It was discussed in class that Beth, Anne Archer's character in Fatal Attraction, could be the one who is the catalyst for the horrific chain of events that play out. It was argued that because she maintained a suffocatingly pristine home and family life, Michael Douglas' character was driven into a passionately raw, albeit dangerous, affair. But the only way I can wrap my head around the idea that Beth is the first domino to fall is to vilify the system she was brought into, the materialistic values of the upper-middle class. It is hard to say that it is Beth herself who is flawed.
But by that rational, societal blame can be displaced for any of the more blatantly amoral characters in the film. Michael Douglas' character, Dan, is a victim of an overworked position- A position that society led him to believe was essential to a lucrative and therefore stable lifestyle. Alex (Glenn Close), is the victim of society's strict guidelines in regards to stabbing people in their own homes. However, it remains my belief that there are personal responsibilities to be held by Dan and even Alex for knowing the risks involved and continuing forward anyway.
The final death scene in the film was used to support many arguments regarding Beth's power struggles with her home and her husband. *SPOILER ALERT* Because she was the one to shoot Alex, there was a lot of discourse concerning her part in the power play of this love triangle. The clip below shows that this wasn't always the creator's intention.
And this is just classic.
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