In this final session, we turn the tables to look at anti-heroines who were even more dangerous than their menfolk. From wicked ladies and sinful strumpets to matronly murderers and poisoners in pinnies, these lethal women are the very obverse of the virginal victims so beloved of melodrama.

We will look at films produced on both sides of the Atlantic and discuss what happened to the melodrama as it entered the Fifties.

Film Studies - Gaslight Melodramas: Murderous Men and Persecuted Women!

Curated and delivered by Dr Sheldon Hall, this series of four classic films and accompanying lectures dives into the realm of the 40's murder melodrama. Presented in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University.

Explore Film Studies - Gaslight Melodramas

Too Much: Melodrama on Film

Running from October - December 2025, Too Much: Melodrama on Film is a UK wide programme supported by BFI and BFI FAN which celebrates the visual excess and dramatic potency of a form of cinema which champions emotional intensity over propriety and ‘good taste’. This autumn, we're presenting live events and classic titles, to make you swoon, weep and make a scene!

Explore Too Much: Melodrama on Film

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Duration 2h
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