All Deep focus articles
Twenty-first century noir
The term film noir may have come to refer to a body of US films made between 1941 and 1958, but it also conjures up a potent blend of cinematic style and dark material that still inspires directors around the world, among them the most formidable names in Hollywood and in arthouse cinema: Nolan, Lynch, Campion, Mann, Ceylan… The 15 films below – updated from the 12 we presented in our February 2013 issue – represent an attempt to gauge the essence of noir in the 21st century – a genre that allows filmmakers to push the envelope of narrative construction, while also addressing the themes that haunt us, from memory loss to compulsive violence to transgressive sexuality.
By Nick James
Maurice Pialat: three steps to magic – a video essay
By Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin
Pre-Code: Hollywood before the censors
By Mike Mashon and James Bell