#2 - Femme Fatale

Murder, My Sweet (1944), Edward Dmytryk

"She wanted me to kiss her and find the jade necklace".

Claire Trevor (Velma Valento) - The lighting and use of shadow is particularly important. This type of lighting creates heavy shadows and contrast between areas of dark and light. The main "Femme Fatale" character is shown to be more seductive and deceptive. The use of slight shadow on her visible face gives the viewer the impression that she is hiding something but at the same time she appears less than mysterious. She is secretive and sexy, allowing her to trap men into her games. Her appearance seems angelic but as we realise her thoughts and actions turn the otherway round. She smokes creating a phallic symbol which gives her power and authority. Her white dress almost makes the viewer think she is pure and innocent but the lighting emphasises this in fact is not true.

Fallen Angel (1945) , Otto Preminger

"I'm not wasting my money. It's yours aswell. I don't care what you do with it. Burn it. Tear it. Do anything you want"

Stella (Linda Darnell) - it was revealed that the manipulative and slutty sexpot was stealing money from the diner's till and stuffing bills in her bra. This classic deceptive femme fatale character has all the stereotypical features such as the blonde hair, sexy movement and a mysterious look her to face. The way her body comes close to the male character but not touching emphasises the seduction she is trying to achieve. Her clothing reveals her body but not in an obvious way creating a sense of purity and disguise to her femme fatale personality.