Lists · Movies

The Beginner’s Guide to the Subgenres of Film Noir

What’s black and white and full of subgenres?
Film Noir Subgenres
By  · Published on November 22nd, 2020

Western-Noir

In her essay “Noir on the Range,” Criterion essayist Imogen Sara Smith writes of the postwar corruption of the cinematic West, which in turn led to a genre-meld between the cowboy and the crook. The result was a revisionist identity crisis where the Western’s obsession with upholding justice eroded into film noir’s clutches, giving way to a psychological reality in which riding off into the sunset was no longer a guarantee.


Pursued (Raoul Walsh, 1947)

Pursued Noir Western

Crawling through a landscape of bones and nooses, a pursued cowhand (Robert Mitchum) pauses to mull over his past. Ever since he was a child, people have been trying to kill him. And no one will tell him why. Steadily, Jeb pieces together the truth: a mountain of betrayal, blood feuds, and a bit of light incest. Of all Westerns listed here, this is perhaps the purest noir. While Mitchum supplies an instant link with his mere presence, the film’s cerebral bent coupled with James Wong Howe’s masterful cinematography provides more than enough of a noir pedigree.

Notable noir vibes: A hero with a dark past he can’t escape, deep shadows, and deeper focus.


The Naked Spur (Anthony Mann, 1953)

The Naked Spur Western Noir

Hard-bitten loner Howard Kemp (James Stewart) has made it his business to stalk and capture the killer Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan). Now in the craggy Rockies of Colorado, Kemp hires a posse consisting of men who believe him to be a sheriff. After they capture Vandergroat, the truth comes out that Kemp is a bounty hunter. As they make their way back to town, the killer attempts to turn the group against each other.

Shot in the Academy ratio, The Naked Spur eschews wide expanses for vertiginous rock and craggy quarters as claustrophobic as any alleyway. The film is rightfully regarded as one of the best Westerns ever made. But its debt to noir is clear: this film’s heart is as black as an outlaw’s hat.

Notable noir vibes: A hard truth that cannot be healed, moral ambiguity, and boilerplate tension so hot you’ll need oven mitts.


One-Eyed Jacks (Marlon Brando, 1961)

Oneeyedjacks Framegrabs Layer Tif film noir subgenres

After a bank robbery goes sidewise “Dad” Longworth (Karl Malden) takes the stolen gold and leaves his younger partner Rio (Marlon Brando) to take the fall. Five years later, Rio escapes from prison and hunts down Dad to exact his revenge only to find his former partner a reformed, respectable sheriff, fearful of the day Rio would return.

One-Eyed Jacks is a bold inclusion on any list, but as far as revisionist, noir-courting Westerns go, this one’s up there with the best. As the only film that Brando ever directed, One-Eyed Jacks is rarely allowed to exist on its own terms. Which is a shame, because there is much to admire about this sullen, scoundrel-filled meditation on the muddy waters of what separates the good guys from the bad.

Notable noir vibes: Dust rolling across the desert like smog, two-faced partners, and chips on shoulders the size of dinner plates.


Next Page
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Related Topics: ,

Based in the Pacific North West, Meg enjoys long scrambles on cliff faces and cozying up with a good piece of 1960s eurotrash. As a senior contributor at FSR, Meg's objective is to spread the good word about the best of sleaze, genre, and practical effects.