Film Noir- Characters.

Characters:

Within a Film Noir film, there are certain characters we find, and almost certainly expect to see.

   Firstly, there is the "hero character"/ protagonist; full of moral ambiguity, his (normally a male) intentions and actions have more than one meaning, although the viewer automatically assumes its for "greater good". The protagonist may also be a detective, with other characters taking this role also. Already, from the word "detective" we are given a sense of crime, suspicion  and enigma, linking in to conventional themes and moods. 

   To counter act the "hero", a corrupt, bad rival character is often seen. Their associates may include gangsters, while the detective's includes cops. However, the characters and their personalities are not as clean cut as we think in a Film Noir. Not at all. If the viewer is to question the "good guys" actions, then surely we are to question the "bad guys"; do they have a family, or, sympathetic past? Yes, they normally do, adding to the enigma of the whole plot.

   Finally, another important character is the woman: 

Women in Film Noir:

   The conventional characteristics of film noir females can be characterised into three groups: The Femme Fatale, "Good Woman" and "Marrying type".

   The "Good Woman" portrays the traditional, stereotypical woman, and her "place" in society. However, she is particularly out of place in the lust, deceit and mystery of a film noir, and often loses the male protagonist's interest, and her key role, fading somewhat into the background over the empowering femme fatale. However, the good women is often a past memory or mirage to the protagonist, just at the back, possibly portraying that traditional marriage and a "good woman" is becoming less interesting and favourable in society. An example is the character Lily, in the 1946 film The Killers, in which she is dumped for Kitty Collins, the femme fatale.

   The "Marrying Type" is a female character with a very domesticated personality, hopeful for it to rub off onto the ambiguous male, conforming him to a traditional husband. They are also reluctant in their separation as they are so determined to achieve a "family image".  An example is in D.O.A. (1950) when  Frank Bigelow's fiancée, Paula doesn't want him to take a vacation alone. However, this is a hard task as the main character is neither all good or all bad. An example of the "marrying type" is Katie, wife to detective Sergeant Dave Bannion in the 1953 film The Big Heat.

   Finally, the pretty, glamorous love interest, otherwise known as the Femme Fatale ("An attractive and seductive woman, especially one who will ultimately bring disaster to a man who becomes involved with her"). The character name already hints that this woman is "fatal"! The character is very unconventional in the sense of being a "traditional" woman, instead opting for a glamorous and lustrous image, undoubtedly catching the eye of the protagonist. Clothing (long, silk dresses), low lighting and body language all come together to generate the femme fatale. The glamorous image also gives the character power and independence (though not always over men), as well as being a strong minded and willed woman. However, the femme fatale often resorts to destruction such as crime or murder in order for freedom. An example of a femme fatale, and the destruction she causes is Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944) who murders her own husband due to feeling unloved:  "I feel as if he was watching me. Not that he cares, not any more. But he keeps me on a leash so tight I can't breathe.".

Question: with the female archetypes outlined here, do you think that film noir is positive and progressive in its representation of women, or is it reinforcing male dominance and constructing/ perpetuating more traditional representations?

   With the female archetypes i have outlined, I think that film noir has elements of positive and progressive representation, as well as dominance and traditional representations towards women.
  I think this because such characters as the Marrying Type and the Good Woman are very domesticated and suit the ideal of the time period which is somewhat positive and evidently constructs more traditional representations. However, these characters are often pushed into the background or "hold back" the male protagonist (Mayying Type) becoming a less interesting and favourable character.
   However, this in contrast to the Femme Fatale, who represents progression in women as they do not conform to the stereotypes as well as enticing the male protagonist with their glamorous and lustrous ways. As the male protagonist falls for the Femme Fatale, film noir is possibly showing the change in power between men and women, as the women may be seen in this particular case, to have more dominance.