Undergraduate Dissertation Trabajo Fin de Grado The erotic thriller of the 1980s and 1990s: Examining the sexuality of the psychopathic woman in Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct ​ ​ ​ Author Yulyana Basurhina Supervisor Beatriz Oria Gómez FACULTY OF ARTS 2017 Abstract This essay explores the figure of the psycho femme fatale in Fatal Attraction (1987) and ​ ​ Basic Instinct (1992), focusing mostly on how the conservatism of the 80s and 90s and the backlash against independent women affected their representation in the erotic thriller of the end of the century. The essay will also examine the sexuality of the female psychopath as her main weapon to seduce men, as well as what this dangerous sexuality symbolizes in the erotic thriller genre. Firstly, the essay will comment on the figure of the femme fatale in the erotic thriller as a product of the backlash ideology of ​ the last decades of the 20th century. Secondly, it will analyze two different types of ​ psycho women, taking as an example Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) and Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) and focusing on their sexuality and psychopathic characterization as dangerous for men. Key words: Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, erotic thriller, backlash, sexuality. ​ ​ Resumen El objetivo de este ensayo es explorar la figura de la mujer psicópata en las películas Atracción Fatal (1987) e Instinto Básico (1992), centrándose principalmente en cómo el ​ conservadurismo de los años 80 y 90 y la reacción ideológica contra las mujeres independientes afectó a su representación en el thriller erótico de la época. El ensayo examinará la sexualidad de la psicópata como arma principal para seducir a los hombres, así como lo que esta “peligrosa” sexualidad simboliza en el género del thriller erótico. En primer lugar, el ensayo se centrará en la figura de la mujer fatal como producto del ya mencionado “backlash” de finales del siglo XX. A continuación, se analizarán dos tipos diferentes de mujeres psicópatas, tomando como ejemplo a Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) y Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) y centrándose en su sexualidad y caracterización psicopática como amenaza para los hombres. Palabras Clave: Atracción Fatal, Instinto Básico, thriller erótico, “backlash”, ​ ​ sexualidad. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS *Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..3 1. Backlash: the situation of women ● Socio-cultural context of the 80s and 90s……………………....…………….5 ● Backlash in films………………………………………………………………7 2. The Erotic Thriller of the 80s/90s ● The neo-crime/noir thriller: sex meets crime …………...…………………..9 ● The neo-femme fatale: sex and crime meet the feminine…………….…….11 3. The femme fatale/ psycho woman ● Catherine Tramell and Alex Forrest as seductive psychopaths….…....….13 ● Fatal desire and the commodification of fatal femininity………………….23 *Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...25 *Works cited…………………………………………………………………………..27 *Films cited…………………………………………………………………………....28 2 Introduction: The femme fatale is a very attractive figure, both for critics and the general public at ​ ​ large. This attractiveness is arguably based, at least in part, on its controversial characterization. The construction of the femme fatale is connected to historical, social, ​ political and psychological issues. She is a complex figure, the product of two contradictory forces: the advances of second-wave feminism and the backlash ideology of the 1980s and early 1990s. "A powerful counterassault on women's rights", this is how Faludi defines backlash (9), a powerful movement against women that appeared in the 1980s and affected negatively the representation of women in the media. The rise of second-wave feminism during the 60s and 70s gave women significant victories in the achievement of power. This rising power became more visible in the 70s and even more noticeable in the 80s, when women started to be more independent and liberated from men. More and more women decided to focus on their careers and put their jobs ahead of family and marriage, something that patriarchy was not ready to accept. Another effect of women's liberation was the so-called “masculinity crisis”. Men felt intimidated by the growing independence of women. All this needed to be stopped. As a consequence, the media, and more specifically the press, started to spread the false message that single career women were less happy than married women. The erotic thriller uses the character of the femme fatale, who is basically a ​ ​ product of this backlash and the masculinity crisis. She embodies all male fears and anxieties, but at the same time men cannot resist this “fatal attraction” towards this sexy, but deadly, woman. The femme fatale resists patriarchy, she does whatever she ​ wants and sleeps with whoever she wants. And this is why she is usually punished or 3 even killed. The main idea in these films is that the woman who goes against the rules must be punished, and women dedicated to their family must be rewarded. Basic Instinct (1992) and Fatal Attraction (1987) are two of the most ​ ​ ​ ​ successful and critically acclaimed erotic thrillers of all time. Fatal Attraction is ​ directed by Adrian Lyne, and tells the story of Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), who meets the seductive Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) while his wife, Beth, (Anne Archer) is away. Dan and Alex have an affair and when Beth comes back, he wants to break up with Alex. But this is something that Alex is not going to accept. This film caused a huge impact, as audiences flocked to cinemas to watch the terrible consequences of casual sex with dangerous women. Basic Instinct, directed by Paul Verhoeven, stars Michael Douglas again, this ​ time as Nick Curran, a detective investigating a murder. The prime suspect is Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a cold and beautiful novelist with an insatiable sexual appetite. Falling for Catherine, Nick enters the world of the psycho woman. This film caused an even greater stir. Never before had the audience seen such explicit and graphic sex scenes. The figure of Catherine Tramell was especially controversial: some saw her extreme sexuality as the epitome of second-wave feminism, while others viewed her as another product of the backlash ideology. The aim of this essay is to explore how the backlash shaped the negative representation of the independent woman in the erotic thriller of the 1980s and 1990s as a psychopath who uses her sexuality as a weapon. Many films depicted a new kind of dangerous woman, but the representation of these mad women varies depending on the film's ideology. This essay will analyze and compare two different types of female psychopaths in the most popular erotic thrillers of the genre’s heyday, focusing mainly 4 on their sexuality and psychosis in connection with the backlash ideology. I will start by contextualizing what Susan Faludi calls “the backlash against independent women” as well as how it was introduced in Hollywood cinema. I will also explain the conventions of the erotic thriller and the role the femme fatale plays in it. Finally, I will analyze the ​ ​ sexuality and psychopathic characterization of Alex Forrest and Catherine Tramell. 1. Backlash: the situation of women ● Socio-cultural context of the 1980s and 1990s With the advent of Second-wave feminism, women attained important victories in their path towards equality. But then, in the early 80s, another message emerged and it was spread everywhere: women had never been seen so miserable, and it was because of their recently achieved freedom. Professional and single women were exposed to constant mistreatment and criticism on TV, in magazines and advertisements. The media openly stated that women were slaves of their own liberation and the blame was on feminism. When Reagan came to power, it was the beginning of highly conservative years. Reagan’s political agenda consisted in promoting "family values", a nostalgic return to the ideal marriage and stereotypical female roles of the 1950s, in which women "willingly choose domestic identities" and "motherhood" (Leonard, 64). The government saw women's increasing power as a national problem. Susan Faludi denounces that "Reagan spokeswoman Faith Whittlesey declared feminism a "straitjacket" for women, in the White House’s only policy speech on the status of the American female population— entitled "Radical Feminism in Retreat"" (4). It was even considered that the increase of crimes committed by women during the 80s, was also the 5 result of feminism and women’s increased freedom. And what is even worse, the U.S. Attorney General's Commission blamed professional women for being responsible for rape incidents since their increased college and work attendance (public spaces) meant more chances to be raped (4). In addition, it was considered that women with high salaries were detrimental for the happy American family. Women were accused of having too much liberty, but the real situation of women in the 80s was far from equality and true freedom. Women were still facing sex discrimination in the work sphere and were suffering from domestic violence, which was not seen as a crime in many states in the U.S (6). While society, especially men, called them "liberated women", women saw themselves differently. And in the late 80s women’s fight for equality had just started. Faludi defines the backlash as "a powerful counterassault on women's rights", an attack on achievements and hard-won victories of the feminist movement (9). As a result of this backlash, American citizens became persuaded by this idea and saw women's independence as a source of contemporary social and personal problems, from depression to bad complexions. Male indignation, anger and misogyny were responsible for the emergence of the backlash movement. Men felt that the empowerment of women was threatening traditional patriarchal ideas. Some critics question whether the situation of women in the 21st century constitutes a backlash, or just a neverending resistance to women's ​ progress. It seems that this resistance and fear of female independence have always taken place in the American culture.