Film gris

Film gris (French for "grey film"), 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:
List of films gris.
Andersen identifies the following as "films gris:"