European Film noir

welsh

welsh

Junkmaster
These French do some great film noir.

Just saw Coup de Torchon, and really enjoyed it. I think La Femme Nikita falls into this school, but so did Alphaville. Anyone else watching European Noir? What do you think?
 
Haven't seen any of the films you mentioned... However,"The city of lost children" rocks. It falls more into noir/steampunk sci-fi than stricto "noir". though.
 
i hate french films... serious i do... it's not so much that they are in french but.. ok there are a few nice one, but the exeption makes the rule... Ok they aren't as horrible as german films, and not even as MONSTERIOUS as swiss movies.. but french films are... bah
 
I didn't like Nikita as much as Point of No Return.

Kharn is going to shoot me in the face for saying that, y'know.
 
Alphaville is distopian. Which has alot in common with Noir, but is not. Great movie though.

I don't know. Some Herzog might be there, but most of the European movies I see are either Greek or Russian, and not that modern-Noir-Russian either. Or French.
 
Point of No Return blows compared to Nikita. When Nikita goes off in the first shoot out, or even when she goes nuts in the courtroom, it's so damn harsh and real. Bridget Fonda was just too soft for the role.
 
Dude, it's almost shot for shot the same movie. Plus Bridget Fonda looks better.
 
No, she doesn't and while it's true that the movies are almost (but not quite) the same, the French version is superior because the acting is better.
 
Malkavian said:
I didn't like Nikita as much as Point of No Return.

Kharn is going to shoot me in the face for saying that, y'know.
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*shoots Malky in the face*

Welsh, three words: Le Dernier combat

Well, ok, not a film noir, but all this Besson talk reminded me of it
 
Damn, my library doesn't have it.

Anyway, regarding the French- sometimes they do it great. But other films have been wanting.

Crimson Rivers for instance, great idea but it became so formula it stopped being interesting. There is a difference from having cool characters and trying to make your characters cool. In Le Femme, the characters were cool. In Crimson, it seemed they were trying too hard.

Ditto Brotherhood of the Wolf. A good idea that went over the top. That movie probably went 20 minutes too long.
 
welsh said:
Crimson Rivers for instance, great idea but it became so formula it stopped being interesting. There is a difference from having cool characters and trying to make your characters cool. In Le Femme, the characters were cool. In Crimson, it seemed they were trying too hard.
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Ugh, Le Rivieres Poupres. I hated the flick. Poor Kassovitz.

La Haine is one of the best movies ever made, but no return performance for Matthew. Crimson Rivers was sub-par, and Gothika, while I haven't seen it, doesn't look good

*SPOILERS*

Biggest problem with La Rivières Poupres is that they completely loose the focus they had on the idea of his nazi-university. That's creepy. Fucking creepy. The "twin-sister-thriller"-stuff isn't...

Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel make a good duo, tho'

welsh said:
Ditto Brotherhood of the Wolf. A good idea that went over the top. That movie probably went 20 minutes too long.
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Pacte des Loups and Vidocq are pulpy, fun movies. Not special, but c'mon, they're entertaining, well-filmed and have a good atmosphere
 
Brotherhood of the Wolf could have been great but went over the top and kept going. That ruined it for me.

But I agree, the whole twin sister thing was dopey but the Nazi-University was great in Crimson River.

Le Haine was great. It's on my movie list for when I teach the theme "Art of Resistance" for English Comp.

But La Femme kicks ass.
 
Brother None said:
Malkavian said:
I didn't like Nikita as much as Point of No Return.

Kharn is going to shoot me in the face for saying that, y'know.
Click to expand...

*shoots Malky in the face*

Welsh, three words: Le Dernier combat

Well, ok, not a film noir, but all this Besson talk reminded me of it
Click to expand...

I enjoy some grave digging from time to time. I just watched this film and was very impressed. I can see how this would have aided in the inspiration behind Fallout and or Wasteland.

anyone that has not watched, I highly recommend it.
 
Holy shit that's one hella gravedig.

Yeah, Dernier Combat is pretty damned solid. I love Jean Reno's part in it.
 
Wooz said:
Haven't seen any of the films you mentioned... However,"The city of lost children" rocks. It falls more into noir/steampunk sci-fi than stricto "noir". though.
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The same director also did Amélie and Alien - Resurrection (that was not so well though).

Brother None said:
Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel make a good duo, tho'
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Reno for itself is a pretty good actor as I can only say that his movies most of the time have something I really like frmo Leon to es Rivières pourpres (as already mentioned by someone The Crimson Rivers). Actualy I quite like a lot of french actors, Gérard Depardieu (Les Fugitifs) together with Pierre Richard are as well pretty good.

The Pianist (2002 film) is for a european prodcution as well pretty well done though not really film Noir I think.
 
Man Bites Dog (C'est arrivé près de chez vous), from 1992.

I finally saw this a few months back - probably the most disturbing French movie I've seen.
 
"The Third Man", UK production from 1949, written by Graham Greene, is probably one of the best movies in the film-noir genre that I know of. Well, to be honest, I haven't seen a lot of film-noir movies anyway. But I think it has very good acting, a gripping story, and a great setting. And the usage of dark and light is simply amazingly well done. Black and white films have a certain kind of flair that isn't easily reproduced in colour.

Reading the comments on IMDB about this movie makes me cringe in pain, though I'd guess that counts for more than just this movie. Criticizing The Third Man for being a slow movie without car chases and sex feels to me like criticizing an old fashioned gentlemen's club for not being a titty bar and that their 30 year old single malt scotch isn't a cheap pint of beer.
 
eyes-without-face-3.jpg


This'll help you cringe in pain Edmond, but hopefully in a good way. Classic French film noir from 1960, though hardly in the same class as the Third Man.
 
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