Black Widow

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bob Rafelson directs. Conrad Hall behind the camera. Michael Small scores. John Bloom cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 139 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
• 2Directed by Bob Rafelson, shot by Conrad Hall. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 3Original score by Michael Small. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 4Editor John Bloom shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 5Debra Winger and Theresa Russell and Sami Frey carry the top of the cast.
• 6Marketing tagline: "She mates and she kills.".
• 7IMDB entry: tt0090738 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography

Conrad Hall

Original score

Michael Small

Editing

John Bloom

Production design

Gene Callahan

Costume design

Patricia Norris

Makeup / hair

Robert L. Stevenson

Sound

Don J. Bassman

Runtime

102 min · 1h 42m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$10,500,000

Box office

$25,205,460

Return

240% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

Black Widow (1987) ↗

Also by

Bob Rafelson

• 
  Picture Windows: Armed Response

  1995 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Picture Windows

  1995 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Modesty

  1981 · ★ 9.0
• 
  Five Easy Pieces

  1970 · ★ 7.1
• 
  Mountains of the Moon

  1990 · ★ 6.6
• 
  The Postman Always Rings Twice

  1981 · ★ 6.5

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Black Widow 1987 trailer

  Trailer

Community reviews

What people are saying

• John Chard2016-01-06
  ★ 7/10

  The female of the species is more deadly than the male. Black Widow is directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Ronald Bass. It stars Debra Winger and Theresa Russell. Music is by Michael Small and cinematography by Conrad L. Hall. Two women. Catherine marries men for their money, then murders them. The other, Alexandra Barnes is on her tail, getting in close to hopefully expose her crimes... Rafelson's neo-noir homages the film noir femme fatales of the 40s and 50s with a high degree of success. There's much potency in the screenplay that puts it firmly in the noir universe. Flip flopping the misogyny angles of yesteryear, pic pitches the ultimate femme fatale destroyer of men into a cat and mouse scenario with a sexually repressed opponent - or is she a jealous but secret admirer? The transformation of Winger's dowdy Justice Department Agent into a blossoming lady at Catherine Black Widow's (Russell super sexy and sensuous) side brings in the doppelgänger effect, a good old noir staple. The sexual tension is a constant, particularly when Paul Nuytten (Sami Frey) is brought into proceedings, something which shifts the piece still further into noirville. There's also other characters straight out of film noir. Be it Alexandra's boss (the always reliable Terry O'Quinn), who's a lech harbouring desires for Alex, or sleazy Private Investigator H Shin (James Hong) who has a needle habit, it's clear that Rafelson and Bass know their noir. Unfortunately most of the play is in daylight, meaning missed opportunities for some psychological shadow play is passed up. Though it should be noted that Hall's photography is slick and tonally in tune, especially when lighting scenes involving Russell as prime focus. It all builds to a splendid finale, the makers pulling us both ways as to where it will lead. Sure, some of the plot devices are weak, but in the main this is sexy, intriguing and tricksy in narrative, whilst tech credits stay at the higher end of the scale. 7/10

  Read full review ↓
• kevin20192024-02-27
  ★ 10/10

  "Black Widow" belongs in the category which seems to be attempting to recapture and recreate the classic film noir of the 1940's (this impression is subtly reinforced here by Michael Small's suitably evocative musical score). We first had "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1981) and then this was followed by the explicit - and subsequently divisive - sexuality of "Body Heat" (1981), but it is "Black Widow" which successfully comes the closest to achieving the incomparable quality to be found in that glorious by-gone cinematic era. It is a wholly compelling and extremely well constructed film which features some beautiful locations (especially those in exqusite Hawaii) that are absolutely breathtaking (replete as they are with even an impressive volcano eruption at one point) and some gorgeously photographed underwater sequences which must surely be every travel agent's ultimate dream.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• AM

  American Entertainment Partners L.P.

  US

• AM

  Amercent Films

• 

  20th Century Fox

  US

Key crew

• ProducerHarold Schneider
• EditorJohn Bloom
• Production DesignGene Callahan
• CastingTerry Liebling
• Costume DesignPatricia Norris
• Set DecorationBuck Henshaw
• Special EffectsJerry D. Williams
• Set DecorationJim Duffy
• StuntsMarcia Holley
• Sound Re-Recording MixerDon J. Bassman
• Special EffectsAllen Hall
• Additional PhotographyAl Giddings
• Set DecorationRick Simpson
• HairstylistRobert L. Stevenson
• Makeup ArtistNadia DiPaulo
• Still PhotographerElliott Marks
• Executive ProducerLaurence Mark
• Makeup ArtistDorothy J. Pearl
• HairstylistToni-Ann Walker
• Sound Re-Recording MixerRichard Overton
• StuntsJulie Robinson
• Sound Re-Recording MixerKevin F. Cleary

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• neo-noir

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical1987-02-06R

Also known as

International titles

• Διαβολική χήραGR
• ブラック・ウィドーJP