In addition, women have a love and hate relationship with the femme fatale figure, and that happens mainly out of jealousy. I strongly believe, that the game of power can ' t be taught. Instead you are born with it. As a result, a femme fatale with all this uncontrollable and turbulent character fulfils every woman ' s dream of winning the game of the sexes. Though in the same time women feel repulsive against femme fatales probably because they just can act like them. Even though femme fatales lead a self destructive life, women would wish to have at least a moment of real power rather than a whole life of oppression.
Epilogue
Ancient Greeks used to say that the three most destructive, yet most fascinating “elements” were “ fire, woman and sea ” . This phrase integrates the femme fatale stereotype in the film noir movies. They are dangerous and destructive yet inconsiderable to exist without them.
Women ' s liberation of men ' s “ chains ” , in a way, was in fact the first step for women to prove mostly to themselves that they can do it on their own. But still, that counted only for the real world. Cinema may be a mirror of life but still it needs something more exciting to gain and sustain its glory. The dark atmosphere of film noir needed a powerful, fearless and vicious feminine figure to compete against the stereotype of the always settling housewife. And not only that. It needed a figure that would be more vicious than a man too. An unbeatable component that would last till the end.
The paradox with the femme fatale figure is that even if in most of the films- at least in the ones of the first and the second period that I describe in that essay- it gets what it deserves with their death, still it remains a main heroin. Even death is not enough to depreciate her power. And this occurs mostly because death is like the ultimate solution for the story. Or maybe is the only solution for the story in film noir movies. It ' s awkward to think about it but a femme fatale never looses. She can only , in a way loose, if she dies, which means that she can practically do nothing. And that ' s a battle she wins. The only way to “ get rid ” of her power is to kill her. Catharsis is only done by her death, since human strength just can ' t beat her.
Out of the … Present
The stereotype of femme fatale in the first period of film noir was more than daring in the period of the 40s. In the movie “ Out of the past ” there are elements that proclaim the revolution of the this feminine stereotype. Back then though it was too premature for a figure like that to stand on its own in a period where women were still under men ' s shadow. The only method for this figure to exist was through comparison with the “ good”woman ' s figure. The one of the innocent, prudent and always loyal housewife. In the first period, and specifically speaking in the “ Out of the past ” movie, this comparison is more than crystal clear. I pinpointed before the basic measures that the screenplay uses in order to make the femme fatale “ bearable ” in the story.
But as the whole world was changing, cinema was following all these “ cosmic ” alterations. In the 60s and mostly 70s, the world was facing a series of new things. From wars, to economic crisis, and from sexual revolution to women ' s emancipation. It ' s natural that the interests in cinema where about to change too. Though in these specific eras the stereotype of femme fatale is not so predominant, there are still movies that she leads a vital role. The main reason for that is that feminism called for women ' s need to be treated as equal and not be treated as dark personas who needed to use seductive and alluring method in order to succeed what they wanted to. Women were at the first line and a femme fatale is now competing against man without being in a need to use the “ good feminine figure ” to exist. Now they were equal to men and a femme fatale could compete them face to face, still by using her sexuality but not as an insinuation any more.
With all this history behind her the femme fatale of the 80s, and especially nowadays, was ready to reign in the cinema of film noir. No more hiding, no more sneaking. Totally independent, liberal and fearless, the new femme fatale exposes herself and almost makes her male partner a foul out of himself. Or even better, she obviously, and with no regrets or shame, treats him like her own personal toy. But that was what she was always doing. Manipulating and using, almost abusing, him. Since, the main difference now is that she clearly does not care if the male acknowledges it or not. She jut provokes him openly making him feel meaningless, small and powerless.
To cut a long way short, the femme fatale figure is a stereotype of the unfulfilled and that 's why I think it managed not only to survive throughout the years but even triumph her own presence in the world of cinema. Cinema is a fairytale of believable or not stories which curves for the unknown and the unbeatable heroes. Under these circumstances the sadistic figure of femme fatale is an anti-heroin that earned her own reign in the underworld and dark road of film noir movies. The only mystification is “ if contemporary society fulfils the goals of the femme fatale figure does this mean that she is done? And if so, what ' s next?”.
