The Femme Fatale [Hardcover]

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 inDouble Indemnity, as well as postmodern revisions of the archetype in films likeBasic InstinctandMemento. Finally, it explores how contemporary film and television creators likeFleabagandKilling 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 Fataleconsiders 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, from Theda Bara and Barbara Stanwyck toKilling Eve’s Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh, considering how this figure embodies Hollywood’s contradictory attitudes toward female ambition, independence, and sexuality.JULIE GROSSMAN is a professor of English and communication and film studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. Her books about film, television, literature, and gender includeIda Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Tlã!