In film noir there are three roles that women play: Also known as Noir Women.

The Femme Fatale

This Noir women resorts to murder to free herself from a controlling man. 

“Women are represented as prizes, desirable objects” Sylvia Harvey-The women of film noir.

• Lana Turner in the Postman always Rings Twice

The Good Women 

These women are shown as good and normal women. She is the traditional house wife. which is a role that is out of place in the film noir genre. The “NORMAL FAMILY VALUES” contrasts against the world of film noir. 

The Marrying Type

In the late 1940’s another distinct character appeared in film noir. This woman was there to domestic the hero which is suffocating for the hero and encourages him to rebel against his responsibilities. But the whole perfect family life that she is so desperately wanting to be normal is not normal in film noir. 

Films that involve these types. 

Femme Fatale: 

• I wake up screaming (1941)
• Out of the past (1947)
• The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
• Gilda (1946)
• The lady of Shanghai (1947)
• Murder My Sweet (1944)
• Laura (1944)

The Good Women: 

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Marrying Type: 

• Pitfall (1948)
• D.O.A (1950)
• The Big Heart (1953)
• Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
• Touch of Evil (1958)

Source: www.filmnoirstudies.com

French Film Noirs: 

• Pepe le Moko (1937) directed by Jules Duvivier
• Le Jour se leve (1939) directed by Marcel Carne 

Classic-era film noirs 

1940-49- The Maltese Falcon, Shadow of a doubt, Laura, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, Detour, The Big Sleep, The Killers, 

Research For Shocking Cinema.

Using the two films Halloween and Exorcist, In class we looked at documentaries on both of these films. I wrote notes on some of the key social, political and economic events that were mentioned in the documentary.

Notes on Exorcist
Film made people faint and be sick.
Actors were worried how to portray the emotions of the characters.
Fires on set while no one was there.
There was 9 deaths related to the film while they were making it.
The Director went to extremes to make the film, including risking the actors during the stunts.
He also brought guns to set to motivate the cast.
The masturbating scene is the most shocking scene of the film and is still talked about as one of the most shocking scenes from a film.

Note on Halloween
Small budget film that made it big.
Released in 1978.
It was a cultural  Phenomena.
The budget for the film was only 32000 dollars.
Shocked the film industry
The word Halloween was never used in the movie business before.
Halloween was influenced by Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
The director wanting the film to be the best.
The direction of the film created great suspense.

The similarities between these two films are the suspense used to draw in the audiences and the dedication of the directors.
The films were released in the 70’s , Exorcist in 1973 and Halloween in 1978.

Economic events of around this time was the Hippie movement that wasn’t all peace and love like people believe. There were cult followings like Charles Manson. In 1973 the last of the US forces moved out of Vietnam. US president Nixon resigned. 1976 was the end of the Vietnam war. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher.

The Exorcist tackles issues such as religion, family life, childhood, redemption. Halloween tackles issues of sociology, social issues, family life.