Femme fatale - Dominique Mainon

From the femme fatale of the early cinema to her post-feminist rebirth
this lavishly illustrated book and comprehensive guide traces the history of these dangerously alluring
manipulative
and desperate lethal ladies.Femme Fatale surveys the history of the femme fatale in world cinema
with more than 300 photographs testifying to the power of these mysterious women. The book begins with the silent period and its vamps
like Theda Bara
Pola Negri
Clara Bow
and Bebe Daniels
then moves on to the Pre-Code sound period of American films
which
showing liberated attitudes toward sex and women
featured actresses like Jean Harlow
Marlene Dietrich
and Greta Garbo. The story continues with the noir 1940s
when the femme fatale became truly lethal
including actresses like Ava Gardner
Rita Hayworth
and Barbara Stanwyck. In the repressive 1950s
the international femme fatale took the fore
Brigitte Bardot
Maria Felix
Elizabeth Taylor
Anita Ekberg
etc. Finally
the authors turn to the revolutionary post-feminist modern period
with an array of lethal ladies from all over the world
like Pam Grier
Salma Hayek
Gong Li
Angelina Jolie
and Sharon Stone.