Explore a world of dark and compelling elegance with this essential handbook for Film Noir. From private detectives and perfect crimes to corrupt cops and doomed romances, editors Paul Duncan and Jürgen Müller examine the core themes of noir and the most representative films from 1940 to 1960.

Richly illustrated with scenes from movies as well as original posters, this book offers page-by-page the masterful visual compositions of noir, while exploring the narrative parameters of this enigmatic, captivating, and evolving genre. The volume is completed by TASCHEN's selection of 50 classic noir films. Filled with enigmatic women, desperate gangsters, and psychopaths who continue to cast a long and fascinating shadow on cinema, this is an indispensable guide for fans and newcomers to noir.