Best Detective Movies
Tuesday, 8. May 2007, 04:30:37
Humphrey Bogart in a publicity shot
for The Maltese Falcon.
A friend of mine, knowing that I write shamus fiction, was asking me
recently about my favorite detective movies. So I got to thinking about
it, and I decided that as long as I was compiling the list for her that
I might as well do a post on it. So this is for you, Margo.
The odd thing is that there really aren't that many private-eye movies
out there. Not when compared to other genres such as the Western or
horror films. If you add movies featuring police detectives, though, the
list suddenly gets a bit longer. So this list contains both private
dicks and public ones.
Most of the movies here will be known to people. But strange as it may
seem, people like my friend didn't necessarily know all of them. So
there may be a few here that are new to you. Or, not.
The list doesn't include a few recent notable movies in the genre, due
to the fact that I haven't seen them yet. I usually run a bit behind in
most things, it seems.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
This would be my choice for the best noir detective movie of all time.
It has all the elements of the form -- from the rather shades-of-grey
moral ground to the femme fatale to the shady criminals that the
detective becomes involved with. And it's got Humphry Bogart, of course.
The only thing I've never liked about this movie is Mary Astor. She just
wasn't right for the role, in my opinion -- a little too old and a
little too school-marmish.
The Big Sleep (1946)
Based upon Raymond Chandler's first novel, the screenplay for this one
was actually co-authored by William Faulkner, who obviously gives a
great respect to the original. This one has Bogey and Bacall in their
first movie together, and the chemistry is wonderful to watch. I suggest
you read the novel first. Otherwise you're going to have to watch the
movie about six times before you really get what is going on.
"I don't slap so good this early in the evening."
The Lady in the Lake (1947)
Another Chandler adaptation, this one of his fourth novel. I normally
don't like it when people jack with Chandler's plots, but in this case
the script takes Chandler's two only vaguely connected plots and sews
them together. And it works well. The strange thing about this movie is
that it is shot from "the point of view of the detective" i.e. after the
introduction you only see Phillip Marlowe when he looks in the mirror or
something. Which is kind of a neat trick, but my view is that if they
had just done the thing straight-up that it might have been the best
Chandler adaptation. It has some great performances by some people that
you've probably never heard of.
The Naked City (1948)
This is a gritty, cop-based detective movie filmed on location in New
York (not typical for 1948) and includes just some wonderful city shots.
The movie puts you into the neighborhoods and onto the mean streets, and
that is perhaps the best thing about it. Barry Fitzgerald, complete with
his thick native Irish accent, plays the experienced old detective who
is investigating the death of a young woman. The movie also has some of
the first Crime Scene Investigation type stuff I can ever remember
seeing. The classic line "there are eight million stories in the naked
city, this has been one of them" originally comes from this movie.
Kiss Me, Deadly (1955)
I've done a full-length review of that one, so I will refer you there.
The fast skinny is that this is a great movie featuring Mickey
Spillane's detective Mike Hammer and his Velda.
Chinatown (1974)
When director Roman Polanski took on the noir form, he didn't fool
around. This stars Jack Nicholson as the private-eye and Faye Dunaway as
the femme fatale.
"How do ya like them apples?"
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
This is the best and most faithful adaptation of a Chandler novel. It
also has Robert Mitchum as Phillip Marlowe, and as far as I'm concerned
Mitchum IS the definitive Marlowe. The only shame is that this movie
wasn't done twenty years earlier and in black-and-white. If it had been,
I think it would be the best of the best. There is an earlier version of
Farewell titled Murder, My Sweet (1944), but in spite of high marks by some
I don't like that movie. It seems like a Saturday afternoon B-movie version
of Chandler. I don't like The Long Goodbye, either.
Robert Mitchum is Phillip Marlowe.
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
Director Ridley Scott got in some practice with making a noir-ish movie
with Blade Runner, and he continues that here. This is a thematically
rich movie. It's basically the tale of an ordinary-joe Queens police detective
(Tom Berrenger) who is assigned to protect a rich socialite (Mimi Rogers) who
has witnessed a murder. As such both find themselves lost in a world that is
foreign to them, losing themselves and then finding themselves again.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
This is the best cop-based detective movie I have ever seen. Set in L.A.
in the 1950s it tells the tale of three diverse cops who along the way all
end up on the same side investigating unsolved murders, a heroin ring, and
police corruption. The final 30 minutes or so includes the best police stuff
I have ever seen on film. I may not particularly like James Ellroy's writing
style, but the translation of his novel's plotting here is the best serial
plotting I have run across. I think this is one that all the greats -- Daly,
Hammett, Chandler, Spillane -- would all appreciate.
Open Range (2003)
There's a certain school of thought that the hardboiled detective novel
that emerged in the 1920s was an evolution of the old pulp Western
translated into a modern, urban setting. If that is the case, this movie
seems to work backwards, with the hardboiled form influencing the
Western. This one stars Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall as two cattlemen
trying to make a living for themselves grazing their cattle on the open
range. Against this they come across a greedy, rich landowner who hates
the open rangers and wants it all for himself. Things escalate slowly
over the course of the movie until it becomes apparent that Costner and
Duvall have no choice but to battle it out against the landowner and his
henchmen. The middle of the movie is very slow, but the movie more than
makes up for it with a titanic final shoot-out that makes the ending of
Firecreek look like a loose warm-up by comparison. When the old
Colts go off in this one they really explode. And, just like those old
Colts, they can't hit the broad side of a barn really, which makes for a
little bit of chaos. You learn real quick here why the shotgun or the
rifle were really the preferred weapons in the old West -- no matter how
many six-gun confrontations Hollywood has generated over the years.
Annette Benning is great in this, too. "I don't think you understand.
Men are going to get killed here today" Costner tells her towards the
end. "And I'm going to kill them." It really doesn't get more hardboiled
than that.
All hell breaks loose in Open Range.
WIDGETIZE
ricewood # 8. May 2007, 05:58
On the other hand I love a hardboiled detective story from the thirties - so maybe being on time isn´t that important after all.
edwardpiercy # 8. May 2007, 07:34
Anonymous # 26. November 2008, 13:35
If your looking for a few examples of fantasy/scifi films in this category I would suggest "Blade Runner" & "The Ninth Gate" - both are dark and twisted - just the way I like my detective stories! :)
Anonymous # 21. April 2009, 22:43
"Brick" is a rather new movie and with a noir-detective climax. I recommend it :)
edwardpiercy # 21. April 2009, 22:49
I'm afraid that this list is rather heavy on older movies, the old classics. But there are a couple more I've seen lately that might go on the list. I might do an update.
And thanks for stopping by.
Anonymous # 17. June 2009, 18:42
I loved Chinatown. How about the movie Zero Effect? That was really good. How about best tv detectives. I mean private investgators. Not cop/detectives. Veronica Mars is excellent. My favorite tv show of all time. I liked Columbo too.
edwardpiercy # 17. June 2009, 18:52
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate you leaving a comment. It's always nice hearing from new people.
Anonymous # 18. June 2009, 16:05
Yes. Columbo was a cop detective.
I know it's a tv series, but have you ever watched Veronica Mars? If so, did you like it? There are three seasons of it. I love it. There is a forum dedicated to trying to get it made in to a movie or more episodes.
edwardpiercy # 18. June 2009, 16:43
If you could provide a link to the Veronica stuff it would be a service to readers I am sure.
PS I don't know how old you are to remember but a long time ago they made a series of TV episodes of the Nancy Drew books.
Anonymous # 18. June 2009, 21:15
The link to help save Veronica Mars:
neptunerising.freeforums.org
Join the forum. Everybody is welcome, even if you have never seen an episode. It's free and fun. If you have any questions about the forum pm charlie.
Michael Muhney, who played the Sheriff on Veronica Mars, answered members questions this morning. That was so cool.
Veronica Mars is set in the fictional town of Neptune. Veronica is a high school student played by Kristen Bell. She part times for her P.I. father, played by Enrico Colantoni. VM Season 1 main plot: Veronica is trying to figure out who killed her best friend Lily Kane, where and why her mother disapeared. Along the way, she solves mysteries for her dad, high school friends and others. Great fun.
Anonymous # 18. June 2009, 21:18
www.neptunerising.freeforums.org
edwardpiercy # 18. June 2009, 21:42