From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir

Xiayu Zeng

doi:10.47297/wsprolaadWSP2634-786522.20260701

PDF
Export
Share
Collection
Album

From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir

Volume 7, Issue 1

Views: 0 Downloads: 0

From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir
From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir
Shanghai Zhongqiao Vocational and Technical University, Shanghai, 201514, China
Vol. 7, Issue 1, Pages: 97-102(2026)
Published：28 February 2026
DOI：10.47297/wsprolaadWSP2634-786522.20260701
Accepted：

Scan QR Code

Zeng Xiayu.From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir[J].Research on Literary and Art Development,2026,07(01):97-102.
DOI：

Zeng Xiayu.From Seduction to Rebirth: The Contemporary Transformation of the Femme Fatale in East Asian Film Noir[J].Research on Literary and Art Development,2026,07(01):97-102. DOI： 10.47297/wsprolaadWSP2634-786522.20260701.

摘要

Abstract

The femme fatale

a pivotal archetype in film noir

has undergone profound transformations in 21st-century East Asian cinema amid rapid social modernization and shifting gender dynamics. This study examines the representation of femme fatale characters in East Asian film noir post-2000

focusing on works from China

Republic of Korea

and other East Asian regions. By integrating feminist film theory

gender performativity

and genre criticism

it explores how these characters subvert traditional gender norms and negotiate power relations within patriarchal contexts. Through textual analysis and comparative case studies of key films

the research reveals the multifaceted identities of contemporary East Asian femme fatales—distinct from their Western counterparts—and their role as reflections of societal anxieties

female empowerment

and cultural hybridity. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of gender representation in non-Western film noir and offer new perspectives on cross-cultural feminist film studies.

关键词

Keywords

references

Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge.

da Silva, A. M. (2014). The 'Femme' Fatale in Brazilian Cinema: Challenging Hollywood Norms. Palgrave Macmillan.

Farrimond, K. (2018). The Contemporary Femme Fatale: Gender, Genre and American Cinema. Routledge.

Grossman, L. (2009). The femme fatale in noir films: A cultural symbol. Journal of Film Studies, 15(2), 45-62.

Kaplan, E. A. (1978). Women in film noir. Screen, 19(1), 29-50.

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6-18.

Amoah, S. (2018). Feminist Film Criticism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory & Practicing Intersectionality. University of Sussex.

Rivers, L. (2023). Feminist Film Theory, Psychoanalysis and Wadjda. Edge Hill University.

Thornham, S. (1999). Feminist Film Theory: A Reader. Edinburgh University Press.

Xiang, L.Y.(2022). A study of the image of women in Diao Yinan's films from the perspective of feminist film theory. Inner Mongolia Normal University.

Gui, L.(2020). A critique of global film noir theory from a Western perspective: also on the study of contemporary Chinese local film noir. Journal of Shanghai University (Social Sciences Edition) , 37(05), 26-36.

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

No data

Related Author

No data

Related Institution

No data

⁰