The Femme Fatale

The deadly woman at the heart of many Film Noirs is fatal to others and often to herself (in Neo-Noir this has changed somewhat). The femme fatale is seductive, beautiful and treacherous, often much stronger than the male characters, she’s been around a few times and is out to get hers at any cost. The femme fatale can be completely ruthless and amoral (think The Last Seduction (1994)) or she can be a more of a tragic figure like Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974).