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Stylistic and thematic characteristics of film noir
Female gender stereotypes in movies
How can the theme of sexism be represented in film
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A female in film noir is typically portrayed in one of two ways; she’s either a dependable, trustworthy, devoted, and loving woman, or she’s a manipulative, predatory, double crossing, and unloving temptress. Noir labels the cold hearted and ruthless woman archetype as a Femme Fatale. A femme fatale is walking trouble, and she’s aware of it. This woman is gorgeous, refined, eloquent, and commands the attention of any room she’s in. When the femme fatale desires something, she pursues it. If there’s an obstacle in her way, she overcomes it. If she can’t handle it herself, all she needs to do it bat her eyelashes and the nearest man is all too willing to take care of it for her. In essence, the most dangerous thing about the femme fatale is her …show more content…
Phyllis is illustrated as an unhappy housewife who seems absorbed by the notion of killing her husband and living off of the fraudulent insurance money. In contrast to Phyllis, Neff is originally depicted as an innocent bystander who gets swept away by her sensual charm and falls prey to her feminine wiles. The establishment of her character within the film’s universe, especially in regards towards her relationship with Neff, define and exemplify Phyllis as a true Femme Fatale. At the very core of a femme fatale is a soft, feminine character that has a rock hard edge, which seems to threaten the system of patriarchy built around her. In understanding the mind of the femme fatale, and her motives, a viewer is typically asked to review her character in relation to …show more content…
However, when deeply analyzing the characteristics of a femme fatale the similarities between the two concepts become clearer. This is especially the case when looking within the noir genre and at films that embody every aspect of noir, such as Double Indemnity. Double Indemnity and noir are perfect examples of how oppressive a film could appear to be at first glance. However, upon a deeper inspection of the Double Indemnity and everything it has to offer, it’s easy to see that although it tries to define and belittle its femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson by her actions against her male counterparts, she’s really the strongest character in the entire film. Her resilience in ensuring she obtains her every desire is what sets her apart. Her actions at first glance could come across as being self-centered, but all Phyllis is truly after is security which is more self-preservation. Phyllis is a character who is exceedingly aware of not only herself as a person, and the power this awareness has over men. Which, that self-awareness, and ownership of one’s body, as well as their ability to take that knowledge and level the vastly unjust playing field is the very core of feminism. Therefore, the femme fatale is not a character that’s needs to be defined by a male. Rather, to truly define a femme fatale characterize her by her own strength and ability to achieve her desires in
while his wife Bunny and daughter Maude are reminiscent of the two Sternwood daughters, Vivian and Carmen” (Bergan 201). These two women also provide that all-important aspect of the femme fatale. Bunny is the impulsive, sexualized woman who acts without thinking, and lives by the charity of the elderly husband who just can’t tell her no. Maude is the dark, intelligent, manipulative woman. She works in the background, accomplishing what she wants, only telling others what they need to hear for her to get what she wants.
During the 1940’s and 1950’s, a new film genre called Film Noir became popularized. Film Noir translated from French means “black film” which is what these movies were. Some of the characteristics movies in this genre shared were that they were shot in black and white, there was no happy ending, the protagonist was often a war veterans, the plot was ruled on fate, emotions were usually raw, and the theme dealt with the darker side of human nature.
The Blaxploitation films were needed to reshape the past images of slavery. Blacks were exiting the Black Panther and Black Power movement, which the people had become profound to the use of drugs within urban communities. Therefore, the films were produced counter to the rise of drugs. So, the films were used as a framework to create new stereotypes of blacks being big bad drug dealers or pimps. The films were publicized in the media, which produced a greater outcome of people wanted to become the illustration within the films. The films in Blaxploitation often deal with finding solutions of trying to remove cocaine out of the hood, as there was an uproar within the communities. However, films that were produced declared African Americans being the villain, while the women were often degraded to being a sexual object.
Just like all of the Film Noir movies, The Big Sleep and Chinatown starts with a sense of balance. Everything is in order, until something bad happens: a death. At the end, the private detectives finds the murderer and the balance and order are brought back. But what happens in between this? The “Femme fatale” will add chaos and make the investigation go slower than it should. In Classical Hollywood Cinema, the main character motivates the action through their goals and desires: the quest and the heterosexual romance. But how can a romance between the main character and a “femme fatale” bring chaos in the story? The classic femme fatale in film noir has many qualities: manipulative, liar...
Film Noir is a term in French meaning the’black film’. It could not be easily defined as films of this peculiar genre is produced under a particular circumstances during 1939 to late 1950s generally. It was first brought up in 1946 by a French film critic named Nino Frank. Accrdoing to his definition, it was a new trend in crime movies in the Hollywood that contains certain negative aspects such as violence, sexual y motivate and vulgarity with vision of dark and shady in overall. Although the film was produced in 1974 in colour, Chinatown is identified as a noir film with the containment of classic noir-film elements, including the development of a flawed male protagonist and an authority figure, the atmosphere of deceit and hopelessness,
From Jessica Rabbit to Claire Underwood the femme fatale is strong, smart, determined to create their own path, and unconcerned about who must be manipulated to bring about the end they desire. For this reason, I submit that the Maltese Falcon would be a hit today because Bridget is the femme fatale we love to hate but hate to love- one only has to consider the success of the movie Gone Girl to see the possibilities. In Gone Girl the main character Amy is a clever, perfectionist and spurned woman creates her own destiny and her cheating husband Nick is the "sap" who is played- of course she is also off the charts crazy, but that's not the point for this essay. Consumers are still lulled into feeling sad for the poor woman the first half of the movie and just when it seems that our main character has disappeared from the film, it is revealed an exquisite web of lies woven together to make an
In the movie, Double Indemnity, people were tired, sad, and bored. Nevertheless, this shows a good example of what’s good about film noir. As Film Noir shows the dark side of the city. There was a great balance in both dark and light with the lighting. When they times that there were any excited it was most bright while dark in very grim or evil scenes. The scene of Phyllis covered in a towel shows how seductive the character. There was also a strong use of cigars or cigarettes in the film. Additional, gives out that smoky vibe to the film. All the men in the film work while the females stay home and shopping. This example shows how their culture were back in the 1940s and 1950s
In films, female characters ‘reflect and perpetuate the status and options of women in today’s society’ and play
Femme fatale women are desirable because they are forbidden. Mia is the wife of Vincent’s boss, and having any relationships with her would lead to Vincent ultimate destruction, and ironically it does. Femme fatale characters have a specific power over men, and usually they allure through a mix of seduction, attraction, and independence. Independence from men is a characteristic that allows femme fatales to be the most destructive towards men. The victims of a femme fatale end up needing and caring for these women, when these women don’t want or need them. This is proven in The Golden Watch segment. After the boxing match. Butch’s opponent is lying dead on the table and Mia is standing by the door. Vincent walks in then immediately asks Mia how she is, implying he was worried about her after her near death experience. This shows great weakness in Vincent, and Mia responds that she is fine acting like the two of them never even met each other. The distance grew stronger, and before that Mia tricks Vincent into his death, like any other good femme fatale. At first we learn a man was thrown out a window due to rubbing Mia’s feet, but later at Vincent and Mia’s dinner she reveals that the only thing she ever did with Antoine Roccamora was shake his
Double Indemnity cuts into the guilty heart and the insanity when situations get out of their control. Phyllis,who is the template for the femme fatale, is broken down as the psychologically manipulative serial killer so obscure in her ways she is close to not even being human and is better described to be a rattlesnake waiting for her prey. She presents herself as a trusting figure, being that she was a head nurse the local hospital and best friend of Mr. Nirdlinger sickly wife, who she let die in her care. Emotion is not capable for someone like Phyllis. The reader already determines she is a vile woman as Huff’s confession develops, and grows to be as repulsed by her. However, Walter comes clean with his confession and overwhelming guilt. Even though he followed the plan from point A to point B, Huff redeems himself by turning in to his boss, in order to protect what is left from his doomed decisions. Even though he is the perpetrator of a gruesome murder, he also falls victim of corruption, by a woman, loveless love and a twisted greater force. Thus leaving readers to trial Huff's actions, there's a tragedy to Cain's writing hidden beneath the raw edge; he clearly feels for Walter but doesn't condone his actions, hence why he builds to such a bitter climactic to Double Indemnity open ending and leaves pending
Led by Laura Mulvey, feminist film critics have discussed the difficulty presented to female spectators by the controlling male gaze and narrative generally found in mainstream film, creating for female spectators a position that forces them into limited choices: "bisexual" identification with active male characters; identification with the passive, often victimized, female characters; or on occasion, identification with a "masculinized" active female character, who is generally punished for her unhealthy behavior. Before discussing recent improvements, it is important to note that a group of Classic Hollywood films regularly offered female spectators positive, female characters who were active in controlling narrative, gazing and desiring: the screwball comedy.
While there are many different ways to classify a Neo-noir film, Roman Polanski’s, Chinatown captures many. The 1974 movie consists of many of these elements, including both thematic and stylistic devices. One of the main themes of neo-noir film that is constant throughout the film is the deceptive plot that questions the viewers’ ideas and perceptions of what is actually happening in the film. Every scene of Chinatown leads to a twist or another turn that challenges the practicability of the film’s reality. All of the never-ending surprises and revelations lead up to the significant themes the movie is trying to convey in the conclusion of the film.
Since the beginning of time, women have been seen as different from men. Their beauty and charms have been interpreted as both endearing and deadly to men. In the Bible, it was Eve’s mistake that led to humanity’s exile from the Garden of Eden. However, unlike in the Bible, in today’s world, women who drive men to ruin do not do so through simple mistakes and misunderstandings, they do so while fully aware of what effects their sexuality can cause. One thing remains constant through these portrayals of women, and that is that they are portrayed as flawed creations and therefore monstrous. It is a woman’s sex drive and sexuality that can lead to her monstrosity. The femme fatale is an enticing, exquisitely beautiful, erotic character who plays the ultimate trick of nature: she displays her beauty, captures the man and goes in for the kill. Films such as Adrian Lyne’s Fatal Attraction and stories such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Tale, and Sir Gawain the Green Knight use the femme fatale as a means of making a woman into a monster; the femme fatale can never win in the battle of the sexes. But what is it that makes the femme fatale such a dangerously character for the hero as well as the readers or viewers?
The article expounds upon the characters: Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. The author discusses how these female fatales were seen as a threat because of their power and authority. They are objectified because they used their sexuality in order to achieve their goals. For example, Batman recounts to Albert, his butler how Harley Quinn used her sexuality in order to advance her goals to become a psychiatrist during graduate school. In the franchise, the characters exhibit a defiance of societal norms. As a result, the women are portrayed as dangerous and monstrous. However in order to survive in society, they each rely on their displays of sexuality and seduction to advance their motives. For example, Poison Ivy uses her feminine symbols such as kisses and flowers for destructive purposes. The author adds how there are differences between male and female villains, especially when it comes to verbal connotations of labeling. They are often underestimated, especially when fighting men, who are hindrances in the women’s path. However, they are also punished when they are seen as “too powerful”. For example, the Joker punishes Harley Quinn when she comes closer than hi to defeating Batman. These female fatales exemplify what
The representation of violence exacted upon women in cinema is inextricable from being projected upon all women. To provide a scene that objectifies the female is to reduce the feminine form to its non-dual state, e.g., a sexual object providing a vessel for male gratification (hubris and sexual) rather then being defined by its duality of sentient and physical forms. Those who construct scenes of violence against women are bound to a moral responsibility to subjectify the woman’s perspective, thus reestablishing the female as a victim rather then an object and rendering the act of violence intelligible (deplorable, open to interpretation).