Not since the film noirs and melodramas of the 40s and 50s has there been so many strong roles for women to play on both the big and small screens. A mere glance at the TV guide will reveal a series of programmes named after their female protagonist (as in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer') or where the female character has equal footing with the male lead (such as 'The X-Files').

And a recent influx of big screen outings has shown cinema-goers that women can play just as hard as the men. Oscar-winning film 'The Blind Side' is one such example, and to celebrate its release in cinemas we've taken a look back at some of the greatest tough women from the movies...

It is difficult to imagine anything that could long impede or contain the force of nature that is Leigh Anne Tuohy - the feisty Memphis belle played by Bullock with equal measures of acerbic sass, steel-willed brass and unabashed sentiment