Representation of Women in Horror Films

Representation of Women in Horror Films

The representation of women and how they are portrayed in horror films has been around for many decades – mainly starting around the 1930’s. Admittedly, how women are seen by audiences have changed dramatically over this time, however the main stereotypical underline view of them in horrors is still there – that they are weak and almost always seen as the victim of brutal, slow murders. Traditionally, women have always been recognised as the victim or ‘damsel in distress’ in most horror films. For many decades, this was the main opinion and visibility of women throughout the horror genre, focusing on their personalities as weak, submissive, passive and emotional. Also, many female victims in horror films tend to be relatively similar, by the fact they are young, white, mostly blonde and sexually active. This links into the theory of ‘Horror and Homogeneity’ – that if you dare to stray outside the bounds of conservatism by getting drunk, taking drugs and having sex before marriage – you are going to die.

One theory which is a major hit when studying the horror of genre, which goes against the ‘Horror and Homogeneity’ assumption, is the ‘Final Girl’. This was first brought to attention by Carol Clover in the 1990’s. This theory suggests that in most horror films nowadays there is always one main girl who survives, and she is seen as strong, masculine and innocent in comparison to other girls. This typical final girl will most likely have a unisex name such as Laurie, Alex or Sam – drawing attention to the fact they are not completely feminine. Examples of these ‘final girls’ are; Laurie Strode in ‘Halloween’, Nancy Thompson in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and Julie James from ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’. All these final girls are represented as strong-willed, independent and in some way, masculine females – all qualities which helped them survive a series of bloody murders on their friends/family.

Another argument to notice when researching females and their representation in horror films is the Male Gaze theory – which suggests that males are excited and sexually aroused by the death and suffering of young girls. Male Gaze puts the audience in the eyes of the killer (who is usually typically male) and makes us see the action as if we are that character, creating an uncomfortable feeling for women, and arousal for men.

The use of clever camera angles and lighting throughout horror films also suggest that most women are seen as weak and vulnerable – often putting them in situations where death is the only outcome. For example, when they tend to run into abandoned spaces such as haunted houses, or lock themselves in certain rooms which usually have no escape (Wendy Torrance in The Shining).

A major issue which has changed the horror genre and representation of women in them is the modern culture and its influences. Over time, the modern culture has been constantly changing – which in turn has had an effect on the horror genre and how women are represented.

Carol Clover, one of the main horror theorists about women – coining the term ‘Final Girl’ said this about women’s representation in horror films; “She is the one who encounters the mutilated bodies of her friends and perceives the full extent of the preceding horror and of her own peril; who is chased, cornered, wounded; whom we see scream, stagger, fall, rise and scream again. She is abject terror personified. … She alone looks death in the face, but she alone also finds the strength either to stay the killer long enough to be rescued … or to kill him herself… But, in either case, from 1974 on, the survivor figure has been female.” (p. 35)

 

Scream:
A series of killings has started happening in a local area where the main characters live. The teenagers soon start being killed off by a masked killer, and near the end of the film, only Sidney (the main girl), Gale (another main protagonist) and Dewey (the deputy sheriff). This shows quite a positive, strong representation of women, as two of the main females survive along with a male who is seen as masculine because of his job. However, Scream can also portray a negative attitude towards women as near the beginning, Casey (one of the teen girls) is murdered along with Tatum – which shows them being weak and vulnerable in their roles of teen girls.

Halloween:
Halloween begins 15 years before the movie is set, showing the killer murdering his sister because of a sexual act with her boyfriend. The next scene we see is Michael (the killer) escaping a psychiatrist’s holding place – where he has been since he was convicted. We then are shown the next day, where the main female character Laurie Strode continually sees Michael which gives us a sense of danger, but also that she is confident and aware of her surroundings (already aspects of a final girl). That same evening, she sees Michael again whilst babysitting a young child on the night of Halloween – where another killing is taking place just across the street which causes concern. Eventually, we see Laurie attacked by Michael but scarcely escaping by stabbing him in the neck with a knitting needle and a clothes hanger into his eye. This representation of young girls in horror films I believe is a positive one, as it shows a strong, independent girl who survives a murder attack on her. However, Halloween does challenge this representation as other young girls are seen to be killed because of their sexual nature and naivety.

Prom Night (2008):
The most recent Prom Night sees the same pattern as the other films I have analysed for the representation of women in horror films – that there is typically one final girl, and all the others tend to be killed in some way (usually brutally). This film focuses on one girl, Donna being threatened by a man who had previously murdered her family, including her mother who was killed in front of her eyes. Prom Night follows her story and that of Fenton’s (the killer), who attacks her and her group of friends on their school graduation prom night. After a brutal series of attacks, Donna is seen to be the last one left of her group – showing that she is the final girl. Her other young friends have all been murdered earlier on in the film, and she is left to fend for herself against Fenton – with the help of a couple of police officers. A strong representation of Donna is continually shown throughout this film, especially nearer the end where she is locked in the cupboard with Fenton, biting his hand to let her go and nearly escapes, however is eventually saved by Winn (the main police officer) shooting Fenton several times, murdering him. This type of storyline and characters is still used today in many horror films based around a group of teenagers, and shows both a good and bad stereotype of women and their personalities within horror films.

As mentioned, the representation of women in horror films has dramatically changed throughout the decades and I believe it will continue to change from here on in – hopefully not presenting women as weak and vulnerable as there are currently being shown as.

 

Paranormal Activity 4 Horror Essay

Paranormal Activity is the fourth instalment from the Paranormal Activity sequel, and perhaps the most haunting. This new horror film was released in October 2012, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman and written by Chad Feehan and Christopher Landon. Produced by Room 101, we can already assume that this film is rather low budget as I did not recognise this producing company – however, this doesn’t mean it wasn’t an effective and thrilling cinematic experience for horror lovers. This fourth instalment bases itself around a new family, with the threat being a new kid who moves in just across the street – which just happens to be around the time mysterious and supernatural events begin to occur. This film is set five years after the disappearance of Katie and Hunter (previous main characters of the sequel).

If we compare this film to Todorov’s narrative structure of horror films which say each film has a distinctive narrative to it (equilibrium, event, recognition of event, attempt to fix, new equilibrium) we can see that it both follows and challenges it as some structures are not fully completed throughout this film. An example of a feature which challenges Todorov’s theory is the very beginning of the movie which shows us the very end of the previous film with possessed Katie taking Hunter from his home after killing I believe her sister’s husband. This very first scene in Paranormal Activity 4 gives us a sense of foreboding (knowing something is going to happen before it does).This is also a good example of unrestricted narrative, as it builds suspense for the audience and lets them know more than the characters (that there is a threat about to be opposed on them). The next stages of the film do happen to follow Todorov’s theory as the event of Robbie staying with the family whilst his mum is supposedly out of town and strange things start to happen such as opening doors, chandeliers falling, and seeing figures move when using the x-box kinect in the darkness. The recognition of the event would be the main girl and her boyfriend realising the supernatural events and the ‘attempt to fix it’ would be them researching historic myths about demons and possessed children. As the film progresses, more and more threats start to occur and suspense is held for a lot longer to engage with the audience. The film ends with Katie killing all the family members and the boyfriend, leaving Alex to fend for herself whilst trying to save her younger adopted brother who now believes he is Hunter. The last shot is of many possessed civilians and the handheld camera falls to the ground as we assume Alex has been killed. This therefore challenges Todorov’s theory as there is no new equilibrium – it just suddenly ends horribly.

The audience expectation for this film I believe would be to witness a similar film to which they’ve already seen, but still be expected to be scared and nervous about viewing it. Sometimes with sequels the story can be too predictable, however, even though Paranormal Activity 4 is one of these, the storyline and editing effects hold their own as this is the most horrifying film of them all so far. As I’m not a massive horror film fan, and had already previously seen the other Paranormal Activities, I went into this film knowing what to expect although keeping an open mind. Saying this, I am glad I did as this film delivered in using the typical horror conventions to frighten me.

Paranormal Activity 4 is classed as a supernatural horror, which focuses on the events of the unknown. As this film is not a horror-comedy, slasher, gore or sci-fi horror, I believe it would be hard to create as there is no ‘real’ threat to be shown to the audience. However, not being able to visualise the threat gives the audience a more chilling and daunting experience as they are unaware of what will happen next or who/what is causing the harm. What makes this movie fit into the genre of horror is the fact that it uses certain conventions within such as the possessed child, a demon, supernatural events, death and ghosts to entice the audience in. I would say that the final girl theory is used in this film, however Alex the main female character is not connoted as strong and willing, although she does carry some features which may disagree such as; her name (unisex), the fact she researches into the threat, her strong mind set and her strong will to survive the attacks on her and her family. If she would have not been killed at the end of the film, I would say she would be the ‘final girl’ as she would’ve been the only one left standing and she is seen as the innocent virgin.

I would say the era of this film which fits into the history of horror would be around the 1960’s – where ghosts and the unknown became a huge part of the horror genre at the time to frighten and leave the audience in a fear of the unknown. Although, having only been released this year, and the starting film only in 2007 (five years previous) this shows us that the ghostly and supernatural aspects of horror are still just as popular as they used to be.

In every horror film, there are always certain character types whether it be; the victim, the possessed, the helper, the hero or the villain or so on. Within Paranormal Activity 4, we see the victims (the family members), the possessed (Robbie), the helper boyfriend (Ben) and the virgin main girl (Alex). All of these stereotypes help the audience engage with the characters, knowing who is who and what the threat exactly is. Other than these types, I cannot seem to discover any other major stereotypes included within this film, although having too many may distract the viewer from the main plot.

In most films (not just horrors) we are sure to see a few features of binary opposition and I believe Paranormal Activity’s main one would be the classic ‘good vs. evil’. This binary opposition is shown throughout most of the film, however much more unbalanced than usual – as the evil seems to rule the film and the characters do not seem to have any hope of escaping/surviving. We see the ‘good’ (Alex, her family, her adopted brother and Ben) and we see the ‘evil’ (Robbie and Katie). Another aspect of binary opposition I came across when watching this film was the simple one of ‘known vs. unknown’ and is quite clear throughout which is which.

In conclusion, although Paranormal Activity 4 is the fourth instalment of the sequel and I went into it kind of guessing and knowing what to expect, I found myself pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it (especially not being a huge horror fan). The entire plot is brilliant, the characters are easy to recognise and the held suspense when viewing the recordings during the night are well directed – as it had me frightened and nervous about events which were about to happen. Overall, a successful and enjoyable horror film – worthy of being the best film of the Paranormal sequence so far.

The Crazies Horror Poster

The Crazies Horror Poster, a photo by Scott-Pinkney on Flickr.

One Missed Call Horror Poster

One Missed Call Horror Poster, a photo by Scott-Pinkney on Flickr.

House Of Wax Horror Poster

House Of Wax Horror Poster, a photo by Scott-Pinkney on Flickr.

Let the Right One In Trailer Analysis

The Possession Trailer Analysis

Shaun of the Dead Horror Film Essay

Shaun of the Dead is a comedy-horror film which aired in 2004. It was directed by Edgar Wright and stars some famous comedic characters such as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It was produced by Universal Pictures, Studio Canal and Working Title Films – which already shows that this film was to be a big hit as it was produced by such leading companies in the film industry. Shaun of the Dead is based around three main characters, Shaun, Ed and Liz – who get a group together to fight off a new deadly spreading virus which turns civilians into blood-thirsty zombies. There is also a sub plot of which Shaun tries to win back Liz’s love by taking control after their inevitable break up.

Shaun of the Dead does seem to follow the basis of Todorov’s narrative structure, with the exception of the beginning (not everything is fine). Other than challenging the first step of the narrative structure, this film continues to follow it by using ‘the event’, the ‘recognition’, the ‘attempt to fix it’ and a ‘new equilibrium’. Examples of these features are that the event is the social life around the three main characters has gone dead – almost literally. The next stage is the recognition of the event when Shaun starts to realise abnormal things are happening and that the local public are acting strangely, for example two people standing in their garden. Continuing Todorov’s narrative structure, the next step would be the attempt to fix it, which Shaun does by gathering a group of friends and family to fight off the zombies and get them to safety. Finally, after everyone has died or been infected apart from Liz, we get a new equilibrium, being Shaun and Liz getting back together and everything seems to be back to normal and okay. However, one final piece which challenges the ending of Todorov’s structure is the last clip in the film, where we see infected Ed chained in the garden shed when Shaun comes to play video games with him – causing a sense of humour as well as fear that it could all happen all over again.

I believe the audience expectations of this genre would be – to be humoured/frightened at the same time. Having a comedy effect in a horror film lightens the mood and makes it more bearable to sit through without a constant fear of ‘what happens next?’ for the audience. As a fan of this film, I didn’t know what to expect before watching, but found myself pleasantly surprised throughout the entire movie. I believe this may because I have enjoyed other similar films to this including the same characters as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost such as ‘Hot Fuzz’. Having popular stars in a film also has an effect on what the audience expects to see as they already know what these celebrities are known for – therefore creating hope that they will keep up the good standard of acting to make us keep watching their films. The comedy-horror genre has been around now for many years but still has the capability of making its viewers feel satisfied and scared through the medium of film.

As previously mentioned, Shaun of the Dead is a comedy-horror movie, but what makes it a horror? Firstly, I would mention the fact that it has several horror conventions which make it a horror film, such as; the final girl, zombies, death, blood, and if you are a weak character, you will die. These and many more conventions are what make Shaun of the Dead a typical horror film with comedic aspects added to it.

I believe that this film fits in nicely with the horror genre history, especially the 1960’s onwards, where zombies really came into horror films. However, as this film was released in 2004, it fits in perfectly with the huge return to zombie horror films. Alongside fitting in with the zombie history of horror genre, I also believe it suits the era of the 1960’s – where humans were becoming the main threat in the horror franchise. Shaun of the Dead, although mainly focusing on the threat of zombies, also focuses on the fear that humans can genuinely cause a real sense of danger –even if it is through becoming a zombie.

The film bases itself around a group of characters including friends and family of Shaun. These characters include himself, his best friend Ed, his recently ex-girlfriend Liz, his mother Barbara, her husband Phillip and Liz’s friends Dianne and David. I believe there are certain character types in this film such as the hero (Shaun), the helpers (Ed and Liz), the villain/threat (the zombies), the coward who dies (David) and many more. Also, these main character stereotypes are also linked in with the Final Girl theory. Although Liz may not be seen as the main protagonist in this film, her will to survive and how she helps Shaun throughout the film displays courage and sensibility which are aspects of the ‘final girl’, who survives at the end of the films – which she does.

Binary opposition also takes its place in Shaun of the Dead, focusing on the ‘good vs. evil’ and the ‘rational and irrational’ personalities of the characters. The ‘good vs. bad’ opposition is suggested throughout almost the whole film, with the normal humans being the good, and the contrasted characters of the zombies – the bad. Another binary opposition I found when watching and analysing this film is the one of ‘rational and irrational’ behaviours between the characters. I would say that the main ‘rational’ and logical thinker in this film would be the main protagonist Shaun, with him then contrasting David, the cowardly irrational person who attempts to take control of the situation by doing stupid and unhelpful actions – such as threatening to kill the mother who has been infected.

Overall, I believe Shaun of the Dead is a brilliant comedy-horror film which includes many traditional horror conventions and stereotypes (and occasionally challenging them) which make this film a success in the horror genre. The use of a clever storyline, popular celebrities and an overall sense of comedy are what make this film worthy of being one of the best ’25 horror films’ quoted by ‘Times’ magazine in 2007.

Paranormal Activity 4 Trailer

Paranormal Activity 4 Trailer Analysis

Paranormal Activity 4 is the fourth instalment of the Paranormal Activity sequel. Throughout this 2:11 trailer, it manages to cover the key aspects of the film and what we expect to see from it. In this short amount of time, I counted 65 edits, 1 environment and 14 close ups. Also, the character types involved in this trailer are the victim, the helper and the possessed spirit.

I realised that the title of the film is only shown near the very end of the trailer, and this is for the film’s recognition and audience memory purposes – they will remember the title as it one of the last things they will see. Also, I believe that it is shown near the end because it holds suspense. The Paramount logo is included in the very last frame of the trailer, as is the release date of the film. Other features I saw were reverse, long screams, a dark eerie atmosphere and unstable camera movements. We also recognise that this is a horror trailer from the previous sequels as they all include aspects of the paranormal, unknown and supernatural events.

Throughout the whole trailer, there is no mention whatsoever of who is starring in the film and I believe this is because there are no big stars which anyone would recognise from any other film franchises. Another reason for this may be because it is a home documentary and the viewers may relate to it as this film includes a couple of characters from previous movies.

Throughout the trailer, we can expect to see suspense, supernatural events, characters, a contrast between calm and dangerous action which draws the audience in and the following of the narrative structure – equilibrium, event, recognition of event, attempt to fix it, solution, equilibrium.

History of Horror

The genres of horror have been around now for many years, designed to frighten/scare/startle and entertain its audiences through the medium of drama. Horror films are made to make us believe our worst nightmares can indeed become reality. This genre tends to aim toward the supernatural, the unknown, and the dark side of life.

German Expressionism was brought to life during WW1 in the trenches in 1914. The German soldiers who were involved in the war were mostly artists, and the terrifying events they experienced lead them to blame their superiors for putting them onto the battlefield in the first place. Four years later – when the war ended in 1918, the people rose to the November Revolution. German Expressionism challenged our traditional views of art and culture after the First World War. Many horror movies were filmed during the start of the 1900’s, therefore creating a whole new genre of cinematic experience.

Films first associated with German Expressionism were “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, “Nosferatu”, “Phantom” and “The Last Laugh”. During the war in 1916, the government had banned more foreign films in the nation. However, six years on during 1922, international audiences had started to appreciate and watch more films associated with German cinema. The majority of expressionism films were based upon the genres of madness, insanity and betrayal. However, German expressionism did not just change cinema, it also allowed art, culture and society to change too.

Gothic fiction – otherwise referred to as gothic horror is the combination of horror and romance which creates brilliant film productions such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. There are many archetypes of this type of horror genre including; virginal maiden, older/dumb woman, hero, tyrant, the stupid servant and clowns. The literary gothic era shows the emotion and fear brought to life through the films.

The 1930’s was the birth of ‘Monsters & Mad Scientists’. In comparison to the horror films of the 1920’s, these films were a completely new experience for the whole media world. The introduction of sound and these monsters during this time period allowed the horror genre to change the whole nature of cinema. Along with new special effects came an audience of around 80 million people who attended the cinema weekly – proving that these new horror features of monsters and mad scientists had an unimaginable impact on horror. Despite the Great Depression at the time, Universal Studios managed to create two films forever changing our view on the history of the horror genre – ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Dracula’. These two films changed the lives of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, the leading roles in these two films. The 1930’s used classic literature to influence early American horror films.

The 1940’s was the start of well-established fictional animals featuring in most horror films. This birth of introducing ‘the primal animal within’ allowed the genre of horror to change dramatically. One example of this type of film would be ‘Cat People’ which follows the story of Irena, a woman who believes she has been cursed and thinks she will turn into a large cat if she consummates her marriage and makes it official. Also, because of this new change in cinema, ‘The Wolfman’ was released, based upon a man who returns to his village after learning his brother has died and while there, after a series of events turns into a werewolf. After attacking the village, his father kills him and watched as his son turns back into human form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADPSaybusM

After the ‘primal animal within’ stage a decade previous, the 1950’s brought to life the mutant creatures and alien invaders era. This new found horror film genre was a brilliant way of attracting new audiences and masses of viewers to the cinema. New monsters and aliens during this era were seen to be unstoppable except for one person with the cure – the ‘hero’. The atom bomb which created everyone’s fears at this time is how this new media was born, and the monsters supplied a vision of destruction made by the in terrestrial instead of humans – therefore making us look more reliable and safe as a nation. Also during this time a new birth of horror was born too, the sci-fi era. One film which shows this example perfectly is ‘The Blob’ made in 1958 which follows the story of giant alien blob which attempts to take over the world, spreading from one place to another – which is a direct link to communism. This film was made to represent the fear of communism throughout the nation during the 1950’s.

The 1960’s enabled the film industry to use humans as the new main threat in horror films. Using humans as a force to be reckoned with made the audiences fully aware of the danger, making it more real for them. Having humans as the threat in these new horror films allowed the viewers to become more involved and intimate with the action, as they were no longer worried about monsters or aliens, but by their own race of people. Along with humans, ghosts, zombies and Satanism were also introduced as the threat and fear of horrors back in 1960’s. Ghosts and the unknown were able to produce a spark for these new horror films throughout this decade, using the paranormal and supernatural to attack the audience’s mind and

insert a fear of something which isn’t there. This feature is still alive today and is used in many horror films, no matter what genre. It was during this period that zombie films were really established in their own right.

The horror films produced in the 1970’s are a true representation of that decade, showing the mood and atmosphere of that era. For example, the downfalls of the 70’s including the split of the Beatles, glam rock and oil strikes allowed the horror films to become brilliant. It was during this era that horror films based themselves upon genuine psychological fears. Anti-feminist Hammer horror films introduced a particular sense of women and how they were perceived as sex objects and nothing more, that you had to have a certain body type to be seen as attractive. This decade started off the second wave of the feminist movement, showing that women were always the victim and needed a man to save them from the danger. Possibly the key film to talk about for this decade is ‘The Exorcist’, which for once, took the content and seriousness of the horror genre head on. This film is seen as a grown up horror film and is known to have created a shift for the genre.

The Slasher horror genre/body horror/gore and video nasties were all brought to life during the 1980’s. This decade is where special effects and new technical movements allowed horror to really come to life and introduce a new genre altogether, focusing on format fears and moral panic, mainly from low budget films. Producers of these new horror films throughout the 80’s wanted to challenge themselves and attempt to create something completely new which had never been approached before. However, this leap of faith was a huge risk, as some people argued over the ‘image/imagination’ aspect of horror – were they good films because we were left to our own devices, or were they good because they showed blood and gore and challenged audiences to keep watching even if they were repulsed? Another feature which could’ve potentially harmed the horror genre for this era is the case of ‘is too much too comic?’ Some people said that too many blood and gore images on our screens were eventually seen as humorous instead of frightening, whereas this helped others as the comedic side effect allowed them to enjoy horror films – even if they were watching limbs being torn from bodies. Throughout the 1980’s, some of the genre’s credibility was lost – only aiming at young males for thrills at the new found cinema. However, for this time period, this seemed like the only legitimate audience. The main film which represents the 1980’s horror genre I would believe to be ‘The Thing’, with the tagline being Man Is the Warmest Place to Hide. It focuses on a shape shifting alien which takes the body of the person it kills – still being one of the most famous horror films of all time.

All of these shifts in the genres of horror have all led to this, todays day and age of horror – ‘torture porn’ and ‘gore-nography’ focusing on the aspects of porn, but with the action being torture instead of sexual acts. Viewing these horror films now is purely based on realism. Films which show this are – ‘Saw’ and ‘Hostel’, both of which create a sense of fear based on reality