Film Noir intro. The Definitive Film-Noir on DVD Resource. Noir of the Week. High Heels on Wet Pavement. Femme fatale—is defined as “an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into danger or disaster”.
To me the most engaging semblance of a “femme fatale” is the stunning image of Lana Turner, as the camera pans from her ankles upward in that breathtaking shot from The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946. Extremes The most consistent aspect of film noir, apart from its visual style, is its protagonists. If a usable definition of the noir protagonist is to be formulated, it must encompass its most intrinsic character motif—alienation. The undercurrent that flows through most high noir films is the failure on the part of the male leads to recognize the dishonesty inherent in many of noir’s principal women.