Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 4: DVD Review (2007)

As distinctly American as jazz.

During its heyday in the 1940s-1950s, the noir movement dominated American pop culture, rivaling the outlaw toughness of the Western, the darkness of the Gothic. The films were urban and racy--the dialogue snapped, sex underscored the sleaze, blood soaked the pavements.

All boil together in this fine collection from Warner, which showcases 10 films of "timeless suspense" on five discs, with such stars as Edward G. Robinson, Robert Mitchum, Farley Granger and the amazing Audrey Totter taking matters into their own hands, which usually were filled with knives or guns.

Best of the lot are Totter in "Tension," Mitchum in "Where Danger Lives," and Sterling Hayden in "Crime Wave."

Grade: A-