Of all American genres, film noir is by far the most seductive. (Many question whether it is a genre or a movement, but let’s suppose it is a genre.) Generally, film genres are defined through a set of common elements, such as lighting, plot, costume, ambiance, which are repeated in Different movies. One of these elements is also character building. And film noir was essential for creating a type, practically a myth, emblematic to this day: the Femme Fatale. You can choose the filme hd online with the best shows now.
Film noir was very popular in post-World War II
At that moment, American men were returning from battle, impressed and paranoid by the horrors of war. In addition, they needed to reclaim their place in the labor market, which was now full of women. They become your rivals and no longer your mates. The values and stability they knew changed. Therefore, the genre noir reflects the climate of distrust, disbelief and claustrophobia of the time.
- Films of this genre were characterized by the paranoid and claustrophobic atmosphere, criminal plots, and ambiguous, characterless and moral characters. They are black and white films, with great use of shadows, crooked lines, urban environments, all to provoke the discomfort and pass the distrust felt by the characters.
- One of these ambiguous characters was the fatal woman. For a long time, the cinema was based on the vision of a man (except for a few exceptions). Thus, what defined the character of a female character was her relationship to her own sexuality. Unlike the good and ideal woman (the virgin waiting for a good man or the wife who has no individual will), the Femme Fatales have dominance over her body and are ambitious. They are not totally independent, they need the male presence to accomplish their goals, and they use sexuality to manipulate them. That’s why they are so threatening.
They are ambiguous characters in their character. At first, they are beautiful, sexy and confident. The man dreams of moments of great pleasure beside them. But soon, they show her cruel face, manipulating the man into doing exactly what she wants. This action is usually linked to a cruel plan of murder, theft, lies, etc. She walks naturally around the underworld and is not shy in the presence of many men, after all, she knows how to deal with them.
The First Time
The first time they appear, they already show their sensuality, either through a gesture, or the costume itself that highlights parts of the body. Interestingly, the Femme Fatales often come dressed in white, a color that symbolizes purity, kindness and virginity, making the ambiguity of these characters even more explicit. Her look is always exuberant: long hair, makeup, accessories, jewelry and cigarettes. They are also almost always in the center of the frame and benefit from light, camera shake and angle. As if she manipulated even the film’s technical staff, drawing their full attention to herself.
Here are some examples of unforgettable Femme Fatales. In all of them, they are powerful, intelligent and sensual women who use their weapons to determine their own future, rather than having it established by a man.
The first time insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) sees Phyllis she is wearing only a white towel. Quickly, she can convince him to kill her husband to keep the insurance money.
