Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

For your contemplation...

not meant to be inclusive or in any order of cunning,  craftiness, and/or duplicity; a few of the toughest of any era

Lady Macbeth

Lilly Dillon; The Grifters

Asami Yamazaki; Audition

Vera; Detour

Lady Kaede; Ran

Kitty Collins; the Killers

Carol McCoy; The Getaway ( the book version, the film version lacked the backbone of the book Carol )

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

3.  Hayley in Hard Candy

2.  Ripley in the Alien movies

1.  Regan in The Exorcist

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

Regan takes the lead, by a frightening dear old grizzled Max von Sydow to death, using a crucifix in a new and inventive way, projectile vomit and bile, and wild gesticulations...

I had some rethinking on Lady Macbeth, since she had such a breakdown, took on an obsessive compulsive disorder and generally doesn't seem to be able to 'hang', she is summarily booted off this list ( or thrown in bed to be eaten by Regan ).

nice list Mr. SkyPilot.

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

Camille Keaton in I spit on your grave 

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

Puhnner:

For your contemplation...

not meant to be inclusive or in any order of cunning,  craftiness, and/or duplicity; a few of the toughest of any era

Lady Macbeth

Lilly Dillon; The Grifters

Asami Yamazaki; Audition

Vera; Detour

Lady Kaede; Ran

Kitty Collins; the Killers

Carol McCoy; The Getaway ( the book version, the film version lacked the backbone of the book Carol )

Vera was so hard and bitter in Detour. It wasn't the best acting in the world but that characterization stays with you long after the film is over.

Bridget (Linda Fiorentino) in The Last Seduction is definately one of the toughest women characters

This isn't noir but these women scared me:

Two Disney movies had tough dames that scared the bejesus out of me as a kid. A very aged Bete Davis in Watcher in the Woods (the movie doesn't hold up too well when you get older) freaked me out every time the camera focused on her. Maleficent, the evil witch, in Disney's Sleeping Beauty also gave me nightmares as a kid. What was up with the horns on her head???

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

I have enjoyed watching Linda Fiorentino since 'After Hours', but didn't enjoy her in The Last Seduction; she seemed to me to not manifest the absolute glee and amusement that she should have, given her character, in the control and abuse of her charges in the sales division ( was it some sort of tele-marketing shop? ).  I guess I expected something a lot more 'over the top' from her and missed that. She had Bill Pullman and that great guy from one of my favorite films 'Shocker', Peter Berg to toy with...perhaps she felt undermatched and underwhelmed???

I think you are 'dead on' about Vera, Bette, and the evil witch

  

 

 

 

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

The real Domino Harvey

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in Monster

Sexy and a Killer in one -> Bridget Fonda in Point of No Return

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

Nurse Ratched!

And the Ladies who could not be Killed:  Mrs. Wilberforce and Mrs. Munson

And from Lord of the Rings, not necessariliy the movies: Éowyn

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

Re: Toughest 'Dame' around, Noir, Neo-Noir, or anywhere

dig her crazy do; she is all dolled up in the fashionable water buffalo look!

'dance with me jack, but don't muss my hair'