For me, a true noir has to feature an attractive, treacherous woman who’s aking advantage of the male protagonist, usually something of a hapless, trusting sort.
One of the best is “Angel Face,” with Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons. I still remember the score by Dimitri Tiomkin...just gets the emotions rolling and you knew something bad was going to happen...but, what and when?
“Night of the Hunter” with Mitchum can still send chills down my spine....Shelley Winters in the river, sitting dead in the car with her hair flowing back, hate and love written on his fingers, grandma sitting at night in the rocker on the front porch with a rifle on her knees, Mitchum slowly walking by the picket fence singing “Leaning, Leaning leaning on the ever lasting Lord...leaning... Chills I tell you, that’s for sure.