Femme Fatales: The Women of Film Noir

"The 'dark lady' who tempts man and brings about his destruction is among the oldest themes of art, literature, mythology, and religion in Western culture. She and her alter ego (the virgin, the mother) form the two poles of female archetypes. While film noir is a creation of the male-dominated industry, the genre does represent one of the few periods in cinema where women are active, not static, symbols; are intelligent and powerful—if destructively so; and derive strength, not weakness, from their sexuality."
—Janey Place, excerpt from Women in Film Noir

Community partner: Houston Film Critics Society