MovieChat Forums > Laura Discussion > My favourite film noir of all time.

My favourite film noir of all time.

posted 11 years ago by Jacob_Dunstan_Autumn
14 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this last night and was transfixed by it. Very absorbing whodunit tale, with pitch-perfect performances. How alluring was Gene Tierney? Very alluring. I loved the cinematography in it, with the good ol' noir trope of rainy street-scapes a welcome addition. I thought the ending was genuinely suspenseful, and despite the predictable resolution, I quite like the rather abrupt ending it had. I also felt drawn to the jaded McPherson, his character had depth. It's a real credit to the excellent screenplay and its fine director - the characterizations are so strong. Could watch over and over.

[–] MsELLERYqueen2 11 years ago

It's one of my faves as well. I've seen it about 30 times in the past 10 years!

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JimHutton as ElleryQueen: talented hot sexy

[–] deb-taylor128 11 years ago

My absolutely fave film!

[–] conway3000 11 years ago

One of my favorites also.

[–] spasek 11 years ago

Absolutely! Love both Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, and they made several of these great genre films together, but this one is their best collaboration.

Still love Double Indemnity and The Big Sleep...so these are my top 3.

[–] spasek 11 years ago

[–] aciolino 10 years ago

A great film but hardly "Noir." Just a murder mystery/ who-done-it. Not noir.

[–] rexshard93 10 years ago

Vincent Price considered Laura to be the best film he ever worked on.

[–] thomas-begen-194-976045 10 years ago

I have to agree with those who say this is not a noir film. It's a well-executed crime drama or murder mystery which is not noir, though it borders on noir. For example, "The Maltese Falcon," "The Blue Daliah," "Asphalt Jungle," and many Bogart or Edward G. Robinson films are noir. I don't get all the hype about "Laura" even though it's an excellent movie, among Preminger's best. To his credit, the film has great dialogue and acting, and a good, solid story. I didn't see what was so remarkable about the cinematography it won an Oscar in that category.

[–] hisgrandmogulhighness 10 years ago

It richly deserved the Academy Award for cinematography . . . true, it's mostly interiors . . . though wondrously filmed . . . one of the best ever done . . .

[–] Trax-3 10 years ago

I didn't see what was so remarkable about the cinematography it won an Oscar in that category.

It has to be pointed out that all the original film elements are long gone, as I think, I mentioned in an other thread some time ago. What we see is a shadow of what once was. Also, when judging quality of the photography one has to trust that the technicians who performed the video transfer got the look right. Is there even any surviving reference material around that could be used to get it right?

We don't know what kind of experience this might have been when projected on nitrate with a carbon arc back in '44.

[–] Doghouse-6 10 years ago

Although I'm in general agreement with thomas-begen about the cinematography, yours are fair enough points. Any print, no matter the film, struck from a source closest to the original cut negative is going to look better, and it's said that the silver content in nitrate prints imparted a depth, contrast and glow that later-generation safety film couldn't match.

Just the same, currently-available Laura elements don't appear unduly degraded, and when considered against other selected nominees (Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Lifeboat, for instance), Laura, with its overall evenly-lit glossy look and fluid if not adventurous camera work may seem a puzzling choice in retrospect.

But the collective results of Academy ballots in any given year are something that's remained inscrutable as long as the organization's existed. When voters completed them in early '45, maybe "It's nice and bright and I can see everything and everyone clearly" was the measure of effective cinematography to tastes even within the industry.

Poe! You are...avenged!

[–] Bree_33 9 years ago

A masterpiece of film noir with an incomparable cast. Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews are my favorites and both were excellent together.

☁☀☁

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» nec spe,nec metu •´¯`» The Amazing Gene Tierney: https://i.imgur.com/rU4RCLn.gif

[–] Sunflower007 9 years ago

~ Laura is definitely one of my top favorite noir film. I loved it from the performances, actors & plot/mystery that captivated me throughout the film. All beautiful done.😃

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[–] liscarkat (18897) 3 years ago

It's not really film noir. It's just a crime drama/mystery.