All About Eve, the 1950s film from 20th Century Fox, seemed to me to be a metacritical portrayal of the consequences of stardom. It’s interesting how Bette Davis and Ann Baxter are portayed as each end of the stardom spectrum. Bette Davis is older, clearly worn by the spotlight. Her hair is curled, though not […]

Marlene Dietrich portrays the Femme Fatale Amy Jolly in the 1930 film Morocco. The first thing that stood out to me was the seductive way that Dietrich was portrayed in the classic “Femme Fatale” form and the use of shadows in the film that encouraged it. This movie caused me to think about portrayals and […]

  The 1953 20th Century Fox film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Marilyn Monroe, is a film that focuses especially on the stereotype of the “dumb blonde”. This is emphasized visually and contextually in the film. One thing that stands out to me visually is the juxtaposition of Monroe’s character, Lorelei Lee, against her best friend […]