The classic femme fatale that we recognize from noir films and crime fiction evolved from these earlier interpretations of mysterious female sexuality and prowess. The pervasiveness of this character type likely has a lot to do with the fear and mystery surrounding female sexuality in many cultures.
For instance, even Biblical figures such as Delilah, Jezebel, and Salome might be considered femme fatales. By that definition, many characters like this have appeared in stories, folklore, and mythology throughout history. Traditionally speaking, a femme fatale is a woman who uses her sexuality as a means to gain power over men, often destroying them in the process. But what is the history of the femme fatale, and how did she become such a standard trope of crime fiction movies and books? The name “femme fatale,” when translated directly from French, means a “disastrous or deadly woman.” And yet, despite that being a pretty negative descriptor for a character, the femme fatale has been a compelling part of history and literature for probably a lot longer than you’d imagine.
The ever-elusive and incredibly magnetic femme fatale character is a staple of crime novels, especially noir crime. No noir film, crime film, or work of crime fiction is truly complete without the inclusion of a femme fatale.
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