Femmes fatales en devenirs : les femmes vampires face à la domination masculine dans "Byzantium" (2012, Neil Jordan)
This master thesis is the opportunity to establish a short genealogy of vampire women on screen, highlighting how the figure of the vampire resonates with that of the femme fatale, since it is both a negative vision of the emancipated woman, while also providing a way to escape the traditional female model. Wondering if vampirism can be a source of emancipatory power for women, I analyze carefully Byzantium (2012, Neil Jordan). Through successive study of the two main characters, Clara and Eleanor, I show how the film resonates with the genealogy of vampire women established previously, as well as some feminist issues. Above all, the emphasis is on how the female characters are challenging male power, through the performance of stereotypes, for Clara, and through the takeover of the narrative, for Eleanor. Finally, I focus on how, through movements of becomings, these characters come out of the fatal cycle of masculinist oppression, which usually leads to the extinction of the female vampire at the end of the story, but here leads to an attempt at reconciliation between the sexes. My work is based on extensive research on the figure of the vampire, and women and gender studies relating to vampiric texts. I also rely on Judith Butler’s work, the deleuzian concept of “becoming”, and considerations on the gift by Derrida.
Domination masculine Femme fatale Women Male domination Stereotypes Becoming