Femme Fatale: protofeminist or just a very naughty girl?

March is Women's History month. During this time I am contemplating my position as a female artist, creating narrative art.

2019 Leslie Peterson Sapp Many a Moon

Part of the enduring fascination we have with noir is the inclusion of powerful female characters. The zenith of film noir was from the 1930’s-1950’s a time of extraordinary change for women, particularly during WWII, when they took up jobs vacated by men who were off at war. The war, plus the changing role of women in society, created nationwide anxiety, much like the anxiety evidenced in our own times.

However, with some exceptions, the classic femme fatale of those times was not a feminist figure. She is not a fully developed character in her own right, but tends to act as a foil for a male character's unfolding drama. Many people think she is a protofeminist, whose disruptive presence and self-serving motivations were a meaningful precursor to the feminist movement.

A terrific article in Crime Reads "The Evolution of The Femme Fatale in Film Noir", Halley Sutton describes the evolution of the femme fatale from the heyday of film noir to the neo noir of today. Her use of her sexual power to get what she wants is still intact, but her personhood is affirmed and sometimes she is even the primary character! Imagine that!

2020 Leslie Peterson Sapp Gamp

In my own work I am wrestling with the issues of stereotypes- am I perpetuating them? Does the work I produce actually uphold my values? My use of nostalgia and depictions of a by-gone era seems to give me license to stay in my comfort zones and repeatedly depict figures that are young, slender, and largely white.
The only answer I have for that is that I keep trying. I keep questioning myself, educating myself and seeing how I can stretch my comfort zones.
What new dramas unfold?