Women in film and other media are often eroticized, given their typical placement in the patriarchal order of society as sexual objects and status symbols. To that end, one of the greatest fears to a man who benefits from the privileges of such a society is the self-assured, erotic femme fatale, a highly sexualized, commoditized figure who often finds herself manipulating men for her own ends. While this seems evil on the surface, there are much more complicated motivations behind these figures than meets the eye – while these women use their sex appeal to get men to do what they want, this is a consequence of the incredible lack of agency these women are granted otherwise. As Lulu in G.W. Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box and the samurai’s wife in Akira Kurosawa’s drama Rashomon shows, these kinds of eroticized women are effectively forced by society to assume these roles, becoming manipulators to help them survive.…show more content… Pabst’s Pandora’s Box, the central character of Lulu acts as the more aggressive side of the femme fatale coin, showing in multiple instances her ability to manipulate men to do what she wants. From her first appearance, Pabst films her in surprisingly seductive ways – pouring a drink for Schon, her jet-black, spit-curled pixie cut hair hanging on either side of her attractive face. Much of the time, she is filmed in close-up, never too far from the lens as if to entice the viewer themselves to enjoy her presence. Louise Brooks’ expressive, wry performance is heavily based around her large, open eyes, which widen in excitement and lower