Why Halle Berry's Costume In Catwoman Makes No Sense
The iconic femme fatale Catwoman — also known as Selina Kyle — has been portrayed several times in movie and TV history. She debuted in the 1940 comic Batman #1, and she's appeared in several live-action iterations since then. From actresses Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt to Michelle Pfeiffer, Anne Hathaway, and Camren Bicandova, each version of the frequently leather-clad cat burglar with a feline affinity has been unique and memorable in her own way.
One of the least popular renditions of Catwoman, however, is Halle Berry's portrayal from the 2004 standalone film, Catwoman. Berry's take on Selina Kyle was a critical failure, though most reviewers attributed the flop to the wooden script rather than Berry's performance. The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus goes so far as to say "Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller."
One of the silliest aspects of Catwoman is Berry's non-functional outfit. Though all of the different versions of Catwoman have a costume made of a similar material, Berry's look was a drastic change from the original — and the change didn't make much sense.
Halle Berry's Catwoman was over the top
One of Catwoman's original co-creators Bob Kane revealed that Catwoman's sex appeal was inspired by the 1930s sex symbol Jean Farlow, and went on to explain why he and Bill Finger chose to model her after a cat: "I felt that women were feline creatures and men were more like dogs. While dogs are faithful and friendly, cats are cool, detached, and unreliable. I felt much warmer with dogs around me — cats are as hard to understand as women are" (via Screen Rant). Each rendition of Catwoman has gone on to wear skintight black leather from head to toe, showing off their figures.
While Berry's costume was also made of revealing leather, it certainly wasn't head to toe. Her leather pants had claw marks all over them, revealing her skin underneath; her top was essentially a leather strappy bra; and of course, she had to wear some high heels (because apparently all female action stars need heels). Aside from being peak 2000s style, the costume made absolutely no sense practically.
However, Berry let everyone know she didn't have any problem with the look. "(The suit was) the highlight of the whole movie experience," she told Contact Music. "It was empowering. Besides the obvious sex appeal, it really takes a certain level of confidence to pull it off." We're glad to know that Berry was comfortable, and that's what really matters at the end of the day. As for Catwoman, perhaps it's for the best that this superhero flick remains a standalone.