A few years ago, I enjoyed discovering what had until then seemed to me an almost unimaginable number of excellent old French crime films. While looking for context and explanations of that world, I came across this book, which presents the evolution of French film noir very clearly and readably — from early black-and-white works up to films of the 1990s.
I particularly liked that the author mentions some of my personal favorites, such as Going Places, Monsieur Hire, The Moon in the Gutter, Rififi, The Beast Must Die, The Clockmaker, Série Noire, L.627, Diva, and Subway. On the other hand, I was somewhat disappointed that in the final list of French noir films, titles like Blood Relatives, La Horse, Grilling, One Deadly Summer, Betty Blue, Deadly Circuit, Beau-Père, Without Apparent Motive, and Trap for Cinderella are not mentioned. Still, this is only a minor criticism of an otherwise very valuable book.
The author convincingly traces the development of French film noir from the 1930s to the 1990s, connecting it to literary influences such as Simenon (though unfortunately authors like Sébastien Japrisot, Jean-Patrick Manchette, and some other important crime writers are not mentioned). The chapter on France under the Vichy regime is particularly interesting, showing how anyone could have been a collaborator with Nazi Germany — even your neighbor — which perfectly suited the claustrophobic feeling of film noir.
The book then follows the post-war period, the 1950s and 1960s, and the emergence of new directors like Godard, Chabrol, and Melville. While American film noir of the 1940s and 1950s had a strong influence, the author rightly emphasizes that the relationship was mutual, as many elements of American noir actually originated in French traditions, particularly poetic realism.
One of the book’s strengths is its explanation of how French film noir, beyond its remarkable visual style, also served as a critique of society. However, with the advent of television and technological progress, style gradually became an end in itself while content lost weight — as can be clearly seen in films like Luc Besson’s Nikita.
Overall, this is a very valuable book for any admirer of French crime cinema. If you enjoy it, it is also worth taking a look at Andrew Spicer’s European Film Noir, which provides a broader European context.
