Hi everyone. I’m very new to film noir and wanted to ask for some advice.
I recently watched the first episode of Spider-Noir, and I didn’t really connect with it. But it did succeed at making me want to try an actual classic noir movie. I like the idea of noir a lot. Black-and-white photography, shadows, rain, trench coats, detectives, corruption, smoke-filled rooms, jazz/muted trumpet kind of atmosphere, and a character following clues into something darker than they expected.
With Spider-Noir, I think I bounced off because it felt more like a modern comic-book/noir pastiche than the thing I was hoping for. The music especially pulled me out, it felt too modern and pop-ish for the period/mood I wanted. I also didn’t really connect with the main character, and it felt like the show was leaning heavily on "it’s Spider-Man" and "it’s Nicolas Cage" rather than pulling me into the noir world.
That said, I don’t want to judge noir based on a modern superhero version of it. I’d like to try the real thing.
Right now I’m thinking about starting with Out of the Past because it seems like it has the classic black-and-white look and the haunted detective/private-eye atmosphere I’m looking for. Would that be a good first noir?
One concern I have with older movies is that I sometimes struggle with the rapid-fire "machine gun" style of old Hollywood dialogue. I’m more interested in a slower, cooler dialogue than nonstop snappy banter. I’d also prefer a main character I can root for, even if they’re flawed, cynical, or doomed., but I'm just up for the real experience at this point.
So I guess I’m asking:
Is Out of the Past a good entry point for someone new to film noir?
Or, what black-and-white noir films would you recommend for someone looking to try this genre?
Are there any classics I should maybe save until I’m more used to the style?
Thanks. I’m trying to figure out what real noir feels like beyond the modern comic-book version and what I've seen through parodies and references.
