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| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirius Huang | -- | 1823 | 2022-12-02 01:43:08 |
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A femme fatale (/ˌfæm fəˈtɑːl/ or /ˌfɛm fəˈtɑːl/; French: [fam fatal]), sometimes called a maneater, is a stock character of a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art. Her ability to enchant and hypnotise her victim with a spell was in the earliest stories seen as being literally supernatural; hence, the femme fatale today is still often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, vampire, witch, or demon, having power over men. In American early 20th century film, femme fatale characters were referred to as vamps, an allusion to their role as sexual vampires. The phrase is French for "fatal woman". A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure. In some situations, she uses lies or coercion rather than charm. She may also make use of some subduing weapon such as sleeping gas, a modern analog of magical powers in older tales. She may also be (or imply that she is) a victim, caught in a situation from which she cannot escape; The Lady from Shanghai (a 1947 film noir) is one such example. A younger version of a femme fatale is called a fille fatale, or "fatal girl". One of the most common traits of the femme fatale includes promiscuity and the "rejection of motherhood," seen as "one of her most threatening qualities since by denying his immortality and his posterity it leads to the ultimate destruction of the male." Femmes fatales are typically villainous, or at least morally ambiguous, and always associated with a sense of mystification, and unease.
References
- Mario Praz, The Romantic Agony, ch. IV, p. 199: La Belle Dame sans Merci (The Beautiful Lady without Mercy). London/New York, 1933–1951–1970 (Oxford University Press).
- Mario Praz (1970) The Romantic Agony. Oxford University Press: 199, 213–216, 222, 250, 258, 259, 272, 277, 282, 377
- C. G. Jung ed, Man and his Symbols (1978) p. 187
- Jill Scott, Electra after Freud (2005) p. 66
- Huysmans À rebours – Toni Bentley (2002) Sisters of Salome: 24
- Toni Bentley (2002) Sisters of Salome
- John T. Soister, American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929, McFarland, 2012, p.41
- Per the Oxford English Dictionary, vamp is originally English, used first by G. K. Chesterton, but popularized in the American silent film The Vamp, starring Enid Bennett
- "Vamp", Oxford English Dictionary; retrieved 30 December 2016 http://www.oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Vamp&_searchBtn=Search
- Johnston, Sheila (27 February 2009). "Whatever happened to the femme fatale?". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090228103849/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/whatever-happened-to-the-femme-fatale-1633088.html. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
- Ortiz, Erik. "Jodi Arias: Femme fatale or woman of faith? Jurors hear conflicting persona in murder trial as prosecutors play phone calls of Arias lying". http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/jurors-hear-conflicting-persona-jodi-arias-trial-article-1.1237319.
- "Jodi Arias Trial Update: Lawyer Reveals Femme Fatale Was Terrified During Sentencing". http://www.newseveryday.com/articles/13812/20150415/jodi-arias-scared-death-lawyer-reveals.htm. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- "Amanda Knox is no femme fatale, defence lawyer says". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15076916. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
