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Quick Takes: Movies and Popular Culture
The Femme Fatale
Ostensibly the villain, but also a model of female power, poise, and intelligence, the femme fatale embodies Hollywood’s contradictory attitudes toward ambitious women. But how has the figure of the femme fatale evolved over time, and to what extent have these changes reflected shifting cultural attitudes toward female independence and sexuality?
This book offers readers a concise look at over a century of femmes fatales on both the silver screen and the TV screen. Starting with ethnically exoticized silent film vamps like Theda Bara and Pola Negri, it examines classic film noir femmes fatales like Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity, as well as postmodern revisions of the archetype in films like Basic Instinct and Memento. Finally, it explores how contemporary film and television creators like Fleabag and Killing Eve’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge have appropriated the femme fatale in sympathetic and surprising ways.
Analyzing not only the films themselves, but also studio press kits and reviews, The Femme Fatale considers how discourses about the pleasures and dangers of female performance are projected onto the figure of the femme fatale. Ultimately, it is a celebration of how “bad girl” roles have provided some of Hollywood’s most talented actresses opportunities to fully express their on-screen charisma.
This book offers readers a concise look at over a century of femmes fatales on both the silver screen and the TV screen. Starting with ethnically exoticized silent film vamps like Theda Bara and Pola Negri, it examines classic film noir femmes fatales like Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity, as well as postmodern revisions of the archetype in films like Basic Instinct and Memento. Finally, it explores how contemporary film and television creators like Fleabag and Killing Eve’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge have appropriated the femme fatale in sympathetic and surprising ways.
Analyzing not only the films themselves, but also studio press kits and reviews, The Femme Fatale considers how discourses about the pleasures and dangers of female performance are projected onto the figure of the femme fatale. Ultimately, it is a celebration of how “bad girl” roles have provided some of Hollywood’s most talented actresses opportunities to fully express their on-screen charisma.
174 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 3, 2025
Short and interesting.
I don't think I necessarily agree that all the examples of 'femme fatales' in this book were that if I'm honest.
Some were just sexual women.
You could tell the auther was passionate about this topic but I do wish there was more analysis within the book not just towards the end.
But it was well researched and well structured but came off a little more like a long essay compared to a quick guide to femme fatales.
I don't think I necessarily agree that all the examples of 'femme fatales' in this book were that if I'm honest.
Some were just sexual women.
You could tell the auther was passionate about this topic but I do wish there was more analysis within the book not just towards the end.
But it was well researched and well structured but came off a little more like a long essay compared to a quick guide to femme fatales.
Displaying 1 of 1 review