The Illusion of Depth

About six months ago I presented a film series which I called Genre Fluid . Sometimes "noir" comes from the Kitchen Sink. I argued at the time that we can very easily fall into a trap when trying to label things. Does it really matter whether a film fits the dictionary definition of a "Western" or a "Rom-Com" (said I, at the time) and anyway who gets to decide what those definitions are in the first place? If a film is of merit (said I, at the time, said I) it should stand on its own. Why should we waste time and energy trying to stuff it into a box marked Sci-Fi or Chick-Flick ; especially if it doesn't fit exactly? Are we so obsessed with with putting labels on everything that we can't enjoy something for what it is unless we can establish what it isn't ? In a nutshell: Not everything is about pronouns . All of this is what I said six months ago. I then of course proceeded to devote a whole new series of films to exploring (and perhaps... de...

If you have been following the films that I have shown thus far in this season of noir , you will probably have noticed that a few faces tend to turn up again and again. Claire Trevor was a Femme Fatale in multiple films... …and Joan Bennett likewise has lent her talents to many a noir (with more to come before Easter!). But it's not just the top-billed actors who get repeat engagements. Hollywood of the 1930s and 40s often felt more like a repertory company, and it's not unusual to see a lot of familiar faces in various supporting roles. Elisha Cook Jr. has turned up in quite a few of these films, usually playing a nebbish on the fringes of respectable society. Esther Howard's cantankerous old lady has turned up in three of the films we have seen thus far this season... as I'm sure everyone has noticed! But there is one actor we have (astonishingly) yet to encounter in any of the films I have shown thus far. I say "astonishingly" because he was, for a while...

My wife (whose taste in cinema matters very much to me) doesn't think I should screen this film. Yes, it's an incredibly stylish and atmospheric noir of the classic period, directed (with a great deal of panache) by the legendary Fritz Lang.  Yes, it stars Joan Bennett, who lent her talents to some of the juiciest noirs of them all. And yes, it features a monumental score by Miklos Rozsa, who more or less single-handedly established the sound of noir. BUT... (and I know my "but" looks big in this)... It is completely and totally bonkers . Bonkers or not, Secret Beyond the Door qualifies as one of the most unusual noirs to come out of Hollywood during this era. It lays itself wide open to a number of very valid criticisms, but it also tells its story with a great deal of style and some very genuine suspense. Besides, this is my film series and I can show whatever I want to show. Just don't tell my wife... By the time Fritz Lang directed Secret Beyond the Door , he...