Dominatrix: Reclaiming the Femme Fatale
I have been working on my essay: "Dominatrix: Reclaiming the Femme Fatale or En[vision]ing a Space for the Theoretical Female Spectator in Post-modern Sadomasochistic Films" for a week straight, gone through over 20 books on feminist film discourse, film noir and the femme fatale, and just as many single articles. Need a break. But, the END is in site.
Here's my thesis statment:
The femme fatale of traditional cinema, as an image of representation, has been a contradictory feminist icon. On one hand she is an affirming symbol of female emancipation and independence: a ruthless dame who rejects patriarchal conventions and breaks taboos, a calculating she-bitch who is not afraid to do whatever it takes to get what she desires, even if it means murder. On the other hand, she is a negative image: the fetishized sexual object of male desire, a sinful seductress who uses her body and her sexual wiles to seduce men, who must be ultimately punished in the end.
This paper’s goal is to re-evaluate contemporary views of women both within and outside the film’s text. By tracing the femme fatale through various frameworks and discourses historically, culturally and socially, I will attempt to locate a positive and active female subject within the filmic text, as well as envisioning a real female spectator capable of cinematic viewing pleasure. I intend to illustrate my thesis using two neo noir, sadomasochistic films: Maria Beatty’s The Black Glove (1996), and Monika Treut’s Seduction: Cruel Woman (1989).
My Essay owes tribute to Katrien Jacob's excellent paper:
Masochism, or The Cruel Mother in Maria Beatty's Pornography that inspired me to write about a similar theme.
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You have done it whilst you pee.
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Here's my thesis statment:
The femme fatale of traditional cinema, as an image of representation, has been a contradictory feminist icon. On one hand she is an affirming symbol of female emancipation and independence: a ruthless dame who rejects patriarchal conventions and breaks taboos, a calculating she-bitch who is not afraid to do whatever it takes to get what she desires, even if it means murder. On the other hand, she is a negative image: the fetishized sexual object of male desire, a sinful seductress who uses her body and her sexual wiles to seduce men, who must be ultimately punished in the end.
This paper’s goal is to re-evaluate contemporary views of women both within and outside the film’s text. By tracing the femme fatale through various frameworks and discourses historically, culturally and socially, I will attempt to locate a positive and active female subject within the filmic text, as well as envisioning a real female spectator capable of cinematic viewing pleasure. I intend to illustrate my thesis using two neo noir, sadomasochistic films: Maria Beatty’s The Black Glove (1996), and Monika Treut’s Seduction: Cruel Woman (1989).
My Essay owes tribute to Katrien Jacob's excellent paper:
Masochism, or The Cruel Mother in Maria Beatty's Pornography that inspired me to write about a similar theme.
You Are 18% Pure
You have done it on live TV.
You have done it whilst you pee.
Dr. Seuss Purity Test
More Great Quizzes from Quiz Diva