The "Femme Fatale" in Film

The idea of a "femme fatale" (which means, "deadly woman" in French) goes back thousands of years, and usually refers to a seductive, beautiful woman who uses her charms to use and manipulate men to their advantage. With the introduction of film noir in the early 1940's, the femme fatale has become an icon: she is alluring and sexy, but incredibly poisonous: she has the ability to drive men to obsession and near-madness, and she will do anything to get what she wants . Here are a few of my favourite femme fatale characters in film over the last 68 years.

By far the most dangerous and attractive femme fatale in the history of film noir is Phyllis Dietrichson (played by Barbara Stanwyck), a woman who persuades a man to murder her husband in Double Indemnity (1944).


Mary Astor as the evil Brigid O'Shaughnessy in my favourite noir, "The Maltese Falcon" (1941).


Ann Blyth as the scheming adolescent Veda in "Mildred Pierce" (1945).


Kim Novak gives an incredible performance as Madeleine Elster in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece, "Vertigo".

Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross Mulwray, the apparant femme fatale of Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" (1974)


Isabella Rossellini gives a different take on the Femme Fatale as Dorothy Vallens in the 1986 cult film, "Blue Velvet".


I love Glenn Close as the sexy Alex Forrest, who drives a man to infidelity in the 1987 thriller "Fatal Attraction".


Sharon Stone as the irresistible novelist Catherine Tramell in "Basic Instinct" (1992).


Who's your favourite?