'Der Film Noir' is regarded as one of the most influential and richly illustrated books on classic American film noir. Alain Silver and James Ursini explore the visual style, themes and historical development of the genre through hundreds of film stills, original posters, production photographs and promotional images. The authors demonstrate how light and shadow, expressionist camerawork, urban settings and morally ambiguous characters combined to form one of the most recognisable film styles in cinematic history. In addition to the iconic films of the 1940s and 1950s, the book also explores the artistic influences of German Expressionism and the lasting impact of film noir on modern cinema. Alain Silver is an American film producer, film historian and author of numerous standard works on film noir. James Ursini is a screenwriter, lecturer and film historian who collaborated with Silver for many years on publications about the history of American cinema. Their joint books are regarded internationally as authoritative reference works on film noir and classic Hollywood cinema.