Noir without Prejudice

The delicate topic of racial and ethnic intolerance, which confirmed its continuous presence in society last year thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and controversial events covered heavily by media, started to appear much more often in mainstream Hollywood films after the World War II. Crossfire and Oscar winner Gentleman’s Agreement (both premiered in 1947) reflected the topic of antisemitism and the filmmakers looked into racial intolerance with African American characters who appeared in a few other films of that time. This year, we will show for example No Way Out (1950) made by a recognized screenwriter, director and Oscar winner Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Richard Windmark, an actor our visitors know very well, will star, typically for him, as an aggressor and racist criminal, who is being treated at a hospital. He chooses as a target of his hate a young black doctor, which was a debut role of a future star Sidney Poitier. Mankiwiecz’s film will be part of the main festival section NOIR WITHOUT PREJUDICE together with other Hollywood titles produced in the second half of 40s with their premiere in 1950/1951. By this selection of films (which will be revealed gradually) of 9th edition of Noir Film Festival focusing on racial intolerance, xenophobia and antisemitism, we want to show that becoming an outlaw in film noir doesn’t happen only because of crime or amour fou – crazy love. It is enough to be different…