Women in film noir

Film Noir

Among the various styles of producing films, it has been observed the noir style is one that has come to be recognized for its uniqueness in characterization, camera work and striking dialogue. Film Noir of the 1940s and 50s were quite well-known for their feminine characters that were the protagonists, the femme fatale. This was most common with the French, later accepted in the United States. There might have also been reservations over these films probably because of the moral implications and repercussions that such 'dark films' would have in society.

Generally, film Noirs were characterized by the presence of a femme fatale who was the protagonist. The whole movie would revolve around this character because virtually every thing that took place in the movie would involve her (Doane, 1991).

The femme fatale was almost the complete opposite of what a heroine is. A heroine is somewhat a moral, law abiding women, and usually one on which the whole story or movie would be focused.

In contrast to the role a heroine used to play, a femme fatale was just as important because it was a role on which the film depended. Without her the film would not be able to portray the message it intended to. This is a similarity that can be drawn up between the two kinds of female protagonists. But the contrasts are also severe enough to create an abyss in the moral character in each of the two protagonists.

The femme fatale was one that controlled the movie through her alluring sexuality and achieved whatever she wanted to through her sex. This means that she used the fact that she was a female to get the opposite sex to do whatever she wanted.

Often, the sexual character of the femme fatale was exemplified in the way that she probably didn't have any other way to achieve what she wanted, other than using her sex. The hard life and hard hearts these characters had, reflected the way that they led their lives at the time of war and post war. This is reinforced by the fact that there was much poverty and strife at about these times, as countries like France were trying to recover from a major war waged up on them by the Nazis.

It was because of war that these kinds of characters developed in the real world through the French noir novels, and so, were also portrayed in films. These characters may have also been exaggerated to add spice to the films, but the real life characters were not far from the spice that was added in the Noirs.

The reason for the emergence of these femme fatales may have been a direct result of the way that women were denied opportunity to come out into the world and work with dignity. Men were more dominant than they are now, and hence, they (men) were the ones who had all the access to achieve wealth.

Since many of these men achieved their wealth through shady deals when they didn't have strong academic backgrounds or when jobs were not available to them, they maintained this line of work even when favorable conditions returned. In contrast to this, when women didn't have strong academic backgrounds they failed to gain anything in the world because they were not able to exercise the same free will as the men in society did. They were left with no other choice when there was no one to fend for them. As a result of the constraints of post-war society, women without resources were forced into shady livelihood, the livelihood of the femme fatale (Doane, 1991).

It was this shady livelihood portrayed in films that reflected the times that people lived through. This was exactly what may have been happening in postwar France.

In contrast to the way the women lived in France when they lacked resources, one may see that women today are independent and are characterized by having things like self-respect and moral values. Today the independent woman is seen as one who can achieve what she wants without having to lower her prestige and be subjugated by a man.

Today, in films it is seen that women are portrayed as individuals in society with a need to achieve whatever men can, and through the means that men also do so. Although there still may be few films today that make use of the femme fatale character to create something extraordinary, they are rare. This might be explained on the basis of feminist awareness today, which demands the need for women not to be portrayed as slag. The rise in awareness of the sexes and their portrayal is one that is far more serious than it ever was before (Bordwell, 1985).

Structure 1:

The manner in which the characters presented themselves in noir films was entirely different compared to the way that they are today. The part about the characters was their dialogue that had an immense impact on the audience. Aside from the well written script, the fact that the very approach of the characters and the expressions they had were enough to send signals of an exact description of each one. At the same time, though the characters were all defined, it must also be realized that this did not mean that the developments of the coming scenes could be easily guesses. The beauty of these films as that though the characters were well defined ones; the audience was always kept in suspense.

The suspense that was created as a result of not knowing the next moves of the characters in each scene was antagonistic to the title of these films. The titles that were chosen were ones that immediately indicated what kind of a film it was and what it could possibly be about, but at the same time the title was insufficient to reveal the story or the outcome of it. This is what gives the role of the characters such importance. It is their roles that are tremendously revealing and only they are left in charge of this task. The plot that is slowly uncovered is done so at their command, depending essentially on the arrangement of the scenes (Bordwell, 1985).

Each character counted, and the role that s/he played in the noir justified and reinforced the importance of his or her role. As far as the femme fatale was concerned the existence of her role was mandatory to continuing the theme of the movie.

Often, in these movies the plot depended on the steps the femme fatale would take, and this was the thing that kept the audience guessing what would happen next. Essentially this is one of the elements in these film noirs that may be compared with contemporary making (Doane, 1991).

In the modern form of movie making it can be seen that there is an increasing amount of dependency on the inclusion of effects. These effects are like the lighting and the sounds. Aside from the sound effects included the originality of the sounds are often altered. These altered sounds undoubtedly do create an effect that attracts more attention but at the same time it must be realized that because of enhancing the sound and lighting effects the importance of the characters is mitigated.

By down playing the importance of the characters in the movie the directors and producers sacrifice the way in which they can use talented actors. Today, this seems to be the problem with contemporary filmmaking. Talented actors are wasted and the important impact that can be achieved through their talent is overwhelmed the technological serge that has influenced all forms of entertainment. Prior to these contemporary films, in the 1940s and 50s films were made in spite of the fact that filmmakers were disadvantaged technologically speaking. But, at this time they didn't know that they would be in this position, and rightly so. This is because if they had always had the technology that is involved in film making, filmmakers in the 1940s and 50s would probably not have made wonderful movies like The Maltese Falcon and A Touch of Evil (Dirks, 2002).

The Maltese Falcon and A Touch of Evil were epics in this era, and when they are viewed today, undoubtedly, there would be many that would who would be attracted by the way the film was made. It is basically the characters in these films that make the film the success that it is. The beauty of these noir films is that it is the characters that make the plot and noir the plot that eulogizes the character (Hagopian, 2003).

In the Maltese Falcon the viewer can very easily see that each character is well defined by the role s/he plays. The role that each one plays is complete and practically in every scene that they appear they create an impact through the words used. Their dialogue is an extremely vital ingredient in making the film what it turned out to be. The words chosen aren't ordinary strings of words thrown together but are in fact extracts from the novel.

By exposing the fact that the dialogue in noir films were often taken from novels some of them were based upon it can give one a pretty good idea of what an impact visual entertainment with novel dialogue can have on the viewer. This can be easily understood because of the fact that these novels from where the dialogue was extracted were themselves successful ones. So, when these extracts were brought to life with real life characters they had momentous impact on the viewers.

Coupled by the fact that the words often used in the script of noir films were extracts from novels, the fact that camera angles could be innovated to the liking of the creator further enhanced the effects of the films. This is exhibited clearly at the beginning of the noir film A Touch of Evil. The film starts of mysteriously in a gloomy setting in which the viewers see a man loading a ticking bomb into the trunk of a car. This car is soon driven off in almost total darkness just as a couple arrives on the scene. With virtually no dialogue or music at this part of the movie, the opening scene has an enthralling effect on its viewers

The opening scene of A Touch of Evil may be compared with the previous manner in which it was made. Initially, when A Touch of Evil was made it was a virtual flop. There were very few people who thought that it was film material worth watching, and in the end it was regarded as a classic, with about the same number of people who downed it at its release sneering at it again (Rhodes, 1998).

The people who downed A Touch of Evil when it was first made did so because of the fact that it was in no way up to their expectations. This was because they were the type of audience that were used to the high standard that the noir films met. Seemingly oblivious of this style of film making, the director and producer of the film's first release might have disappointed with the whole script. In contrast to this was the second time the film was released (Hagopian, 2003).

It is obvious that the way that the Americans had taken to noir films was in fact a result of French entertainment that portrayed real life through their screenplay.

The Americans went a step further with their form of visual entertainment. It must not be forgotten that the Americans did not abandon the idea of noir film through improvisation. They simply had more success with their films as they were viewed in other countries as well. But this success of theirs might also be attributed to the improvisation they adopted.

Aside from the improvisation that the Americans adopted along with the noir style of film making, they also tended to focus on the themes of these noir films. Films like The Maltese Falcon stand out as an example of the way that reality or history in these films plays a pivotal role in its impact on the audience. In this film, the Maltese Falcon was a stolen statuette that is still a mystery till today. Another example of reality in the noir style is A Touch of Evil (Illustration, Pic.2) (Dirks, 2002).

It is evident that evil is part of human nature and something that everyone is aware of. The fact that every one in the film is out to get each other exhibits the way in which real and obvious evil can be. These two films stand as examples that show one the way in which the noir style requires one to name a movie with a name that is attractive and one that gives one a hint about what the movie might be. Nearly every one of the successful movies that one sees will have a highly appealing title and not one that is ambiguous as is so common today.

In contemporary filmmaking it is quite common to encounter titles of movies that are metaphorical. It is perhaps this practice of metaphorical name selection that leads to the naming o films that are quite ambiguous. As a result, the movies' names do not have the impact that they used to have in noir films.

The noir film style was also characterized by the simplicity in presentation. The titles were plain and straightforward; the characters played their roles according to what was demanded of them. There were no intricacies or ambiguous traits about them. Along with this probably the only form of technological manipulations were implemented because of camera angles. In contrast to these today in contemporary film making one can see that nearly everything that was practiced in the noir style has been inverted.

First of all, the titles selected for contemporary films are metaphorical and seldom unambiguous. This has most obviously been done to create a mysterious air to the films made today. Aside from the titles, the characters themselves most commonly do not prove to be sufficient to expose themselves fully in the way that they should be.

Sound also plays a vital role throughout these films. The application of sound does not only refer to the inclusion of theme music that is prevalent but also refers to the falsifying of original sounds. However emphatic this may all appear to the majority of viewers it is in no way a match to the noir film style of capturing the originality. It is for this reason that one may say that because of contemporary entertainment people live in a world of make believe, and this is getting worse and worse with the passage of time.

In contrast to this, as reflected in Noir films, people lived in a world of reality. They were not stupefied because of the fact that they were well aware of the realities and the grotesque nature of war. The 1940s and 50s were a period when people in nearly all parts of the world were trying to recover from war. For them recovering did not mean stupefying their emotions through comedy entertainment as they did not want to forget the experience they had been through.

The French were of course the first ones to maintain the reality of war and the after effects of it too. In contrast to these was the form of entertainment that surged in the United States during the war and post-war period. Comedy entertainment became a trend for the Americans. This was because of the notion that it would help maintain society's cohesion instead of them learning about the gravity of the war movement. Undoubtedly, from the comedy entertainment that was in vogue in the United States it may be gathered that they were well aware of the soul effort that a single character can put in to a movie and make it a success. One comedy character that comes to mind is Charlie Chaplin. Of course he was of an era, which was much before the Second World War. Since than there were comedy character like the three stooges, but again here it may be seen that these movies were snatched of their originality by the inclusion of unnatural sounds.

At this point it must also be remembered that besides the sounds that were in their original form an integral part of the overall noir style the lighting and camera angles were ones that were equally as important. Without the typical black and white and lighter and darker shades, the films would probably not be as intriguing as they were. The fact that the shadows created the scenes more emphatically because of the tremendously captivating effect that the black and white setting is something that just isn't seen in contemporary film making, and perhaps this a vital area that is neglected wit the invention of color films (Palmer, 1997).

Structure 2:

Characters are portrayed in different ways and this depends on what meaning the producer or director wishes the audience to have of them. From the days the first noir in France these films were determined to expose the reality of society. Films were an ideal way to do this because these were the things that people turned to in order to relieve themselves from the strains of everyday life.

The noir books written in France during the war and post-war era were the sources that directors and producers both used. The dialogue form these novels were extracted as they were and used in the films. It is this improvisation that has had an immense effect on the result of the films. The way that filmmakers portrayed the role of women in society was something to really be noted.

Women were mainly the oppressed ones in society, and there was not much that good done for them at times when there was prevalent economic disparity. They were often coerced into unethical livelihood or voluntarily endeavored these in order to attain power and success. This trend was observed by the American filmmakers who were quick to employ the same means of sending out social messages (Cameron, 1993).

In the American movies these were readily implemented and accepted. This was because of the fact that there were similar social illnesses in American society that were similar to those of French society, although the difference was that the Americans were not hit by the second World War directly as the French were (Buss, 1994).

Due to the fact that the Americans were not really hit by the Second World War directly (aside from Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor), this probably had an adverse reaction as far as acceptance of the role of women in society was concerned. The portrayal of women as sex objects highlights this. Even though they were an important part of the war movement in the Second World War as far as producing ammunition was concerned for the soldiers away in Europe battle with the Germans, women were not given the respect that they should have been given. This was apparently an injustice to them that assuredly many would object to.

In addition to the way that the efforts of women have been overlooked in the war and post-war era, they have also been overlooked for their social and family duties too. They were the one that held the society together in times when their men were away. If it were not for them the society could have easily disseminated. However, it seems that noirs have closed their eyes to the way that women suffered in thee ways and have exploited their sex.

In the noir films there are several manners in which women are portrayed. These range from typical morally depicted ones to the bizarre type that are seen in contemporary film noirs. This in itself exhibits the way that women govern men in society. Even though they are oppressed and men may at times not even have any connection with the way of life these women lead they (men) still find themselves influenced or intrigued by them. This refers to the way that women find themselves, in these modern times, free to express themselves the way that they want to. This is seen in the way that women are permitted to have relationships that they want to. Essentially, bisexuality and lesbianism are seen as the alternative means of sexual expression aside from heterosexuality. But these alternatives, though present in contemporary film noirs, are not as prevalent as the portrayal of women as heterosexual sex objects for males (Javors, 2003).

People in America who were not aware of the plight of women in war-torn countries like France were still slanted towards the role of women in these films. They saw women as predominantly sex objects too, and this is one of the reasons why the movies were easily taken to.

Besides the exploited role that women had in noir films from a sociological perspective, they have also been portrayed as ones that can achieve whatever they want to through using their sex against men. This is a characteristic that is seen in French noir and American noir both. In American noir the way that women in society are portrayed is clearly exhibited in The Maltese Falcon and Kiss Me Deadly. Women in these two films are portrayed that really expose their social position without the least bit of exaggeration. The difference between these two films is that the former pivots around one femme fatale and in the others women are portrayed as weak and subordinate to men (Dirks, 2002).

In The Maltese Falcon it is seen that the single women around which the film revolves is one that is seen as powerful through her sexual intimacies. She virtually uses her sex to get what and where she wants. In contrast to this, in Kiss Me Deadly (Illustration, Pic.1), the opposite is seen. All the women in this film are seen as weak. This is because of them being portrayed as subordinate to their male oppressors and sexually abused (Dirks, 2002).

It is because of these portrayals in the noir films that may have had an immense impact on the consciousness of the society as far as women rights are concerned. These films would certainly at the least serve as thought provokers if not definite initiators of laws against sexual abuse.

Which ever way people began to think about the way that women were portrayed or abused in society, it is seen that in the noir films that women were the essential ingredient, without which the films could not be made, it simply wouldn't have the femme fatale ingredient that was important to American film noirs. This is synonymous to the way that women are essential for the existence of mankind. It has become increasingly obvious through the noir film style, how important women are in this world. So, in spite of the way that they are portrayed in the noir r film styles it must be seen that the crux of their inclusion lies in the fact that they are probably the most important thing to man alongside the making of the noir style films. This is itself revealed through the diverse manners of portrayal of women.

It is mainly from the making of these films in American society that influenced lawmakers to think about the way that women were sexually abused. These films must have also played an important role in bringing awareness to the way that women can be intimidating. Of course this is something that would bring about changes in the values in a society at that time. But today, they would certainly be viewed by women (or by feminists) as films that undermine the character of women. This reason would be backed by the fact that feminists do not like to portray women as strong in society because this could bring about action against them. For example, they might not have the laws that support them implemented any longer for them to be in an advantageous position.

E. Ann Kaplan in Women in Film Noir says,."..women are central to the intrigue of the films defined by their sexuality, which is presented as desirable but dangerous to men, the women function as the obstacle to the male quest the hero's success or not depends on the degree to which he can extricate himself from the woman's manipulations. The man is simply destroyed because he cannot resist the woman's lures..., often the work of the film is the attempted restoration of order through the exposure and then destruction of the sexual, manipulating woman" (Kaplan, 1978).

Whatever the position of women in society and in spite of the fact that their status would be affected by the content of films on women, this would not be associated with the portrayal of lesbians.

The portrayal of lesbians in these movies might make it reasonable to understand the reason why American society has divided views on these people. However, it can be seen that the film Basic Instinct had a tremendous success in the United States. This is because of the fact that there is a lot more freedom that is given to women. They are allowed to have relationships according to their own will. They refused to be bound by patriarchy. The women starring in this film is not a heroine nor is she someone evil or what one may term a femme fatale. This is because of the fact that there are rights given to women to express themselves in the ways that they feel are appropriate (Illustration pic (9)).

In the film noir Basic Instinct it may be seen that though the diverse character of a woman's sex life is exploited to make it a success it maybe seen that bisexuality or lesbianism are not crimes. They simply fall into the category of other noir films, and certainly do not mean that they are bad or harmful for society, but further highlight the way that men seem to be dominated or fascinated by the character of a woman no matter which sexual form it seems to take (Illustration pic (10)) (Javors, 2003).

Comparing the two film noirs, The Maltese Falcon and Basic Instinct, it may be observed that in old and contemporary film noirs women play a pivotal role in the making of the film, and there has only been a slight shift in the diversity that they had in the past. Today, with Basic Instinct it can be seen that women have gained more control of the world because not only do they get to express themselves more through their sexual diversity but they have also been able to have this control justified, ably done through film noirs.

It may also be noted that these women are not limited to being women who want to express themselves, but are ones that also want to control their own fate and not be defined by patriarchy. This is well expressed in the last scene on Basic Instinct when the camera that focused on the two characters in bed is steadily lowered to focus on an ice pick beneath the bed. The patriarchal dominant view of the male protagonist has seemingly pushed the female one to the edge as she finds that she there is an attempt to smother her self-expression through him planning to have five children with her.

The last scene of Basic Instinct just the like the older film noirs demonstrates the way in which a woman is potentially dangerous when her freedom is threatened.

In the last scene of this film it is seen that the femme fatale is already prepared to do whatever is necessary to sustain her freedom and not be defined by a man who wants to engulf her physically and emotionally. For the time being it is supposed that he had already gained controlled over her physically but never at any point succeeded in controlling her emotions. The femme fatale, in the end, clearly succeeds in remaining above patriarchal binding.

Similar to the femme fatale in a bisexual or lesbian role remaining above the expected norms in society in Basic Instinct, a 1996 film noir Bound superceded it. This film not only defied patriarchal dominance but also attempted at being above law and order, expressing the ultimate freedom of expression of women, and also crossing the limits to normal social existence. However, it must be noted here once again, that the concept of women in noirs is one that has been innovated in accordance with the contemporary social setting regarding women.

Structure 3:

Basic instinct and Bound were not the last of the contemporary noir films that had an inclusion of bisexuality and lesbianism. David Lynch's Mulholland Drive in 2001 marked yet another one of the noir style films that include the contemporary role of women. In contrast to the bisexual roles that were earlier shown in the noir films like Basic Instinct, this film (Mulholland Drive) is a reinforcement of the way that women express themselves (Lynch, 2001).

Mulholland Drive reinforces the dominance of the femme fatale in contemporary film noir. In present times the role of the woman in society is observed to have a variation, and this is because of the fact that there is a change in the way that she can express herself. It also highlights the way that she can dominate men without them even knowing it. It is perhaps only when they reach their ultimate doom that they realize that women have exploited them. This kind of character portrayal is one that has increased over the years since the beginning of the film noirs. From then it has developed itself in American filmmaking, which has reflected the strengths and weaknesses both in American society.

In the making of this film it is seen that there is a clear plot that brings the lesbian characters together. They come from different places, only to meet in one place where they can share their views and intimacies both. This view is reminiscent of the way that in older movies men and women were the only ones who traveled long distances to meet each other in something that people would term fate (Illustration, Pic.8)

In the same way that fate served heterosexuality in noir style it does so today to serve diverse sexes. As noir entertainment has progressed it has been observed that it has been developed according to the way that society has progressed too. Therefore it is something more than natural for one to witness the presence of a femme fatale bisexual or lesbian. This is in fact in itself enough evidence of the diversity in the role of the femme fatale. However, in the roles that are seen in Mulholland Drive it must be noted that there are three main ones, which are Betty, Rita and Adam. Out of these characters the film essentially revolves around the first two, Betty and Rita. The names that are chosen for these two characters are also ones that are typically and traditionally feminine. This is the part that taunts the audience because the names of these two fine-looking women are so misleading (Lynch, 2001).

A mislead audience may also be typically regarded as the deliberate intention of the filmmakers. This is done eloquently revealing the true personal character under the cover of just a name that people associate with females, the females that society would rather expect. What enhances the surprise that the audience of this film gets from the uncovered sex-life of the two women is the fact that there is not a clue as to what Rita is even when she travels from far to reach Hollywood. Like any other woman endeavoring fame in Hollywood, she is seen as one that is dedicated to getting to the top. It is rather late in the movie that things begin to take form that could be made sense of. As it has been expressed in many of this film's reviews that there isn't a summary that could definitely describe the way that the film actually was. This is because of the fact that everything in it is so full ambiguity from the first time the two ladies meat in Betty's aunt's home right up to almost the end.

Termed as a film noir, Mulholland Drive is a film that is one the scale of noir but it is one that could really leave many puzzled. This is because of the fact that there are typical film shots in this film that are of the noir standard. These scenes include shifting realities, midgets, grinning old people and other strange happenings. It is this kind of camera work that is reminiscent of the old 1940s and 50s films in which the tricks of the camera were in the angles it took. In contemporary filmmaking, this is a technique that lacks and one that sacrifices the ambiguity required in suspense-loaded fictional film (Bordwell, 1985).

Besides the camera shots that are used in this film to make it completely different to the other contemporary films the fact that both the women in this film are misleading is another characteristic that is reminiscent of the noir film style.

The role of these women is such that it reveals how normal their lives are in spite of them being odd to the society. In their way of life in spite of them being different from other women they are still able to achieve what other women can through their sex. This is seen in the way that the femme fatale can use her sex to gain popularity in the film industry. Thus, this film Mulholland Drive is one that brings out the way in which women have the capability of achieving much more than the men can. Besides having this ability they are also capable of remaining fairly calm knowing that they will not be emotionally involved in their relationships with any man, simply because they have other means of fulfilling their desires.

Regarding the desires of femme fatales who achieve what they want to by using men, questions like, 'What makes them outsiders?' arise. The answer to this is quite simple because these femme fatales are humans, biological women, who do not involve themselves emotionally with men and indulge in same sex relations emotionally. Since they are a suppressed minority even in today's world they are though of as weird by the majority in society. Although they are a minority, it might not really be all that fair to stereotype them for their natural characters and multiple abilities. This is reinforced by the fact that more and more of these contemporary noir films are including them. Also, the fact that these films are becoming hits at the box office justifies the role of these women to a certain extent

The role that women play in these films as seen in Basic Instinct, and Mulholland Drive is one that depict the way that women want to be in society. They do not want to be held down by patriarchy as they were for so many years. Through the noir style of entertainment it has become increasingly common for them (women) to express themselves in the ways that they want to rather than them conforming to the demands of society.

As far as the femme fatale is concerned, the 'bad' girl is in command of her own sexuality and also her own fate. There is no way in which any male can make women do what they want them to. This is reinforced by the concept of individuality in the United States. Undoubtedly, society is considerably strong enough to hold on to its values but is however not strong enough to hold on to its women and suppress them.

The trend of suppressing women and not allowing them to express themselves in the manner that they wanted to is all water passed under the bridge because of the cat that they are seen at every level of society.

The fact that women are in fact at every level of society is accepted by men as well and is in the process of still being accepted. This is the reason why there are so many directors and filmmakers that include the role of lesbian and bisexual women in their noir films (Illustration, Pic.3). Today, in the noir films, unlike the ones of the 1940s and 50s women are observed as having relationships with whomever they want to. There is an approach associated with noir films that encourage suspense right up to the time that the actual intentions of the femme fatale are revealed. The femme fatale has sex with whomever she pleases, and there is nothing to stop her, no law and no man. This is because of the deceptive nature associated with this role as well. Deceit is another gloomy characteristic of the noir films ever since they were first made. The deceit, which is part of the overall suspense, creates more of a surprise at the end when the true character or nature of an individual is uncovered.

The femme fatale also has action in the world and feels entitled to go after what she wants regardless of the risks. Her very being is a challenge to patriarchal law and order. Her existence is a challenge to man because of the fact that she is a free woman and can do whatever she wishes with her life. Through such freedom patriarchy loses its sense of security that it established through oppressing the opposite sex in the first place. It may be also said that they have lost the place that they occupied for so long due to unjustly subjugating the opposite sex. This trend has in fact changed as compared to the way it was in the past.

In the noir films that were produced in the past it was often observed that it was the man that dominated the woman because of the fact that she was prone to falling in love and being emotionally tricked by males. With the passage of time, this trend is slowly and steadily shifting from the subjugated role that woman would often play (though their were other roles that the femme fatale played) to the dominating position they have come to get a grip on. This shift in the way thy used to be portrayed is one that is frightening in itself because of the fact that men stand a lot more to lose in this position where they are on equal ground with women but yet at risk. A woman in the noir film style of today isn't exactly what she may seem to be, but this is again reminiscent of the characters of the older noir films that were deep ones revealing their true identities in the end. This is the same thing that is seen in Mulholland Drive.