Film Noir Quotes

Hardboiled lines from the world of film noir.

Film noir has always demanded a tight, contained story with a clear beginning and end, and the actors and directors quoted here explain why that discipline still appeals. Several point back to American Movies of the '40s through '70s as the wellspring of the genre's mood.


From Billy Wilder's influence on modern noir throwbacks to the vintage-store aesthetic actors chase off-screen, these quotes trace how the genre keeps resurfacing. For more from that era, browse American quotes or quotes about the Day-to-day craft of filmmaking.