The seductress is one of the great roles in cinema. Who wouldn’t want to play the girl that all the guys want, and can manipulate any situation in her favour? We’ve found our 11 favourites.

As a great man said, “this is not ‘Nam Smokey, this is bowling. There are rules”. So what are the rules here?

1. We are looking for the Seductresses. We are not looking for “The Sexiest Actresses Ever!!!” or “Hot Babes of Cinema!!!!!!!!!”. This ain’t no tabloid sleaze. We are looking for seductresses, they have to seduce the other characters in their film, and us as an audience. They might be classic femme fatale’s, they might be manipulative leading ladies, but they all have a charm. This is all about allure, and nothing to do with sex appeal. The rule with horror films is that it is sometimes what you don’t see that scares you. With seductresses, it is often what you don’t see that lures the audience in.

2. The character has to be sympathetic. The audience might well be pleased when they get their just desserts, but a part of you has to want them to get away with whatever they are trying to get away with.

3. Your seductress has to have an evil streak in her. She doesn’t have to be a villain, but you just don’t get good girl seductresses.

Our top 11 are…

Elsa Bannister - The Lady From Shangai (1947)

Rita Hayworth had a number of fantastic seductress roles in her time, and arguably the most famous was as Gilda, in the film of the same name. So why haven’t we picked that one? How do you make an actress renowned for her femme fatale roles, even more alluring? Cast her opposite her husband- Orson Welles. Welles directed the film, and cast his wife in the role of Elsa- the eponymous Lady- in late 1946. Throughout the shooting of the film, the couple were arguing and showing signs that their marriage was not a happy one. By the time of the US release in 1948 they were estranged. Welles is a likable everyman, but Hayworth’s portrayal of Bannister is feisty, vulnerable and manipulative all at the same time. As a side note, this film is cited by conspiracy theorists as proof that Welles knew (or was) the killer of Elizabeth Short (aka the Black Dahlia), as there are several scenes alleged to have been cut from this film, which mirrored real events in the infamous 1947 killing.

Brigid O’Shaughnessy - The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Mary Astor’s portrayal of the desperate woman in need has been the template for Hollywood Femme Fatale’s for the last seven decades. Her performance mixes a desperate need for guidance (from Bogard’s Sam Spade) and a ruthless calculation perfectly. She gives the role the sass that would become the staple of the 1940’s and 50’s leading lady. How many actresses in the last 50 years could genuinely be described as being “sassy”?

Bridget Gregory - The Last Seduction (1994)

John Dahl’s The Last Seduction is arguably the first Feminist Film Noir to make the mainstream, but that is not to say that Linda Fiorentino’s performance is any less seductive. Fiorentino plays the wife of a drug dealer, who decides to steal his money and have some fun. The character of Bridget Gregory is so completely in control of her situation, and the men around her (notably Mike Gregory) that it is difficult to dislike her, even when she is involved in murder and blackmail. Unlike many of the other characters on this list, Gregory never relies on a facade of sweetness or innocence. She takes what she wants (including Mike Gregory, memorably) and manipulates every situation to her advantage.

Catherine - Jules et Jim (1962)

Jeanne Moreau’s Catherine is the free spirited woman who comes between lifelong friends, Jules and Jim. Catherine is far from the typical femme fatale, and is initially as likable (if not more so) as either of her two suitors. This doesn’t stop her from being manipulative, and if there is anything we can learn from this list, “hell hath no fury like…”

Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton - Vertigo (1958)

Despite the dark subject matter of the majority of Hitchcock’s films, it is remarkable how many of them have an autobiographical angle to them. Vertigo is just one of such films, as it is suggested that Hitchcock, just like Jimmy Stewart’s character, was obsessed with his leading ladies and with defining their look. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that Hitchcock only ever wrote one part for his female characters, and worked it into each of his films. Kim Novak played the part of Madeleine Elster - who is the object of “Scottie” Ferguson’s obsession - and Judy Barton - the woman who Ferguson tries desperately to transform into his lost love. Novak is not the traditional seductress in either role, as she is first the object of affection and then obsession. What makes her so alluring is we are never sure just how much she is aware of what she is doing to Ferguson.

Matty Walker - Body Heat (1981)

Despite the fact that the “erotic thriller” has become synonymous with seedy, sub standard films (see Body of Evidence, In The Cut, Poison Ivy), there was a time when the genre was genuinely new. Body Heat was one of the first films to inhabit the post-modern “cinema world” that directors like Quentin Tarantino love so much, as it is set in both modern 1981, and the classic 1940’s and 50’s era of film noir. Kathleen Turner plays the role of Matty Walker, who seduces Ned Racine (played by William Hurt), and convinces him to kill her rich husband. Lawrence Kasdan (credited with co-writing Empire Strikes Back handles Turner’s femme fatale perfectly, and portrays her as an even more forthright, sexually aggresive version of…

Phyllis Dietrichson - Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity is arguably the archetypal Film Noir, and it is hardly surprising considering the three writers involved were Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain. Phyllis Dietrichson was portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck, herself no stranger to tangled relationships - she was alleged to have had lesbian affairs with Patsy Kelly and Tallullah Bankhead, while her husband Robert Taylor romanced Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. Her Dietrichson is beautiful, dangerous, calculating and completely seductive.

Kathryn Merteuil - Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions might not be the best film on this list, but Sarah Michelle Geller’s modern version of the Marquise de Merteuil is as delightfully wicked as anyone else we have mentioned. She even manages to out-evil Glen Close, who played the Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liasons a decade earlier.

Cora Smith - The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

We have seen the plot to this film several times on this list - woman seduces man into killing her husband - the ending of this film is entirely different. Cora Smith was portrayed by Jessica Lange 35 years later, and while both versions have their own merits, Lana Turner’s Cora is more vulnerable, seductive and completely evil. Lana Turner was never better.

Jessica Rabbit - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

And why not. One part Veronica Lake, one part Kathleen Turner.

Sylvia - Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Monica Bellucci plays the role of Sylvia in Christophe Gans’ Horror-Mystery. Sylvia is an Italian prostitute who is far more involved than she appears. The film itself tells the (true) story of suspicious killings in 18th century France, by what appeared to be a wolf. The role of Syvia introduced Bellucci to Hollywood as a leading lady, and she has never been as seductive as here.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 by Thom Watt and is filed under Film Texpertise, Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.