Film noir refers to a body of films made in America from 1940–1959 and which is defined by a characteristic and particular content and style. Although there is agreement as to what constitutes this content and style, there is considerable disagreement as to which films constitute film noir. Appropriate statistical analyses are performed given the constraints imposed by the current method of film scholars of independently deriving their particular lists of films noirs. Much more powerful statistical analyses are discussed. These would facilitate consensus regarding which films are film noir, but would require that all film scholars independently judge the same list of films.
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