Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir)

Buy This Item Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir) by 20th Century Fox  Available from Amazon  $12.99  on 8-26-2008     The term Film Noir is very much misunderstood by many, including some who have written about it. The term first discussed (and indeed created) by the French with reference to the style of FILM MAKING, not the genre of any of the films. Other reviewers have compared this to Mildred Pierce and claim DK is not Noir when in fact it is. It is the style itself - lighting, mood, atmosphere - the makes these films Noir, not the genre. The fact that many films of the period happened to have been gangster films means nothing. Compare this to Crawford's Possessed. Different theme, same style. <br /> <br />For anyone confused about what noir is or is not, I would point them here: <br /> <br />[] <br /> <br />The article is composed from numerous articles on the subject, and there is a huge list of examples of Noir films, including certain comedies (yes, some comedy films were done in Noir style). <br /> <br />DK is one of those films that has so much to recommend it. Intelligently directed and acted, this is more a drama than a melodrama. Fine performances by the leads, and the usual tight direction from Preminger. <br /> <br />The extras are disappointing as the mini-documentary sheds nothing new on the subjects, but for the film alone, it is worth the purchase. Reader Reviews Good film, excellent DVD extras but I was a bit disappointed with the transfer in places where the left and right edges of the screen appear out of focus and only the middle is sharp. However, this was not all the way through the film and was probably a defect of the source print they used. Of course, it goes without saying that Crawford fans will love it anyway, for Joan's elegant and restrained performance & stunning looks, the gorgeous production values and the aforementioned nifty extras. And for the price, I can forgive them not having done a full restoration. As for whether or not "Daisy Kenyon" is film noir....I'd say it has certain noir trappings--lots of nighttime scenes and faces half in shadow etc., but lacking the usual "underworld" noir characters & scenarios. It's mostly just a very well-made "woman's picture" as that somewhat antiquated modifier goes. But very well done!

Daisy Kenyon (Fox Film Noir) Available from Amazon Price: $12.99 Updated on 8-26-2008.

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