MovieChat Forums > The Big Steal (1949) Discussion > Great Movie, but one question

Great Movie, but one question

posted 15 years ago by ruthlessroddy
6 replies | jump to latest

how is it in the category of Noir?
It's mostly shot in the day (contrary to most noir films shot at night)
Lot's of humor, boarderlining on 'screwball' comedy.
No bleak ending.

Because the term 'Noir' didn't get coined by the French for another 20-30 years AFTER this was made, there was no way Don Siegel and co. said "Hey, let's make another Noir film with Mitchum and Greer". I believe this was just made to be an action/adventure film, but it has been thrown into the 'Noir' genre due to Mitchum's other Noir-ish role's and the pairing of Mitchum and Greer shortly after their now classic roles from 'Out of the Past'.

It's fun, it's funny, Greer is VERY different in this role (compared to 'Out of the Past') and it's interesting to observe those differences, but Noir it ain't. IMHOpinion.

Anybody want to explain to me otherwise???
I'd still give it a fat 3 out of 4 stars though, I was very entertained.

[–] rspnov 15 years ago

I agree that it's not noir despite the noir cast (Mitchum, Greed, Bendix) and a plot based mainly on deception. After all, the movie is far too sunny and light-hearted, more of a chase comedy than anything else, but it is loads of fun and the Mexican atmosphere is super.
The noir designation actually came about in France in 1946 when five movies opened in a period of a couple of weeks (Maltese Falcon; Double Indemnity Woman in the Window; Laura; Murder, My Sweet) followed by five others a few months later (This Gun for Hire, The Killers, The Lady in the Lake, Gilda, The Big Sleep). Critics noticed similarities in mood/theme/style, and since Anerican crime novels had been published by Gallimand Press under the generic name of Serie Noire, they began to call these film noir. The term did NOT come about 20-30 years later.

[–] ruthlessroddy 15 years ago

Hmmm, I thought I read in a book (could've been a web site) that the term Noir didn't come about until the 70's, but I'll take your word for it. They're great movies though (Noir films), I've seen most of the ones you've mentioned except 'Woman in the Window', 'The Lady in the Lake' and 'This Gun for Hire' but it's always a treat to catch an old film and be blown away by it. 'They don't make 'em like they used to' is a term that applies here. Don't get me wrong, Great movies are still made, but just not with Bogart and Mitchum and the classic Femme Fatales from that time period.

I saw 'In a Lonely Place' not long ago, awesome. And most recently 'Witness to the Prosecution' (which I don't know if you'd consider Noir, but a Great movie nontheless).

TPRoddy1968

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ruthlessroddy 15 years ago

I'll buy that. If anything, the beauty was not knowing at all what I was in for, I just knew I loved 'Out of the Past' and both Mitchum and Greer where in this, so I figured it had potential. Now, if it had tried to be another OOTP rip off then it probably wouldn't have worked or would've been catagorized as such, but it was totally different (especially Greer's roll) and yet I laughed and remained amused throughout.

So here's to breaking the mold after a sucessful pairing, versus trying to milk something that was captured (albeit sucessfully) for one fleeting moment and trying to make clones for dollars out of it.

TPRoddy1968

[–] JohninVegas 9 years ago

It seems like any movie with Mitchum in it is noir.

[–] pontevedro 9 years ago

I'd agree that this is not film noir. But it could be, if you just shift the POV and make the leading character Fiske, not Halliday. Seduced by Blake into a robbery to impress his new girl, he is then pursued by his girl and her new boyfriend. Finally, just as he thinks he's gotten away with the money and the girl, he's shot by his erstwhile partner, dying in front of his girl, who doesn't make any effort to save him/comfort him.

I love the film as it is and really wouldn't change it.