The notoriously perturbing boat scene on the lake in Leave Her to Heaven (John Stahl, 1946) is impossible to forget – thanks to Gene Tierney, of course. A truly exceptional femme fatale, she’s at her very best in the role of psychotic Ellen Berent, delivering a layered, riveting performance. Gene’s angelic beauty and her unblinking cruelty are […]
Tag: Leave Her to Heaven
In the first of a two-part piece Emma Simmonds examines four prototype noir villainesses from classic Hollywood cinema. Next week, she looks at the far-reaching legacy of these scintillating spider women by considering French cinema’s most memorable femme fatales. The Hollywood noirs of the 40s left an indelible impression on cinema. Their depictions of powerful, […]