Femme Fatlaes in Film Noir
Intro
In postwar cinema, the change of popular genre switched from melodrama to film noir. The new elements of film noir were artistically exciting, as seen in its mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene of film noir became more visually mysterious and provocative, demanding a transformation of women characters. While still holding on to elements of the women in melodrama, the sexuality that was once muted, was turned up to create the femme fatale. The femme fatale is a necessary component of mise-en-scene in the film noir genre. *
Femme Fatale
The femme fatale was first seen in pre-WWII. During the time of the time of the war, melodrama, a genre that did not include the femme fatale, became the popular genre of film. After the war, with the birth of film noir, the femme fatale became more widely featured. Post WWII, many women became independent from men, simply due to men fighting the war and not being on the home front. While away at war, women began to become empowered and self-reliant. The feminist melodrama genre gave women the chance to be the strong protagonist instead of a man in films. Once men returned from the war, the feminist melodrama became less popular, and the once-demanded American gangster was desired. After the war, America became more of a “melting pot”. Groups of people from war effected countries, mostly Germans, immigrated to America. Taking elements of the American gangster and the German expressional genres, film noir was born.
Not to loose the women viewers that enjoyed the empowered women characters, the femme fatale was formed. She became an indispensable character that added the element of femininity, sex appeal, and danger to film noir. The femme fatale became “a nightmare version of the economically and sexually emancipated woman of the postwar period” (Lewis 204). The femme fatale became noticed by “inevitable beauty…sexually promiscuous…and willing to protect herself and her freedom at all costs” (Lewis 204). The femme
In postwar cinema, the change of popular genre switched from melodrama to film noir. The new elements of film noir were artistically exciting, as seen in its mise-en-scene. The mise-en-scene of film noir became more visually mysterious and provocative, demanding a transformation of women characters. While still holding on to elements of the women in melodrama, the sexuality that was once muted, was turned up to create the femme fatale. The femme fatale is a necessary component of mise-en-scene in the film noir genre. *
Femme Fatale
The femme fatale was first seen in pre-WWII. During the time of the time of the war, melodrama, a genre that did not include the femme fatale, became the popular genre of film. After the war, with the birth of film noir, the femme fatale became more widely featured. Post WWII, many women became independent from men, simply due to men fighting the war and not being on the home front. While away at war, women began to become empowered and self-reliant. The feminist melodrama genre gave women the chance to be the strong protagonist instead of a man in films. Once men returned from the war, the feminist melodrama became less popular, and the once-demanded American gangster was desired. After the war, America became more of a “melting pot”. Groups of people from war effected countries, mostly Germans, immigrated to America. Taking elements of the American gangster and the German expressional genres, film noir was born.
Not to loose the women viewers that enjoyed the empowered women characters, the femme fatale was formed. She became an indispensable character that added the element of femininity, sex appeal, and danger to film noir. The femme fatale became “a nightmare version of the economically and sexually emancipated woman of the postwar period” (Lewis 204). The femme fatale became noticed by “inevitable beauty…sexually promiscuous…and willing to protect herself and her freedom at all costs” (Lewis 204). The femme