Difference between A-movie and B-movie film noir

Gohanto

Gohanto

Veteran
Without knowing the budget of a film-noir, what do you think marks the difference between A-movie noir and B-movie noir.

Seven is generally known as an A-movie noir while Touch of Evil is known as a B-movie noir. However the cinematic styles of them are both largely the same in terms of camera angles and lighting techniques.

Any opinions?
 
The film noir movies of the 50s were by definition B-Movies (low budget - "second rate" movies). Directors and cinematographers of that era we extremely innovative in an effort "to show their wears." There's a great section on this on the DVD, American Cinema. It's a great DVD on the History of American Cinema.

Today, film noir is more a style. Look at some of the great movies that would probably fit in that class...all A-Movies: Chinatown, Body Heat, Blade Runner...
 
Hmmmm A vs. B?

I just watched "Romeo is Bleeding" this week, hadn't seen it in years. There's some modern Noir for ya. And man... Lena Olin. What a performance.
 
Blaine said:
The film noir movies of the 50s were by definition B-Movies (low budget - "second rate" movies). Directors and cinematographers of that era we extremely innovative in an effort "to show their wears."
Click to expand...

not all of the 40's and 50's film noirs were B-movies. some A examples are Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep. IMDB has three Hitchcocks in the top 10 noirs. the best way to tell the B's from the A's in the 50's is subject matter. In the B's you might see a gay character, an implied rape, drugs, or even radioactive poison (D.O.A.).
 
I think what relegated D.O.A. to B-moviedom is the slide-whistle that sounds every time an attractive woman walks past camera...
 
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