Cinematheque is taking a turn to the dark side this December. Starting Friday, the institute will begin its “Mann of the Shadows” series, a retrospective of director Anthony Mann’s genre-defining Film Noir classics from the mid- to late-1940s.
The series consists of six of Mann’s films, kicking off with a double feature of “The Great Flamarion,” a tale of murder in Mexico City, and “Strange Impersonation,” a case of stolen identity and revenge.
Anthony Mann, despite his instrumental contributions to the development of the Film Noir genre, isn’t quite as well known as some of his major filmmaking contemporaries.
“He’s really crucial to American film history,” said Mike King, a Cinematheque programmer who arranged the Mann series. “He’s not thought of as a major director, and he’s not as popular as the heavy hitters but he’s a really major figure in American film history.”
Mann hasn’t been featured previously at Cinematheque, and with this feature series King hopes to shed a bit more light on this influential director, albeit ironically by delving into the dark world of Film Noir.
Mann’s cinematic style in these late 1940 films was built on high-contrast, heavy shadows that became synonymous with the genre.
“These aren’t ‘A-List’ movies exactly, but that’s often where the most interesting stuff happens in Hollywood,” King said. “It gives an opportunity to explore different lighting styles and things that would never fly in a Cary Grant movie.”
Cinematographer John Alton was a frequent collaborator of Mann’s, and his work can be seen throughout the films in this series, developing the oppressive darkness that brings in Film Noir’s doomed atmosphere.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people at the university and in Madison in general to really delve into exactly what John Alton and Anthony Mann were innovating in the Film Noir style in the late ’40s,” said Evan Davis, a Cinematheque programmer. “It’s a very special and unique event.”
The films selected for the series are generally representative of Mann’s Noir canon, picking up on classics like 1947’s “T-Men” and 1948’s “Raw Deal.” These were films that put Mann on the map in Hollywood as a preeminent director of the genre, making it all the more mystifying that he isn’t as well known today.
Perhaps most interesting is the series’ ultimate entry, “Reign of Terror,” also known as “The Black Book.” Released in 1949, the film tells the story of a plot to overthrow Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. The dramatized historical setting is uniquely cast into the Film Noir mode that make it possibly the only film of the genre to be set in the 18th century.
As per usual for the Cinemateque, the films will be presented on high-quality 35mm prints, some coming from the archives of UCLA and The Library of Congress. Others will be coming from various studios, but all have the deep blacks and true celluloid aesthetic that really help to amplify the bold Noir style.
“These are not movies you’ll really be able to get the essence of on DVD. There wasn’t home viewing then, and they weren’t designed for that,” King said. “These are big screen movies.”
Though Mann’s work in the Film Noir genre is notable, he also made a mark in the 1950s with a string of successful Western films starring James Stewart. The early years of Westerns would paint the genre as a less-serious, more youth-oriented one. Mann’s Noir background helped to bring a bit more darkness and grit to Westerns that would appeal to an adult audience and, along with other directors like John Ford, bring the genre into the realm of legitimate quality cinema.
Cinematheque will be continuing their Mann series with these Westerns in the spring. The Noir series starts Friday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. and will be continuing every Friday and Saturday until Dec. 17 at 4070 Vilas Hall. Cinema fans looking for an authentic way to experience some of the most influential entries into the historically significant Film Noir genre have a great opportunity in Cinematheque’s “Mann of the Shadows.”
