Solid State

Film Noir Section

The phrase is French for “black film” or “dark film.” French critics used it to describe American movies that had:
(1) cynical or morally conflicted characters
(2) shadowy black-and-white cinematography
(3) crime, corruption, or betrayal
(4) fatalistic stories where things often end badly
(5) hard-boiled detectives or antiheroes
<6) femme fatales — seductive, dangerous women.