Great conversation with two writers who truly understand Noir and how to write it: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was brilliant and underrated, and LA Confidential was nominated for Best Picture (and should have won). Both films are considered "Neo" Noir -- as is Chinatown -- because they were made after the "classic" noir period from 1941-1958. But the "Neo" in Neo-Noir is basically a pointless subcategory. Chinatown is considered a "Neo" Noir, but the movie is set sometime between the 1920s and the 1940s, and looks and feels like a "classic" film noir compared to modern Neo-Noirs. Btw, the most interesting line in this interview to me? Shane Black said he considers Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" to be a Noir. I think he might be right.
Exemplifies perfectly why I don't like what most people--even Hollywood filmmakers--think constitutes "noir." What ruins L.A. Confidential is EXACTLY the moral agent dropped from the heavens with his own "justice" to meet out, as if the noir universe--specifically, it's CHARACTERS--can even BE saved. Do-gooders in noir are cop-outs (no pun intended) unless they're murdered somewhere along the way. You can tell from their mistaking Hammett's Maltese Falcon--the greatest hardboiled detective film of them all--being mistaken for "noir." It's not. And while noir and hardboiled share a lot of qualities, even to the point of a great deal of overlap, it's the true noir devotee who understands the difference, not these guys--happy though I am that they can make a living doing art of any kind, even compromised art. Beats waiting tables.
Great conversation with two writers who truly understand Noir and how to write it:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was brilliant and underrated, and LA Confidential was nominated for Best Picture (and should have won).
Both films are considered "Neo" Noir -- as is Chinatown -- because they were made after the "classic" noir period from 1941-1958. But the "Neo" in Neo-Noir is basically a pointless subcategory. Chinatown is considered a "Neo" Noir, but the movie is set sometime between the 1920s and the 1940s, and looks and feels like a "classic" film noir compared to modern Neo-Noirs.
Btw, the most interesting line in this interview to me?
Shane Black said he considers Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" to be a Noir.
I think he might be right.
Another noir-flavored western you may like is Nicholas Ray's "Johnny Guitar".
Double imdemnity is great filmmaking. Great talk.
What a great interview and inspiring to boot
Forget it Jake, It's Chinatown.
Exemplifies perfectly why I don't like what most people--even Hollywood filmmakers--think constitutes "noir." What ruins L.A. Confidential is EXACTLY the moral agent dropped from the heavens with his own "justice" to meet out, as if the noir universe--specifically, it's CHARACTERS--can even BE saved. Do-gooders in noir are cop-outs (no pun intended) unless they're murdered somewhere along the way. You can tell from their mistaking Hammett's Maltese Falcon--the greatest hardboiled detective film of them all--being mistaken for "noir." It's not. And while noir and hardboiled share a lot of qualities, even to the point of a great deal of overlap, it's the true noir devotee who understands the difference, not these guys--happy though I am that they can make a living doing art of any kind, even compromised art. Beats waiting tables.
Neonoir has a long way to go to even get close to the brilliance of the past!!
Damn, this was great.
wow. That was spectacular!
This is really insightful, Thank you.
massively helpful, thank you very much
I wish there was a list of the films that were mentioned.
I keep thinking Helgeland is wearing one short leg.
did they even talk about neo noir? seemed to me that they only talked about noir.
Color films by definition, can't be noir. Films noir, blanch et les colours entre les choses, but not noir.