French Film Noir in San Francisco
Last November turnaway crowds at San Francisco’s Roxie Theatre discovered that the French did more than give film noir its name—they made unique and incredible noirs of their own. Twelve films over four days left audiences breathless—and we’re not talking about the Jean-Luc Godard film, either!
This November, Midcentury Productions plants both feet onto that undiscovered continent of French film noir, taking audiences deeper into a world lost to film audiences for more than half a century. Familiar stars (Brigitte Bardot, Jean Gabin, Simone Signoret, Lino Ventura) are again seen in unfamiliar but compelling roles, suggesting that their iconic allure is tied to the dark world of noir.
As Mick LaSalle noted in his rave review of last year’s festival, “French noirs are not only dark, they are risqué—much bolder and more frank than analogous films from America.” And this year’s theme, “Lovers and Other Strangers,” continues that dark assignation with love gone wrong
