We decided to make our actress Kate Fox look as much like a typical femme fatale as possible. Therefore we dressed her in a tight black off-the-shoulder dress to emphasise her female figure and curled her hair. This glamorous look appeals to the male audience and was inspired by the following actresses : Mary Astor, Veronica Lake and Jane Greer.
Unlike the mysterious, double-crossing, predatory, irresponsible and manipulative femme fatales represented in old noir films, we chose to subvert the stereotype and represent Kate as defenseless and fragile. By placing her on the floor, the audience is made to feel puzzled and confused (why is this beautiful woman tied up?). Furthermore, when the murderer walks past her, we see how he is in control and has more dominance than her, this reversion of power subverts how femme fatales are typically shown in films i.e. instead of being manipulated BY her, she is the one BEING manipulated.
