My chosen themes will be discussed using examples of key film from director David Lynch. I find the work of David Lynch of particular interest and relevance to my subject area as his films are often centred on the femme fatale and themes of lust, seemingly in homage to the film noir of the 1940s. Distinct in their surrealism his complex themes are unforgiving and demanding of the viewer. The crushing postmodern aspect of his filmmaking presents the viewer with a strong style of imagery and sound unique to the dark fantasy world of his filmmaking.

Through my theoretical and practical work I will uncover ways in which the femme fatale style is understood and read by society. I will achieve this by taking on an aesthetic view point and examining the way in which Lynch constructs his femme fatale through her visual codes such as clothing, hair and make-up. The femme fatale is recognised traditionally for her ‘highly coded glamour and an armoury of visual iconography arranged to signal sex and define her as a sexual presence’ (Kaplan, 2007: 172).