Classic film noir originally emerged during the 1940s and occupies a shadowed corner of cinema where crime stories are transformed into psychological labyrinths defined by fatalism, moral ambiguity, and alluring black-and-white imagery. While many people think of the genre's distinct visuals, such as smoke-filled nightclubs, cynical detectives, and scheming femme fatales lurking in dark alleyways, the most defining element of any great classic noir movie is its story.