This is the shot from Double Indemnity where Phyllis Dietrichson is first introduced. It is a medium low angle shot from Walter Neff's point of view. In the foreground is a staircase railing, and in the middle-ground a scantily clad Phyllis. She is only wearing a towel, and tells Walter she has been sunbathing. Even though the film is in black and white, it's apparent that she has blonde, expensively styled hair and nice makeup.
In this shot from LA Confidential, we meet the film's femme fatale, Lynn Bracken. The shot is a medium close-up from Bud White's point of view. Lynn is shown wearing a black hooded coat with white trim. Like Phyllis, she has styled blonde hair and is wearing makeup. However, in stark contrast to the Phyllis' presentation, Lynn is fully clothed in this scene. This suggests the respect her character is going to demand in the movie. Although it's later revealed that she works as a high class prostitute, the style of her introduction suggests otherwise. It is hard to conclude Lynn's profession based on her appearance and interaction with Bud. In fact, Lynn (the prostitute) appears modest while Phyllis (the housewife) appears to be the opposite. While Phyllis tries to manipulate others through her sexuality to get what she wants, Lynn tries to be a kind person and expects to receive respect and equality in exchange for it. All of this can be concluded just from the differing styles of Phyllis and Lynn's introductions.
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