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Alex Storer
Professor K. Klein
History 127
20 November 2001
Portrayal of Feminine Allure
The coming of World War II heralded a new era for women. As men left to fight
abroad, women were left to fill their void in the workplace. Familiar images such as
“Rosie the Riveter” radiated strength and competence, traits previously emphasized
primarily in men. As woman’s role in society broadened, new visions of attractiveness
developed to accommodate this unprecedented aspect of femininity. Henry Hawk’s
portrayal of women in The Big Sleep (Warner Brothers, 1946) highlights these changes
in social construction of female sexuality and appeal in the context of a male dominated
society.
To analyze the impact of women in the picture, one must examine Philip
Marlowe, the hero and epitome of masculinity. Throughout the film, Marlowe displays
the admirable qualities of a man: intelligence, strength and justice. Additionally,
Marlowe’s role as the hero of the film creates an example to which all men should strive.
He represents the goals and desires of men, and as such his behavior helps delineate the
position of women. Women constantly throw themselves at Marlowe, allowing him to
pick from a fairly wide selection. His choice of Vivian holds considerable weight in
determining the traits that make a woman popular. Marlowe’s interactions with all
women help elucidate the intricacies of 1940s feminine allure.
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Vivian Sternwood Rutledge makes the biggest impact on the hero, and therefore
represents the most appealing qualities of the day. From her initial introduction, Vivian
evokes an image quite unlike the stereotypical feminine mystique. To begin with, her
voice is deep and strong, even masculine, distinct from any past voice of sensuality.
Additionally, she presents herself in a manner quite different from the standard of the
day. Instead of wearing a dress or a skirt, Mrs. Rutledge wears slacks and a buttoned
down shirt, almost masculine attire, yet with an undeniable feminine quality. Her image
exudes strength with elegance, and she begins to demonstrate her capacity to handle any
task that may come her way. Vivian’s strength and masculinity reveal changes in
feminine construction, and by choosing her over other women in the film, Marlowe
reflects the importance of these traits. In her first scene with Marlow, she tries to coax
some important information out of him, knowing literally nothing about why he was
summoned. Exhibiting her sharp wit and keen sense of rhetoric, she deftly probes
Marlowe’s job, never directly revealing her intent to know his assignment. While she
never missteps, her intricate wordplay with Marlowe fails to gather information. This
subtle plot turn reinforces the strength and domination of the male gender. Although
women such as Vivian are growing more strong and capable, Marlowe still bests her in a
battle of the wits. Vivian’s introduction alone shines some light on the portrayal of
woman’s role in society and feminine allure in the film.
As the movie progresses, Vivian’s actions further demonstrate the qualities found
attractive in a woman. As he returns from Geiger’s house with an intoxicated Carmen,
Marlowe enters the house to see Norris standing as usual and Vivian in a sweeping
nightgown. Yet instead of asking Norris to help with Carmen, he puts the burden on
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Vivian, without regard to her gender or attire. Clearly, Marlowe has great faith in
Vivian’s abilities after only meeting her once, highlighting Vivian’s own strength and
independence. Conversely, the fact that Carmen landed herself in trouble and needed
saving reproduces the “damsel in distress” pattern of old. Yet even with ample
opportunity to begin a relationship with Carmen, he opts for her stronger older sister.
The fact that Vivian must also help with her sister only points to the magnitude of her
own strength, making her even more attractive to Marlowe. Later, Vivian finds herself in
Joe Brody’s apartment faced talking to Marlowe. Although Brody has a gun, Vivian and
Marlowe clearly dominate the exchange, with Vivian boldly chastising Brody and trying
to eject Marlowe. Only after Marlowe’s urging does Vivian sit and let him play out the
situation his way. Unafraid and undeniably confident, Mrs. Rutledge seizes the situation,
a trait Marlowe clearly values in her. Even so, her strength loses out to Marlowe’s, and
even without a show of brute force, he reinforces man’s historic dominance over women.
Other women Marlowe encounters help reinforce a capable, masculine image of
female sexuality. The shopkeeper in the bookstore across the street from Geiger’s is one
small love interest for Marlowe. She sees through Marlowe’s ruse regarding the
nonexistent books, demonstrating her own competence at what she does. This trait helps
develop her as appealing to Marlowe. Directly afterwards, she perfectly describes the
appearance of Geiger, giving rise to Marlowe’s comment that she would “make a good
cop” (0:16:53). This compliment gives the woman a strong air, such as one a man would
present. Yet even these are not enough for Marlowe to make a move, implying the
importance of other traits as well. After convincing Marlowe to stay for a drink with a
sly look, the woman removes her glasses and takes down her hair. This newfound beauty
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elicits a surprised “hello” from Marlowe (0:18:07). This change in response from
Marlowe shows a complete representation of what is attractive in women; they must be
competent and a bit masculine, but with strong feminine qualities. In a similar vein, the
cab driver flirts with Marlowe in a sexual, but surprisingly masculine way. To begin
with, the profession of taxi cab driver is rarely occupied by a woman. Additionally, the
ease with which she participates in a car chase demonstrates her masculinity. Yet this
vision of a manly strength and competence is juxtaposed with an indisputably feminine
appearance. Marlowe takes very little time to begin flirting, mentioning it “wouldn’t be
bad” if she were his girl (0:39:02). This combination of femininity and ability entices
Marlow and represents the most admired qualities of women during this time period.
Carmen Sternwood nearly represents the antithesis of what Marlowe finds
attractive in women. While the less important women manage to garner complements
after a very short period, Marlow doesn’t bestow a single complement on Carmen
throughout the film. Even her initial introduction does not evoke a positive reaction from
Marlowe. Carmen’s attempts at flirtation focus on her own supposed naïveté and
innocent charm. She struts girlishly down the stairs, and, placing her hands behind her
back, attempts to seduce Marlowe (0:01:47). This is a throwback to the less modern
version of feminine allure; Carmen tries to entice Marlow by showing her own weakness.
Nearly thirty seconds after their first meeting, Carmen tries once again to use this tactic
by literally falling into Marlowe’s arms. Even this, however, cannot win Marlowe’s
praise. Marlowe quite obviously prefers a capable girl rather than one who literally
cannot stand up for herself. Carmen’s own relative weakness resurfaces itself throughout
the film. She “sucks her thumb and looks coy” whenever she gets in trouble, relying
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solely on her appearance and girlish charm (0:07:10). Additionally, she affects a foreign,
dangerous air at times. Most notably, her Asian blouse at the Geiger murder scene, while
exotic and perhaps formerly attractive, fails to get Marlowe’s attention. This corresponds
to the political climate of the day, as the war in the Pacific led to a drastically anti-Asian
sentiment. Carmen breaks the law for the wrong reasons, as evidenced by the murder of
Shawn Regan, is virtually incompetent and moreover, a bit unpatriotic. Even her strong
sexual appeal cannot overcome this to draw Marlowe, who seeks a woman who embodies
sexual appeal as well as aptitude.
Vivian, however, embodies this synthesis of masculine competence and feminine
sexual appeal. As the film progresses, Vivian reveals more of her complex character and
innate ability. Vivian’s plots are intricately woven, and her lies have a direct purpose: to
protect Carmen. She even has a strong sense of fairness, holding up her end of Eddie
Mars’s deal and upholding Marlowe’s moral standards. In the film’s second half, Vivian
maintains her initial struggle for independence, but begins to succumb to Marlowe’s
overpowering strength and ability. This interesting turn of events shows the film’s
overall restatement of the standard paradigm of sexual relations, with men dominating the
women. Although Vivian is clearly strong and capable, she doesn’t even hold a candle to
Marlowe. In her final attempt to make the calls, Vivian offers Marlowe the option of
being set free in exchange for not prying any longer. Marlowe, however, exerts his own
power and rejects her proposition outright. After kissing, he begins to exert complete
dominance of Vivian, reinforcing male superiority. Yet even as this power shift takes
place, Marlow shows full dependence on Vivian. Her final test of ability comes when
Canino holds her at gunpoint and Marlowe is unable to save her. Canino, far stronger
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than either Marlowe or Vivian, can only be subverted by Vivian and Marlowe working
together. This trail to success emphasizes both male dominance and feminine ability.
Even with this rule in place, however, Vivian entrusts herself to Marlowe, declaring she
“doesn’t mind trouble as long as he’s around” (1:44:13). Giving herself completely to
Marlowe, they work together to defeat Eddie Mars, with Marlowe taking the primary
role. This once again shows Vivian’s own capacity, but juxtaposes it with Marlowe’s
superior ability to adhere to the time honored power structure of female compliance and
subordination.
These constructions of feminine sexuality correspond neatly with the time period
in which the film was created. During the war, women needed to be stronger in order to
keep the country afloat, and as a result this strength became an attractive prospect in
women. Yet as the war came to a close, fears arose that women would become too
strong, taking men’s jobs and status as leaders. The Big Sleep reconciles both of these
themes by making stronger women more attractive to Marlowe, but always keeping
Marlowe more powerful and capable. This strategy enables both ideas to be kept intact,
and even sets the stage for more modern family relations. Today, women as strong as
Vivian are not uncommon, and one step in the path to this situation can be clearly viewed
through films such as this one.