My five favorite femme fatales in fiction novel suspects. Who are some of the great femme fatale characters in spy stories. One piece in the arsenal of a femme fatale is the characters attire. They just have this sex appeal about them that i find hard to resist. The 10 greatest movie femme fatales of the 21st century. The police dont believe pen and she sets out to prove shes right. Alternately beguiling, vulnerable and terrifying, rachel is a classic femme fatale, played with cool relish by weisz. Physical characteristics depictions of women in film noir. Ah, the femme fatale, one of the greatest literaryturnedfilm archetypes still being used today. Gretchen isnt always beautiful or alluring, but she is alwaysalwayslooking for a weakness to exploit, or a nice soft place to stick a knife.
Ross macdonald treats his female characters much more sympathetically and psychologically. Joan medford, the cocktail waitress noir master james m. Take, for example, cains second most famous femme fatale, cora papadakis in double indemnity. We soon learn she started her spree a few years previous. Sheridan le fanus tale of a female vampire predates dracula and established. She is generally portrayed as cold and calculating but tends to soften when her mission comes into conflict with leon s. Forgive me for giving in to elitism, but personally, the best 2 femme fatales would be. Of witches, femme fatales, and film noir the femme fatale archetype has been around far longer than the relatively short history of filmmaking, dating back to ancient times. Darth talon, delilah, lady luck, catwoman, and mileena.
One of the earliest femmes fatales in western literature is also one of the few to be tamed. Shes flimsy in her way of going about finding it, using men for their money and privileges. Cains posthumous novel, finally published in 2012, is written from the femme fatales point of view. The baron spends a lot of time pontificating and babbling on to our fatale, while all she has for him over and over is, i dont understanding a thing your saying. Femme fatale is the french phrase for fatal woman and shes known as a maneater. The femme fatales are a fictional group of female characters appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. In the episode noir, an episode with all the smallville characters in a film noir, lana takes the role of the femme fatale, having an affair with clark kent, an undercover cop, killing her husband, lex, and framing jimmy for the murder. The following list contains some oldfashioned femme fatales, some contemporary takes on the character, and a few gals that are just plain evil. A femme fatale sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious. Needless to say, thats what originally attracted me to this book.
The fictional character of carmen the heroine of bizets opera attracts a range of labels which variously position her as seductress, femme fatale, sex addict, fate death obsessed. We described a femme fatale as being beautiful, one who leads the main character into danger, and feigns naivete or weakness to hide manipulative goals. We all love strong female characters who arent above using their. How to create the perfect seductress in fiction the writing. On the flipside, audrey horne attempts to play the role of the femme fatale to get what she wants but only puts herself in danger. Gone girl and other brilliant novels that have the. Evelyn salt any spy, male of female has nearly the same capabilities. And if her plans fall awry, she will rather kill herself than lose her power. Many characters from comics fit the bill for one or both of these definitions, from catwomans cat and mouse routine with batman all. A beautiful, seductive, but ultimately villainous, woman who uses the malign power of her sexuality in order to ensnare the hapless hero into danger.
Marie slim browning, the sultry american pickpocket. Whereas most female characters are doting or damsels, the femme fatale is seductive. In real life we hate such womenbut in fiction we find them irresistible. They are often depicted as antagonists to the superhero character spiderman and captain america. Somehow knights are especially susceptible to the spellbinding charms.
It is the typecast role of a seductive and mysterious woman, whose personalty remains hard to. This is cains last novel, and his femme fatale protagonist is a classic. Mickey spillanes mike hammer novels are filled with buxom blonde killers. Im also trying to leave out the py galore kind, who arent genuinely bad or never were. December 6, 2019, hulu vengeance has been a staple on. Oct 23, 2019 lynch plays with the role of femme fatale in other characters in the show, too.
This character type has played out in many movies over the years, as well as books. Rocky and bullwinkle s natasha fatale, a curvaceous spy, takes her name from the femme fatale stock character. Women appeared as characters in these novels as the femme fatale, a seductive woman who ultimately brings about the downfall of any man. What do scarlett ohara, erica kane, and the wife of bath have in common. May 15, 2019 instead, by being conscious and critical of it, we can find whole new heroes and whole new ways of enjoying the film or book. Im trying to use that expression in the traditional way, meaning very seductive characters as opposed to other bad female ones the lotte lenya in from russia with love kind, so to speak. A woman who is just only deadly and or a killer is not a femme fatale. The first of two dc characters on the list, vixen is one cool woman and is a great example of how you do a comic book femme fatale right because. Femme fatality is a comic book series by brad linsky that nate is addicted to.
A femme fatle is a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations by an aura of. Since we talked mostly about femme fatales in class, i focused mainly on the one introduced in last weeks film, double indemnity. Best femme fatale characters classic horror film board. It wont be an easy task, but luckily she has the ghost of pi jack shepard to help her. This is because a typical femme fatale is deceitful. May 12, 2014 the fictional character of carmen the heroine of bizets opera attracts a range of labels which variously position her as seductress, femme fatale, sex addict, fate death obsessed. The origin of femme fatales in the movies the studio exec. Also, a spoiler, but if you want to see a bunch of adults get taken on a very twisted, very cruel ride by a teenage girl, you might want to check out the second book in my audrey harte series. This was not the case in mainstream film where female roles were most commonly defined by their relationships to men eg. For this list, were looking at female tv characters that are smoking hot, seductive, and would kill you in a heartbeat. They tend to use their feminine charm to obtain their objective and are usually very untrustworthy, leaving those whom are associated with them constantly suspicious or on edge. I have to say, i am really liking guys in the armed forces, whether it be marines, army, navy, etc. Femmes fatales also appear frequently in comic books.
Shes a seductive character who uses her womanly charms to attract men, who she will then use in several ways to get what she wants. Here the author discusses the enduring appeal of the femme fatale fatale. Women appeared as characters in these novels as the femme fatale, a seductive woman who ultimately brings about the downfall of any man she comes in contact with. According to definition, a femme fatale is a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations or a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery. A century after theda baras baby vamp silverscreen routine created a blueprint for the aesthetic of the femme fatale onscreen, her cinematic status endureswith a few key shifts.
This book explores the origins of the femme fatale, women who seduce men to their downfall. In hitchcocks 1940 film and daphne du mauriers 1938 novel rebecca, the eponymous femme fatale completely dominates the plot, even though she is already dead and we never see an image of her. Femme fatales of english literature 3740 words 15 pages. Josie packard, so seemingly fragile, turns out to be a classic coldblooded femme fatale, responsible for the death of her husband. The femme fatale, a seductive woman who entices men into perilous and compromising positions by way of charisma and mystery, is a classic, and often enthralling, character who can be found in many sources of literature and mythology of various origins and eras femme fatale 1. Until you earn points all your submissions need to be vetted by other comic vine users. That, and the fact that femme fatale is a brazen book. Jun 16, 2017 while the backstabber is cold and calculative, the femme fatale is impulsive and impatient. However, film noir disappeared, and so did this type of character. Apr 11, 2016 women appeared as characters in these novels as the femme fatale, a seductive woman who ultimately brings about the downfall of any man she comes in contact with. They are defined as women of great seductive charm, mysterious, duplicitous, subversive, doublecrossing, gorgeous, energized, intelligent, powerful, predatory. The greatest modern femme fatales in movies zimbio. Essay about femme fatales of english literature 3625 words.
No matter how one interprets the femme fatale, clearly there is a not so veiled subtext at work. The top 11 femme fatales in fiction observation deck. A random femme fatale for a film noir based on a picture of angelina jolie that screamed noir. Know your history be femme fatale femmes fieres et debout. Jul 27, 2018 these characters are more individuated and less archetypal in appearance and personality. Hitchcocks icy blondes mike yeulett january 9, 20 alfred hitchcock provided audiences with entertainment over a fifty year career in the film industry. Here are a few books like gone girl that feature such a character there was a time when most novels only had a male leads and did not really have any good female characters.
Apr 02, 2017 the femme fatale character type is one of the greatest examples of this, next to the lone ranger and the antihero. One of the earliest femmes fatales in western literature is also one of. The evolution of the femme fatale in film noir crimereads. Entity mag women that do inspire, educate, empower the history of the femme fatale. He now lives his life in the shadows as the notorious assassin, il mietitore, gaining the skills necessary to take b.
Project muse the femme fatale in american literature. The figure of the femme fatale, a french term meaning deadly woman. Since the dawn of film noir, seductive female characters have been the cause of twists and turns in a multitude of ways. Ada wong is the mysterious longlegged femme fatale of the resident evil franchise. Hey, i am writing a story about a young woman in the 1940same or 50s, not sure yet looking for the perfect lover. Femme fatales are female characters who fit the role of a dangerous and sexy woman. Brigid is the femme fatale in the book, promising him sensuality and wealth. Since many, if not most of the movies featuring a femme fatale are written by men, it seems fair to consider a jungian take on the character type, that it represents the negative aspect of the anima, more of a projection of how a woman appears to a man, rather than an objective reality. Gone girl by gillian flynn was a masterful resurrection and flipping of the femme fatale trope.
The baron is simply a great character and their interactions are quite humorous in a twisted way. The most mysterious and seductive femme fatales we all love strong female characters who arent above using their looks and charm to get what they want, right. This exploration includes the image of the femme fatale in history, literature, art, and feminism. Red, femme fatale by nbashowtimeonnbc on deviantart inspiration. They are femme fatales that is, no man who becomes involved with them emerges unscathed. Characters youll love or hate in the femme fatale thriller reprisal premiere date. The ghost and the femme fatale is the fourth book in alice kimberlys haunted bookshop mystery series, a series that gets better with each book. I love the concept of a ghost helping to solve mysteries and kimberly does a good job of pushing boundaries.
A more interesting argument might have involved historical research to position the femme fatale as a kind of force herself, echoing cultural changes at the turn of the centuryalthough this is a version of the argument jennifer fleissner makes about the new woman in her book women, compulsion, modernity. In greek myths, there were sirens enticing sailors into shipwrecks, and today there are aliens in. Of course, shes nowhere near the first fictional female to be bad news for. The cocktail waitress is narrated by the title character, who does seem to have a habit of losing husbands not just misplacing them, either. Ultimate alliance, femme fatales is a team bonus for any fourperson combination of storm, elektra, spiderwoman, invisible woman, and ms. For some stories, more charactery names may be in order so for a femme fatale, a sexy name. Future fight, femme fatales is a team bonus composed of elektra, black cat, and black widow. The plot of the comics have never been revealed, but it can be assumed that it is very actionoriented. The femme fatale in raymond chandlers the big sleep.
Stokers femme fatale in dracula a commentary by ashley smiles in bram stokers dracula, the ultimate femme fatale is born. This is no spoiler, she kills off a guy in the woods in the opening pages. Gretchen is unapologetic for her crimes, and chelsea cain writes her as a compelling character. What is it that inspired you to create such a character. The character of the femme fatale has always intrigued me.
Cleopatra was a femme fatale who ultimately fell in her own web when the romans outsmarted her. While the archetype dates back to the age of cleopatra, what does it mean to be a femme fatale in the 21 st century. Something about taking hookss approach makes rereading cain more fun. If you base your character on the seductress archetype or make your villain a femme fatale, make sure to give her characteristics from both sides of the table positive and negative. The femme fatale character type is one of the greatest examples of this, next to the lone ranger and the antihero. Femme fatale archetype is best for those who want to read about a strong female character. The femme fatale in raymond chandlers the big sleep annkathrin deininger seminar paper american studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term. That means, your good character should have a dark streak to seem believable, and your villain must have a good side to be reasonable. Pokemon has quite a few characters that can be described as femme fatales like mistykasumis sisters and the beauty trainer class. The obvious answer is that they are among the most memorable fictional characters ever created, possibly the most memorable female characters, period. Irene adler is the only woman to ever have outwitted sherlock holmes femme fatale book. The 20 greatest femme fatales in american cinema taste.
Book one death chases me ed brubaker and sean phillips. In the novel, sam spade, the main character, is attracted to three. How to create the perfect seductress in fiction the. Having turned odysseuss men into pigs, the lovely sorceress beckons the hero into her bed in. The femme fatale is one of the female character types that can often be seen wearing opera gloves, especially in conjunction with her sexy evening gowns, and, during the daytime particularly in old film noir movies, is often seen wearing a fascinator or pillbox hat with a partial or fullface veil. Dear sweet, tiny, scrawny aimee, she is a femme fatale of the first order. Some of the characters in the comic series include femme, the protagonist, and doctor jackal, the antagonist. Authors tend to deploy the femme fatale in signature fashion. Although the principal character is male, females are central to noir plots. A femme fatale is an irresistibly beautiful woman who uses her sexuality to seduce men and lure them into dangerous situations to serve her own selfish interests. A commentary of bram stokers femme fatale in dracula. Peter swanson picks his five favourite fictional femme fatales.
Lynch plays with the role of femme fatale in other characters in the show, too. The femme fatale has traits within the noir style that typically provide a catalyst for the story. The femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film. Nellie bly is a minor character thankfully and sherlock holmes plays a satisfying supporting role. When damon carbone, the rightful heir to the italian mafia gets overthrown and betrayed by his own family, he is forced underground. But in the 1940s and 1950s there were female crime writers publishing often pseudonymously provocative novels of the female experiencein particular the anxieties of preandpost. Aug 07, 2016 it is the sexual deviancy of the femme fatale that makes her the rebellious figure, lashing against traditional domesticity. Nov 27, 2012 the femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film. The characterisations of femme fatales such as phyllis dietrichson double indemnity and matty walker body heat, are as enigmatic as they are entertaining, while part of the fun for the viewer is to analyse their behaviour on repeat viewings, looking for. The way a character dresses can help sway someone to helping them or following their lead. Both beautiful and treacherous, these powerful women typically create pitfalls for other characters, most often the private eye, the protagonist. Femme fatale characters femme fatales are female characters who fit the role of a dangerous and sexy woman.
Whereas most female characters are doting or damsels, the femme fatale is seductive, in the most manipulative manner, and she. Feb 11, 2014 since many, if not most of the movies featuring a femme fatale are written by men, it seems fair to consider a jungian take on the character type, that it represents the negative aspect of the anima, more of a projection of how a woman appears to a man, rather than an objective reality. Nate wright loves the comic series, and describes it as the best comic in the universe. Attractive, seductive, charming, manipulative and dangerous. Some of the most famous costumes used by femme fatale characters are looked at as being exceedingly sexy and sometimes border on the nsfw category. Double indemnity femme fatale films from literature.