My Christmas contribution last year was an ode to the beyond amazing Catwoman played by Michelle Pfeiffer but in recent weeks, while gathering up films for the upcoming follow up to Noirvember (still going by the way over at Little Sister) which will be Neo Noir, I noticed in a list Batman Returns was included. Rewatching Batman Returns not as 'just' a superhero film or Christmas film but as a neo noir genre film, was not exactly eye opening but more of an 'of course' moment. There's crime, bloodshed, murder, kidnapping, Christopher Walken and Catwoman is a perfect femme fatale. All that's added into the story are costumes and a batman cave, everything else is a very neo noir filmscape that engulf the whole of Gotham. The name of the city even screams neo noir!
There were a series of Marvel Noir comics that were released where the characters were put in a diferent setting, but Batman doesn't really need to be altered than much. There aren't even any real super powers in Batman, its all gadgets, technology and child abandonment. Although Catwoman has the only super charged experiences, being pushed out of a window only to have her fall broken and lots of cats reviving her, this could be seen as a super powered moment. This aside, Gotham and the residents could be in a permanent film noir story.
If you'd like to read more about Catwomen, check out last year's post HERE.
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