Actually, I’m stumped with noir films and romance novels. There are some romance novels with noir style or as tributes to noir films*, but I couldn’t think of any rom that can be classified as a noir romance including having a femme fatale protagonist. Like those in these films: The Last Seduction and Body Heat.
Well, there are some, but these heroines tend to pretend they’re the femme fatale type. Mostly as a seductive tactic. I think the US Romance genre’s idea of anti-heroine is sex, which is what a femme fatale is essentially about. Using their sexuality to get men to do what they want. This is widely unacceptable in the US Romance genre, I think.
More than anything, the femme fatale type is what heroes believe heroines are, e.g. Harlequin Presents, but of course, they fall in love once they realise these heroines aren’t what they thought they were.
So, there isn’t any I could think of that has the hero accepting the anti-heroine as part of his HEA. I need to think more about this as I’m basically stumbling about in the dark. It’s mostly to do with not knowing that much about noir films, I admit.
Blade Runner is a neo-noir film, for instance, but why? What elements it has that files this film under neo-noir? Visual style? Tone? Classic noir elements? Rain, anti-hero in a mac, mystery element, femme fatale in form of Rachel, that certain attitude, and the general dark atmosphere?
Plus, my colleagues often tell me that the Noir genre is essentially a genre for men. It does make sense in a way. A noir film tends to be from the male protagonist’s POV.
SF / Fantasy / Action / Sports genres are traditionally seen as men’s genres as well, but the US Romance genre doesn’t shy from absorbing these genres. I think having heroine as the femme fatale type is the issue. That’s probably why I couldn’t think of a romance novel that can be grouped with a noir film. Hm.
Like I say, I need to ponder on this a little more. Or at least when my brain decides to work properly.
*Examples: What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Cruise and Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz. Both focus on style and a selection of genre conventions more than character types, and both are done with humour. Almost a parody.
“What elements it has that files this film under neo-noir? Visual style? Tone? Classic noir elements? Rain, anti-hero in a mac, mystery element, femme fatale in form of Rachel, that certain attitude, and the general dark atmosphere?”
All of these. Noir seems to be primarily about how a film *looks* but the subject matter is also seedy and grim to match the dark visuals. I would definitely call Blade Runner noir.
I don’t read enough het romance to comment about which might be considered noir, but noir in m/m might include some books by Josh Lanyon (or even yours truly) – “Dragon Streets” by Jeff Pearce would possibly count, though that’s also fantasy. The tone and ‘visuals’ in that are definitely dark and gritty – a lot of the action literally takes place underground.
I don’t associate the femme fatale with noir per se (wow that’s a lot of non-English
) although she’s a feature in certain noir films, notably those with Bogart. I would agree that noir is a male-centered genre, though not necessarily male-oriented. But that’s partly to do with the fact that American noir were based on books by male authors with male protags. I don’t think European noir would consider itself primarily ‘male’.
I agree with what you say about the visual aspect, which is why I struggle to isolate noir elements that can be used in written form. What’s the difference between noir and gritty realism? As far as I can tell, it’s the mystery aspect in form of a protagonist as investigator – private, detective, amateur or whatnot – that makes the difference. Am I wrong?
Thanks so much for the book suggestions! May I have the titles? Yours, too!
That’s surprising. Could you name a major film that doesn’t feature a femme fatale? I can only think of two: ‘The Killers’ (Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner) and ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ (Joseph Cotten as uncle and Teresa Wright as his adoring niece who becomes suspicious that he may be a serial killer), but both are classified as thrillers.
Edited: Never mind. According to Wikipedia, The Killers does feature a femme fatale. Boo to my memory.
Ann mentioned Josh Lanyon. I think her newly re-released ‘Snowball in Hell’ counts as noir. It’s a mystery set in 1943 Los Angeles. I liked it. It’s published by Carina Press.
Other than that, I can’t think of any noir-ish romances. (I’m assuming Daphne Du Maurier books don’t count as romances per se.)
I’m hoping Ann comes back with a list of titles. Having just finished ‘Snowball in Hell’, I’m in the mood for more books with a similar tone.