Steffon Swenson -- “Femme Fatale – Negotiations of Tragic Desire”
In her article, “Femme Fatale – Negotiations of Tragic Desire,” Elisabeth Bronfen attempts to unravel the origin of the femme fatale in film noir. Bronfen uses a “ . . . theme of fatal misrecognition, the consequences this entails . . .” to discuss an element of film noir, the femme fatale. The author uses the movie Double Indemnity as a guideline for her argument. In Double Indemnity, the femme fatale is Phyllis Dietrichson, an attractive woman who attempts to outsmart her husband’s insurance company.
Bronfen traces the choices made by Dietrichson through her facial expressions caught on camera. The author is able develop her own prediction of a tragic outcome based upon the different expressions and reactions of Dietrichson. The femme fatale exudes sexuality and confidence. Bronfen noted that the femme fatale is often possesses a certain manner of responsibility that will ultimately allow them to accept the tragic consequences that catches up with them.
After outlining the hard evidence behind her ideas of the femme fatale, Bronfen delves further into the feminist aspect of the femme fatale. When a female is the center of attention in a movie, it often draws into question the idea of gender differences. The femme fatale is in Bronfen’s opinion “ . . . a symptom within a male fantasy as well as in her function as a subject beyond male fantasy, the femme fatale emerges as a figure of tragic sensibility” (p.107). This means that first and foremost the femme fatale is simply a fantasy object and allows men to indulge in their own fetishes. When the femme fatale is seen a figure of tragic sensibility she accepts her own decisions and thus the consequences of her often radical pursuit. As Bronfen states, “ . . . the femme fatale successfully undermines the hegemonic morality of family values . . .even though she is punished in the end, her transgressions against masculine authority is what tarries in our memory” (p.113).
On the other hand, the femme fatale can be seen as a powerful woman. She can be seen as strong and confident as comfortable in her own skin. That in the end, the femme fatale can understand all the poor decisions she made and feel remorse. But, she still dies the tragic death. Bronfen noted that, “even while film noir offers a stage for the dangerous woman, embellishing her seduction and her desire for power, it also relentlessly plays through her demise” (p.113). At the end of it all, the threat of a female cannot overcome the male dominance of society.
Ultimately, it is up to the viewer to decide upon his or her own view of the femme fatale. Is she a symptom of male fantasy or an empowered woman? In my opinion, it is a little of both. During the peak of film noir, the 1940’s and 1950’s, women were just being to find their voice in society. By portraying women as strong, independent and confident the film industry was empowering women. However, I think this was also done at the expense of women, in that the femme fatale were often only at a certain place due to men. They needed men to do the ‘dirty work.’ In the end, the tragic demise of the femme fatale in Double Indemnity lead Bronfen to conclude that death was Dietrichson’s “mode of salvation” (p.116).