Robert Mitchum and Jane Grier in Out of the Past

In the 1940s and 1950s, a new genre of film began to filter out of Hollywood.  It was a hard-bitten, cynical genre, dealing with the kinds of themes that movies had not dealt with before.  It’s often said that jazz is the only truly unique American art form.  This is nonsense.  Film noir is a genre that was created in America, and has been copied elsewhere around the world.

What is film noir?  It’s difficult to define precisely.  But when you see it, you recognize it for what it is.  It can be a genre, a style, or a motif.  What matters is the overall “spirit” of the film.  What is its message?  What impression lingers on the viewer’s brain?  All noir films deal with at least a few of the following themes:

Existential crises affect the main character

The…