| |
| | Film Noir's Progressive Portrayal of Women, by John Blaser (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-25) |
 | | The quintessential femme fatale of film noir uses her sexual attractiveness and ruthless cunning to manipulate men in order to gain power, independence, money, or all three at once. |
 | | Film noir's portrayal of the femme fatale, therefore, would seem to support the existing social order and particularly its rigidly defined gender roles by building up the powerful, independent woman, only to punish her in the end. |
 | | Although Kathie displays the worst characteristics of the femme fatale greed, dishonesty, disloyalty, and a penchant for committing murder she also is trapped in a confining, paralyzing relationship with a man who would try to control her. |
| www.lib.berkeley.edu /MRC/noir/pp-all.html (1319 words) |
|