| Black Widow | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Bob Rafelson |
| Produced by | Laurence Mark Harold Schneider |
| Written by | Ronald Bass |
| Starring | Debra Winger Theresa Russell Sami Frey Dennis Hopper Rutanya Alda Terry O'Quinn |
| Music by | Michael Small |
| Cinematography | Conrad L. Hall, ASC |
| Editing by | John Bloom |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 6 February 1987 |
| Running time | 102 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $25,205,460[1] |
Black Widow is a 1987 film starring Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, Nicol Williamson and Dennis Hopper.
It is a crime drama about two women: one who murders wealthy men whom she marries for their money, and the other an agent with the Department of Justice who grows obsessed with bringing her to justice. It was directed by Bob Rafelson, from a screenplay by Ronald Bass.
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The story involves two women, one a femme fatale Catherine (Theresa Russell) whose true name is never known. She preys on wealthy middle-aged men, seducing them into marriage and then fatally poisoning them. Each death is misdiagnosed as Ondine's curse, a condition by which seemingly healthy middle-aged men die in their sleep. Justice Department agent Alexandra Barnes (Debra Winger) stumbles onto the first murder while investigating another case. As Alexandra delves further into the case, she uncovers a pattern which she believes ties the same woman to several similar murders.
Using exhaustive research, elaborate disguises, and identity changes, Catherine weaves her web anew with each murder, killing a publishing magnate, a toy maker (Dennis Hopper), and a museum curator (Nicol Williamson), and is quickly moving on to her next victim: Paul Nuytten (Sami Frey), an international hotel tycoon. Later, she reveals she has been married six times, and possibly as many murders.
Receiving her boss Bruce's (Terry O'Quinn) permission, Alexandra goes undercover to track down Catherine's background and then identify her next potential victim. The trails leads to Seattle where Catherine kills husband number three (a museum curator), and finally to Hawaii, where the two women meet and eventually engage in a sexually intense war of wits and wills.
They both compete for the affection of wealthy Paul Nuytten, and Catherine eventually marries him. Alexandra is arrested for Paul's murder when the police find a poison in her room. Catherine visits Alexandra in prison, and while they talk, Paul shows up with Alexandra's colleagues. Alexandra tells the shocked Catherine, "yes, we know — we found the poison before he did."
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