By reading the first three chapters of "Double Indemnity" by James M. Cain, I got a better understanding of the term Femme Fatales. "Femme fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women" (Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles” handout).
The book beginning with Walter Huff, successful insurance salesman who goes visits one of his client concerning renewing their policy. Instead of seeing his client, he finds himself with his client’s wife, Phyllis Nirdlinger. It's clear that Phyllis has the character of a femme fatales in this story. She convinces Mr. Huff to help her plan an accidently murder for her husband to collect some money from the insurance by seducing Mr. Huff. And of course Mr. Huff falls into her trap and helps her by giving her ideas (page 22).
This is a perfect example of a femme fatales character because she will use her brains and body to get what she wants. Phyllis really doesn’t know how to plan the murder so she uses Mr. Huff (who knows the policy to gain money from his company) to plan the kill. She acts like she is "trustworthy and loving women" who don’t know what she is doing. She want Mr. Huff to believe that he was everything in his hands when reality she is the one playing him.
The "mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative" woman that she is (Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles”).
Phillis is the perfect femme fatales charter so fall because she got the job done. "New type of woman, manipulative and hard bitten as her environment, ready to trade shots with anyone…" (Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton “Towards a Definition of Film Noir,” from handout sheet " Notes on Film Noir").
Femme Fatale = Black Widow
Phillis is the perfect femme fatales charter so fall because she got the job done. "New type of woman, manipulative and hard bitten as her environment, ready to trade shots with anyone…" (Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton “Towards a Definition of Film Noir,” from handout sheet " Notes on Film Noir").
Femme Fatale = Black Widow
Yes I definetly agree that she is a perfect Black Widow but as you can see from our reading Walter Huff isn't so stupid he knows that she used him and that anytime she can use it against him that's why he's taking the nessicary precautions to find out what keyes is planing to do and counter act that with Phillys so to keep his own alibi safe so they won't know that he was in on the whole thing but yes i defenitly agree Phillys is the mastermind.
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