World Noir Vol 3
The conclusion of World War Two saw film noir become firmly established as one of the defining Hollywood film genres, with studios almost unable to keep up with audience demand for more violent and bleak stories of murder, greed and betrayal.
But outside of the USA, a number of European film-makers, many of whom were still reeling from the destruction levied by years of war on their respective countries, were creating works that were every bit the equal of their contemporaneous American counterparts, while often applying uniquely European sensibilities to the recently established noir framework.
This set features three such classic examples of European noir from the post-war period, with all three presented on Blu-ray with English subtitles for the very first time.
Details by Film
Not Guilty
Streaming Options
The Lost One
Girl with Hyacinths
Not Guilty
Ancelin (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning, L’Atalante) causes a tragic road accident in a small countryside town. Thanks to his brilliant mind and medical know-how, he expertly covers his tracks. Relishing in his newfound self-confidence, Michel continues to weave a complex web of lies and cause havoc in the local community. A wickedly enjoyable noir from prolific French genre director (and national swimming champion) Henri Decoin, Not Guilty is presented here for the first time with both the original and recently rediscovered alternate ending.
The Lost One
Working under an alias as a doctor for displaced persons, Dr. Karl Rothe (Peter Lorre, M, Casablanca) bumps into his former colleague Nowak (Karl John, The Devil's General); both are keeping a low profile, having worked on secret scientific research for the then-Nazi government. Nowak is curious about what happened to Rothe in the intervening years and, that night, Rothe recounts how his fiancée Inge Hermann (Renate Mannhardt, The Great Temptation) sold secrets to the Allies. Inspired by a true story, Peter Lorre’s atmospheric noir - his only film as director or writer - was unpopular with audiences at the time but has since been revaluated as one of the finest examples of post-World War II German cinema.
Girl with Hyacinths
As a wild party rages on, loner Dagmar Brink (Eva Henning) plays the piano. A reveller requests a specific song. She stops abruptly. The next morning, the housekeeper finds Dagmar’s body hanging from the ceiling. Hearing what has happened, a curious neighbour - writer Anders Wikner (Ulf Palme) - gets to work investigating what led to such an event. With pitch-perfect pacing, sharp dialogue and atmospheric cinematography, Hasse Ekman’s masterful mystery was described by Ingmar Bergman as one of the greatest Swedish films of all time.
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- The Perfect Crime: Henri Decoin and Not Guilty - A new visual essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith (2025, 25 mins)
- Commentary by critic and programmer Tony Rayns (2025)
- Audio commentary by Peter Jilmstad (2025)
- Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring archival pieces and new writing by critics and experts including Farran Smith Nehme, Martyn Waites, Elena Lazic, Jourdain Searles, and more
- Archival radio interview with actor Michel Simon (1947, 13 mins)
- Interview with critic and historian Pamela Hutchinson on Peter Lorre and The Lost One (2025, 24 mins)
- Meeting with Hasse - in this TV documentary filmmaker and actor Hasse Ekman discusses his career (1993, 63 mins)
- Archival behind-the-scenes radio documentary (1947, 8 mins)
- Interview with programmer and historian Margaret Deriaz on German noir, its influence on and the legacy of The Lost One (2025, 19 mins)
- Golden Streaks in My Blood: Seeing and Not Seeing in Girl with Hyacinths - a new visual essay by Julia Armfield (2025, 11 mins)
- Alternate ending
- Trailer
- Poster gallery
- Stills gallery