed ( Odd Man Out ) and Basil Dearden ( Pool of London ), these stylish and suspenseful films…