Is Amy a "Femme Fatale" Figure in Modern Times?
Amy Dunne is a character that carries a great deal of controversy everywhere. Her actions in the novel and film are bold and different to how most women are portrayed. People either view her as a strong independent female character, who does whatever she has to to get her way in the world, while others view her as a psychotic woman using a man to motivate her actions.
Nonetheless, Amy's character is not one frequently seen in the literary or film world. Amy strategizes and plans her every move with meticulous attention to detail. Even when things don’t go according to plan, Amy figures out a way to not only maneuver around obstacles but also make them her strengths. A female character is rarely ever portrayed in such a complex (and evil) light that somehow demands sympathy from her audience (in the context of the story as well as the audience in reality) and feeds off of that sympathy to further her plans.
Though unique, Amy could be argued to align with the “Femme Fatale” figure, which puts this intricate character full of surprises and twists into a box. This character was very famous during the rise of the Film Noir.
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, there are two definitions of a Femme Fatale:
- a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations.
- a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery.
The Femme Fatale character usually acts solely to disrupt a man’s life, and as stated in the definition above, she attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery. This is true in some instances in Gone Girl; however the major differing factor is that Amy understands this character trope and manipulates it to her own ends.
References:
Forouzan, Elham, and David J. Cooke. “Figuring Out a Femme Fatale: Conceptual and Assessment Issues Concerning Psychopathy in Females.” Behavioral Sciences & the Law, vol. 23, no. 6, 2005, pp. 765–778., doi:10.1002/bsl.669.