This is a small but important genre of film that fits all of the forms of the classic film noir, but is set in a bleak, impoverished Appalachian setting. This type of film features corruption, crime, moral ambiguity, a hero in conflict, and a mysterious woman. In many of them, moonshining or bootlegging or some other indigenous Southern form of unlawful activity is featured.
Robert Mitchum's "Thunder Road" and Gregory Peck's "I Walk the Line" are two very important examples of the hillbilly film noir.
by eViL pOp TaRt May 11, 2007