Film noir was discovered and named by two French film critics in 1946. Film noir ("black film") refers to the dark or shadowed look and mood of an American film style largely influenced by German and Austrian directors. Plots center on events that often occur at night, and the characters tend to be cynical and disillusioned, but usually likeable. The male protagonist faces a moral dilemma or threat and there is usually an alluring, sassy, dangerous woman. The dialog tends to be crisp and often witty.
These films evolved in the 1940s and lasted in a classic period until about 1960.