Who are some of the great femme fatale characters in spy stories. While the archetype dates back to the age of cleopatra, what does it mean to be a femme fatale in the 21 st century. Although the principal character is male, females are central to noir plots. Pokemon has quite a few characters that can be described as femme fatales like mistykasumis sisters and the beauty trainer class. Entity mag women that do inspire, educate, empower the history of the femme fatale. Ah, the femme fatale, one of the greatest literaryturnedfilm archetypes still being used today. Apr 02, 2017 the femme fatale character type is one of the greatest examples of this, next to the lone ranger and the antihero. Gretchen isnt always beautiful or alluring, but she is alwaysalwayslooking for a weakness to exploit, or a nice soft place to stick a knife. The character of the femme fatale has always intrigued me. Needless to say, thats what originally attracted me to this book. Until you earn points all your submissions need to be vetted by other comic vine users. Some of the characters in the comic series include femme, the protagonist, and doctor jackal, the antagonist.
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. In greek myths, there were sirens enticing sailors into shipwrecks, and today there are aliens in. However, i personally feel elesa is the best example. Attractive, seductive, charming, manipulative and dangerous. Ada wong is the mysterious longlegged femme fatale of the resident evil franchise. Darth talon, delilah, lady luck, catwoman, and mileena. 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. A beautiful, seductive, but ultimately villainous, woman who uses the malign power of her sexuality in order to ensnare the hapless hero into danger. Hey, i am writing a story about a young woman in the 1940same or 50s, not sure yet looking for the perfect lover.
This is cains last novel, and his femme fatale protagonist is a classic. One of the earliest femmes fatales in western literature is also one of. Lynch plays with the role of femme fatale in other characters in the show, too. Femme fatale characters femme fatales are female characters who fit the role of a dangerous and sexy woman. Red, femme fatale by nbashowtimeonnbc on deviantart inspiration.
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. The top 11 femme fatales in fiction observation deck. Stokers femme fatale in dracula a commentary by ashley smiles in bram stokers dracula, the ultimate femme fatale is born. Authors tend to deploy the femme fatale in signature fashion. Gone girl by gillian flynn was a masterful resurrection and flipping of the femme fatale trope. Many characters from comics fit the bill for one or both of these definitions, from catwomans cat and mouse routine with batman all. Ross macdonald treats his female characters much more sympathetically and psychologically. For this list, were looking at female tv characters that are smoking hot, seductive, and would kill you in a heartbeat. They are femme fatales that is, no man who becomes involved with them emerges unscathed. The police dont believe pen and she sets out to prove shes right.
The figure of the femme fatale, a french term meaning deadly woman. Here the author discusses the enduring appeal of the femme fatale fatale. Project muse the femme fatale in american literature. Cleopatra was a femme fatale who ultimately fell in her own web when the romans outsmarted her. The femme fatale in raymond chandlers the big sleep. Josie packard, so seemingly fragile, turns out to be a classic coldblooded femme fatale, responsible for the death of her husband. I love the concept of a ghost helping to solve mysteries and kimberly does a good job of pushing boundaries. She is generally portrayed as cold and calculating but tends to soften when her mission comes into conflict with leon s.
This is no spoiler, she kills off a guy in the woods in the opening pages. Rocky and bullwinkle s natasha fatale, a curvaceous spy, takes her name from the femme fatale stock character. Peter swanson picks his five favourite fictional femme fatales. This book explores the origins of the femme fatale, women who seduce men to their downfall. Nellie bly is a minor character thankfully and sherlock holmes plays a satisfying supporting role. Femme fatality is a comic book series by brad linsky that nate is addicted to. And if her plans fall awry, she will rather kill herself than lose her power. The femme fatales are a fictional group of female characters appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. 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. 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. For some stories, more charactery names may be in order so for a femme fatale, a sexy name. Brigid is the femme fatale in the book, promising him sensuality and wealth. 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. Sheridan le fanus tale of a female vampire predates dracula and established.
The femme fatale has traits within the noir style that typically provide a catalyst for the story. In the novel, sam spade, the main character, is attracted to three. Marie slim browning, the sultry american pickpocket. A femme fatle is a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations by an aura of. Whereas most female characters are doting or damsels, the femme fatale is seductive, in the most manipulative manner, and she. Know your history be femme fatale femmes fieres et debout. The following list contains some oldfashioned femme fatales, some contemporary takes on the character, and a few gals that are just plain evil. Gone girl and other brilliant novels that have the. Femme fatale is the french phrase for fatal woman and shes known as a maneater. 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. Dear sweet, tiny, scrawny aimee, she is a femme fatale of the first order. Something about taking hookss approach makes rereading cain more fun. This is because a typical femme fatale is deceitful.
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. Whereas most female characters are doting or damsels, the femme fatale is seductive. One of the earliest femmes fatales in western literature is also one of the few to be tamed. 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. Nov 27, 2012 the femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film.
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. Shes flimsy in her way of going about finding it, using men for their money and privileges. 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. Jun 16, 2017 while the backstabber is cold and calculative, the femme fatale is impulsive and impatient. 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. However, film noir disappeared, and so did this type of character.
We soon learn she started her spree a few years previous. Joan medford, the cocktail waitress noir master james m. 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. Physical characteristics depictions of women in film noir. It is the typecast role of a seductive and mysterious woman, whose personalty remains hard to. What is it that inspired you to create such a character. Aug 07, 2016 it is the sexual deviancy of the femme fatale that makes her the rebellious figure, lashing against traditional domesticity. Oct 23, 2019 lynch plays with the role of femme fatale in other characters in the show, too. December 6, 2019, hulu vengeance has been a staple on. 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. 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. This exploration includes the image of the femme fatale in history, literature, art, and feminism.
Forgive me for giving in to elitism, but personally, the best 2 femme fatales would be. The 20 greatest femme fatales in american cinema taste. They are often depicted as antagonists to the superhero character spiderman and captain america. Somehow knights are especially susceptible to the spellbinding charms. Femme fatale archetype is best for those who want to read about a strong female character. Book one death chases me ed brubaker and sean phillips. 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.
Best femme fatale characters classic horror film board. Double indemnity femme fatale films from literature. How to create the perfect seductress in fiction the writing. 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. Hitchcocks icy blondes mike yeulett january 9, 20 alfred hitchcock provided audiences with entertainment over a fifty year career in the film industry. No matter how one interprets the femme fatale, clearly there is a not so veiled subtext at work.
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. Both beautiful and treacherous, these powerful women typically create pitfalls for other characters, most often the private eye, the protagonist. 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. One piece in the arsenal of a femme fatale is the characters attire. Femme fatales are female characters who fit the role of a dangerous and sexy woman. The baron is simply a great character and their interactions are quite humorous in a twisted way. The cocktail waitress is narrated by the title character, who does seem to have a habit of losing husbands not just misplacing them, either. The obvious answer is that they are among the most memorable fictional characters ever created, possibly the most memorable female characters, period.
Evelyn salt any spy, male of female has nearly the same capabilities. Essay about femme fatales of english literature 3625 words. Im also trying to leave out the py galore kind, who arent genuinely bad or never were. Take, for example, cains second most famous femme fatale, cora papadakis in double indemnity. Characters youll love or hate in the femme fatale thriller reprisal premiere date.
Femme fatales of english literature 3740 words 15 pages. Nate wright loves the comic series, and describes it as the best comic in the universe. They just have this sex appeal about them that i find hard to resist. We all love strong female characters who arent above using their. 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. This character type has played out in many movies over the years, as well as books. My five favorite femme fatales in fiction novel suspects. When damon carbone, the rightful heir to the italian mafia gets overthrown and betrayed by his own family, he is forced underground. He now lives his life in the shadows as the notorious assassin, il mietitore, gaining the skills necessary to take b. What do scarlett ohara, erica kane, and the wife of bath have in common.
Since the dawn of film noir, seductive female characters have been the cause of twists and turns in a multitude of ways. Femmes fatales also appear frequently in comic books. Having turned odysseuss men into pigs, the lovely sorceress beckons the hero into her bed in. In real life we hate such womenbut in fiction we find them irresistible. The way a character dresses can help sway someone to helping them or following their lead. 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. The plot of the comics have never been revealed, but it can be assumed that it is very actionoriented. 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. Mickey spillanes mike hammer novels are filled with buxom blonde killers.
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. A commentary of bram stokers femme fatale in dracula. A femme fatale sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious. Alternately beguiling, vulnerable and terrifying, rachel is a classic femme fatale, played with cool relish by weisz.
The origin of femme fatales in the movies the studio exec. Irene adler is the only woman to ever have outwitted sherlock holmes femme fatale book. 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. Ultimate alliance, femme fatales is a team bonus for any fourperson combination of storm, elektra, spiderwoman, invisible woman, and ms. The femme fatale character type is one of the greatest examples of this, next to the lone ranger and the antihero. The greatest modern femme fatales in movies zimbio. 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. The 10 greatest movie femme fatales of the 21st century. 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. It wont be an easy task, but luckily she has the ghost of pi jack shepard to help her.
That, and the fact that femme fatale is a brazen book. The femme fatale in raymond chandlers the big sleep annkathrin deininger seminar paper american studies literature publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term. Since we talked mostly about femme fatales in class, i focused mainly on the one introduced in last weeks film, double indemnity. A random femme fatale for a film noir based on a picture of angelina jolie that screamed noir.
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. The femme fatale is an old and oft implemented archetype in film. This was not the case in mainstream film where female roles were most commonly defined by their relationships to men eg. Women appeared as characters in these novels as the femme fatale, a seductive woman who ultimately brings about the downfall of any man. Jul 27, 2018 these characters are more individuated and less archetypal in appearance and personality. That means, your good character should have a dark streak to seem believable, and your villain must have a good side to be reasonable. Fatale is actually a very funny book and you need to take it that way. Cains posthumous novel, finally published in 2012, is written from the femme fatales point of view. A woman who is just only deadly and or a killer is not a femme fatale. I have to say, i am really liking guys in the armed forces, whether it be marines, army, navy, etc. 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. 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.