Film gris


Film gris, a term coined by experimental filmmaker Thom Andersen, is a type of film noir which categorizes a unique series of films that were released between 1947 and 1951. They came in the context of the first wave of the communist investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Thematic elements

Films gris offer a leftist criticism of society in general, and of capitalism in particular.
They typically examine such themes as the psychological damages of class, the false promises of middle class happiness, and the pitfalls of materialism.

Distinction from film noir

Film gris differs from film noir in some of the following ways:
Andersen identifies the following as films gris:

List of film gris directors