was Martha Beck a femme fatale as Salma is????

This has not been Salma's choice. She looks and acts the way the director tells her to. The same with Charlize Theron: it wasn't Charlize who'd "been loyal to the real look of that serial killer", it was the director. Just a minor point.

No, she was nothing like that. Although, to be fair, in this movie, Salma does at times show the desperation that Martha felt about Raymond. But I some things were different. For one thing, Martha already had children when she met Raymond and she gave them up for him. She apparently was not a good mother anyway. Salma's character was an interesting take on Martha, I will admit that.

In this morning's Newsday, there was an article about the Lonely Hearts case, since the detective Elmer Robinson (and ultimately, the film's director, his grandson), lived on Long Island. The article made note that Martha Beck weight "over 200 lbs.", making her, to the public, an even uglier, more detestable character. Seems we haven't lost our feelings about large women -- women of size are so ugly and detestable in Hollywood (and I guess they feel that's true of the entire country), that they couldn't cast a woman of size to play one! Same was true of Michelle Pfeiffer playing on film a role originated by Kathy Bates ("Frankie & Johnny"). I'm sure there are countless others.

Salma's a great actress and beautiful inside and out, but in historical films, I think accuracy should trump "box office beauty."

Femme fatale? - hardly! Pictures on the internet show that Martha Beck was obese. She probably weighed over 200 pounds. They had trouble fitting her into the electric chair at Sing Sing prison when she was executed.

Yes, there is also another movie but it's in spanish "Deep crimson/ Profundo carmesi", and I think that one is closer to the real story, you should watch it.. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117394/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_44

I know I'm totally late to the party here but no, the real Martha was quite unattractive & obese. She would've hated a woman as gorgeous as Salma Hayek & would've enjoyed killing her. I thought Salma was good in this role but since I knew what the real Martha looked like, it was weird trying to keep it straight that Salma was playing that monstrous woman. I have no idea why they chose such a cute actress like Salma to play such an ugly & large woman. That actress who plays Garcia on "Criminal Minds" would've been a better fit but even she's too cute to play someone like Martha. Talk about taking some creative liberties!