Collections/July 2022

Noir in Color

When one thinks of film noir, the first images that come to mind are invariably shaded in moody, chiaroscuro-laden black and white. But there exists a parallel tradition of postwar crime films writ in blazing color that are every bit as cynical, subversive, and strikingly stylized as their monochrome counterparts. Coinciding with the rise of television—when studios turned increasingly to widescreen, Technicolor productions in order to compete with the alarmingly popular new medium—these films bring noir out of the shadows and into a world of heightened, luridly expressionistic color. Ranging from classics like Leave Her To Heaven , Bad Day at Black Rock , and House of Bamboo to fascinating curios like the jaw-droppingly queer Desert Fury and the European-shot Robert Mitchum rarity Foreign Intrigue , these brightly lit films can’t mask their dark hearts.

15 films — 0 on the Channel, 15 unavailable