What makes a film a film noir is a particular tone, mood or semantic elements that embody a particular outlook on life. The role of women in films has changed since the days of Film Noir, thanks to more opportunities within a film and also society, such as the characterization of the femme fatale and how it has transformed into neo-noir. In the classic film noir, the femme fatale never escapes justice, Elizabeth Cowie suggests that film noir is a genre with a sense of fantasy that shows how a film noir hero is a man who "suffers from alienation and desperation and is drawn by fatal and deceitful women." Andrew Spicer states that "the eruption of film noir, dark, cynical and often pessimistic stories into the sunny pastures of Hollywood, is a characteristically optimistic and life-affirming cinema." Film noir came into being due to the emergence of German expressionist cinema, incorporating the use of high-end cinematography to fit in with upcoming film noir crime thrillers. The role of the ambiguous woman is evident in the character of the femme fatale especially in Double Indemnity. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Double Indemnity is an example of the classic film noir with a stereotypical femme fatale, which simply translates into the danger of sexual differences. Suggesting how the man risks his desire for “spider women” which ultimately makes the fall of the male protagonist inevitable. The interaction between Walter and Phyllis follows James Damico's plot structure and his thoughts on character types within film noir; what follows shows how the man meets a not so innocent woman to whom he is fatally attracted, however leading her to betrayal. Damico also infers the point that the femme fatale is the antagonist of film noir, so in a classic piece like Double Indemnity, there is an element of justice where there is sometimes the metaphorical but usually literal destruction of the woman. Furthermore, Double Indemnity constructs the reality of the social order, the male universe of the insurance business that creates the problem of castration for the male in patriarchy. The women in this film, particularly Phyllis, are used as a "signifier of the lack of heterogeneity, the inherent flaw in patriarchy as order." This is further emphasized by Laura Mulvey, who contemplates “the female form evoking castration anxiety for the male.” Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This presents how this is a recurring theme in films, especially in Film Noir, the character of the femme fatale, like in Double Indemnity, uses this to their advantage to bring about the inevitable downfall of the male protagonist. Within Film Noir, women have not always been considered the antagonists, the seductive women who cause a male's distress. Works Cited Cowie, E. (1997). Representing women: cinema and psychoanalysis. University of Minnesota Press. Damico, J. (2001). A Method to Their Madness: The Story of the Actors Studio. Thunder's Mouth Press. Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Screen, 16(3), 6-18.Naremore, J. (1998). More than the night: film noir in its contexts. University of California Press.Spicer, A. (2002). Film Noir. Pearson Education.Sweeney, K. (2002). Celluloid Confessions: The Confidentiality Crisis in Film Noir. University of Minnesota Press. Telotte, J. P. (2008). Distant Technology: Science Fiction Films and the Machine Age. Wesleyan University Press.Vernet, M. (1997). Cinema and the narrative tradition. University of Texas Press.Weber, J. (2015). Film noir.