Fatal Attraction

Fatal Attraction

1.

The use of mise-en-scene in Fatal Attraction pays tribute to the classical film noir through the use of décor, props, and costumes seen in the movie. The main use of mise-en-scene is through the use of costumes, especially those worn by the femme fatale. In the classical film noir, the femme fatale is mostly in bright, white clothing which shows her angelic beauty and innocence, which is often a constant of her true nature as a dangerous and mentally unstable woman who is capable of doing very bad things. In Fatal Attraction, the femme fatale, Alex is seen wearing white clothes in many scenes. The use of a white décor in the film, especially as seen in Alex’s apartment is another use of mise-en-scene in Fatal Attraction. The use of white costumes and décor also update the use of mise-en-scene in the film Fatal Attraction as the whiteness is used to show the blankness of the femme fatale, despite her busy life, and also her emotional emptiness.

The characters of Alex and Dan in Fatal Attraction refer to the classic film noir femme fatale and the male drifter since; Alex, through her white clothing and attractiveness, is a perfect representation of the femme fatale as seen in film noir. On the other hand, Dan can be seen as a male drifter who drifts away from his commitment to his wife and family and starts following the femme fatale and falls into her deadly claws, destined to ruin him, or bring him misery. He drifts from a perfect life with a good wife and a kid and follows a lost and damaged person, Alex, the femme fatale of the film. At the same, time, the characters of the two, update the characters of the male drifter and the femme fatale, in which the male drifter has a family of his own but drifts outside his marriage, which is different from the classical film noir where the male drifter has no home of his own. On the other hand, the femme fatale has a career of her own, which is different from the classical film noir where the femme fatale is just a housewife.

2.

In the film, Fatal Attraction, the use of mise-en-scene can be seen from the use of various techniques in décor, and costumers. In the film, the femme fatale, just like in the classical film noir, is mostly in white. She is also attractive and has a sexual aura that the male drifter seems not to be able to resist. Additionally, her apartment is white, which shows the calm an orderly nature of her life, which is contradictory to her actual nature of disorder and chaos. The film also updates the use of mise-en-scene in classical film noir especially from the use of the small spaces. Dan’s apartment with his wife and child is small and congested, which shows the changing times of the urban milieu where spaces are small due to the huge numbers of people living in these areas.

The characters of Dan and Alex as the male drifter and the femme fatale in Fatal Attraction also helps to identify the film as a film noir. Dan’s character as a man who falls for the sexual innuendos of Alex, who eventually entraps him is the perfect representation of the male drifter as seen in the film noir genre. On the other hand, Alex’s attractive appearance and her seemingly calm nature is the perfect representation of the femme fatale’s character as seen in film noir. On the other hand, the film also updates these characters as the femme fatale is an independent woman who seemingly does not need any man to survive. On the other hand, the male drifter has a family and responsibilities as he has a home and a job to go to, which is different from the character of the male drifter in classical film noir.

3.

The use of mise-en-scene in the film, Fatal Attraction is mainly through the use of décor and costumers in which white color is the main color associated with the femme fatale character. In the film, Alex is mainly seen wearing white clothes which just like in the classical film noir, is used to highlight her attractiveness and her innocence, which typically, is not her actual character trait. Alex, the femme fatale in Fatal Attraction, wear white clothing which reflects and refract the light and emotions of others. Despite being an independent woman, she does not have a sense of self as the audience cannot tell her personal feelings or thoughts, which is an update of the femme fatale character in film noir. Also, the use of small congested places in the film suggests that the city is crowded from many people now living in the cities.

Apart from the use of the mise-en-scene, the characters of both the femme fatale and the male drifter help to identify the film as a film noir. Typically, in film noir, the femme fatale entices the male drifter with her sexual attractiveness, and the male drifter falls for these advances and in the end, gets entrapped by the femme fatale. This characteristic is well established in the film, using Alex’s ability to control and manipulate Dan. On the other hand, Dan, despite having a wife and a kid, falls for Alex’s trap. The characters of Alex and Dan also update the characters of femme fatale and the male drifter. In Fatal attraction, Dan, the male drifter, has a home of his own and even has a wife and a kid, which is not the same in the classical film noir where the male drifter has no home or any loved one. On the other hand, the femme fatale is an independent woman with a career, and this is different from the classical film noir, where the femme fatale has no career and is idle and bored.

4.

In the 1987 film noir, Fatal Attraction, the use of mise-en-scene is employed throughout the film mainly using the décor and costumes. Just as in most film noir, the femme fatale, who in this case is Alex, mostly dresses in white clothes. The white clothes help to portray her angelic innocence, which is often far from her true nature as a manipulative and seductive woman. At first, she appears to be innocent and fragile, but later on, her real character as a dangerous woman is revealed. This film also updates the use of mise-en-scene in film noir using the small spaces seen in most of the film’s settings. For instance, Dan’s apartment with his wife and kid is very small and congested, which shows the new state of cities where there are small spaces due to the huge population in the cities, as people began crowding in the cities in the 1980s.

In the film, Alex and Dan refer to the classic film noir of the characters of the femme fatale and the male drifter. Alex represents the attractive woman whom the male drifter, Dan develops an attraction to and falls for her advances, which later on leads to serious outcomes. Similar to the femme fatale in classical film noir, Alex is seen as a woman with an unhealthy mental condition that leads her to do unexpected things in order to get Dan. Dan also represents the male drifter in classical film noir as he falls into the trap of the femme fatale. The characters of Alex and Dan somehow updates the characters if the male drifter and the femme fatale in classical film noir. Dan has a job and a family, which is not seen in the male drifter in classical film noir and he is often a wanderer, with no home and no family. On the other hand, Alex has a career and is independent, which is not seen in the character of the femme fatale in classical film noir.

5.

The use of mise-en-scene in Fatal Attraction is mainly through the use of costumes, décor, and setting. In the film, the femme fatale, just like in the classical film noir, wears white clothes. Additionally, her apartment is mostly white. Alex wears white clothes which are associated with her attractiveness and seemingly innocent nature. The white décor in her apartment shows order and calmness, which is in contrast to the true nature of the femme fatale of being mentally unstable and dangerous. The whiteness is a representation of the femme fatale’s hypocrisy, and this acts as an update of the use of mise-en-scene in showing the character of the femme fatale. Additionally, the use of small spaces and crowded rooms updates the use of mise-en-scene in film noir, showcasing the new times when many people moved to the cities during the 1980s.

Alex and Dan refer to the classic film noir of the characters of the femme fatale and the male drifter. In film noir, the femme fatale entices the male drifter with her sexual attractiveness, and the male drifter falls for these advances and in the end, gets entrapped by the femme fatale. This characteristic is well established in the film, using Alex’s ability to control and manipulate Dan. Dan can be seen as a male drifter who drifts away from his commitment to his wife and family and starts following the femme fatale and falls into her deadly claws, destined to ruin him, or bring him misery. He drifts from a perfect life with a good wife and a kid and follows a lost and damaged person, Alex, the femme fatale of the film. What serves as an update of the male drifter and the femme fatale characters in the fact that Dan, has a job, home, and a family, as opposed to the lonely nature of the male drifter in classical film noir. Alex also has a career and is independent, which is different from the classic film noir femme fatale character who is dependent on a man.