What makes a woman a witch? What kinds of stereotypes do witches in movies share with women? What is the source of these stereotypes? How are good and bad witches portrayed in movies and how is “white” magic depicted? In order to investigate these questions, I am going to conduct an analysis of the witches' depiction in three different, contemporary movies.
My hypothesis is that despite multiple attempts to reform the movie character of the witch, for example via the introduction of “white magic” or good-hearted witches who support the protagonists, their depiction still consists of mainly negative, female stereotypes, so that an unchanged negative representation of the female gender can be observed in the movies I am going to analyse.
This paper is structured as follows. First, I am going to start with a historical contextualization of the topic. In order to investigate the origin of the idea of “witchcraft” there will be an analysis of the historical events that led to its creation. Hereby, I will investigate the sources of the stereotypical “witch”. Therefore, I will provide an overview of the persecution of a “heretical” movement, which correlates with the later witch-hunts. Then, I will investigate the mental frame that led to the witch persecutions and the influence of the Catholic Church on the common sense in order to understand the development of this phenomena. After that, I will have a closer look on the characteristics of “witches” as women in order to clarify the stereotypes concering gender.
Furthermore, I will introduce and discuss specific aspects of film theory, which are essential for the following analysis of the movies. Subsequently, based on the film theoretical aspects, I am going to analyse the depiction of witches in the movies “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”, “The Last Witch Hunter”, and “The Witch”. Finally, I will finish this paper by concluding the overall outcome and by answering the research questions and the question whether my hypothesis was confirmed, based on my findings.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Creation of the Western “Witch”
2.1 The Cathars in Western Europe
2.2 The Medieval Mindset, Heretics and Witches
2.3 What makes a Witch a Witch?
2.4 What makes a Woman a Witch?
3. Film Theory
4. Film Analysis
4.1 “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”
4.1.1 Summary
4.1.2 Film Theoretical and Gender Analysis
4.2 “The Last Witch Hunter”
4.2.1 Summary
4.2.2 Film Theoretical and Gender Analysis
4.3 “The Witch”
4.3.1 Summary
4.3.2 Film Theoretical and Gender Analysis
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how the historical archetype of the "witch" continues to influence the depiction of women in contemporary American cinema, specifically analyzing whether modern portrayals perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes despite efforts to introduce "white magic" or positive character traits.
- The historical origin of the "witch" figure and its connection to the persecution of heretics.
- The intersection of gender, social marginalization, and the construction of the "monstrous" female.
- Application of film theory (shot distance, focus, angle, and perspective) to analyze cinematic representations.
- Critical evaluation of female archetypes in the films Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Last Witch Hunter, and The Witch.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
"It is associated with old age, frightful ugliness, and female wickedness on the one hand, with youth, beauty, and female sexual power on the other." (Karlsen xi) In this sentence the author and historian Carol F. Karlsen refers to the term witchcraft. Furthermore she mentions:
The story of witchcraft is primarily the story of women [...] Especially in its Western incarnation witchcraft confronts us with ideas about women, with fears about women, with the place of women in society, and with women themselves. It confronts us too with systematic violence against women. (xii)
The term witchcraft represents one of the darkest sections in the history of mankind, but today, hundreds of years later, our society uses the term on a daily basis.
In the past centuries, women who were believed to be witches were seen as threats to humanity and therefore as monstrosities. They were charged for negative events that randomly occurred and struck their community. One of the best examples would be the so called Salem Witch Trials, of course. According to Karlsen, most of today's authors would deny the fact that women were attacked out of misogyny. They argue that witches were scapegoats for other hostilities and tensions during that time (xii). Our today's depiction of witches derived from these innocent women and the myths that people created about them.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research context, historical roots of the witch figure, and the paper's hypothesis regarding persistent negative female stereotypes in film.
2. The Creation of the Western “Witch”: Analyzes the historical evolution of the witch, including the influence of the Cathar heresy, medieval mindsets, and socioeconomic factors that led to the victimization of women.
3. Film Theory: Provides a technical overview of cinematic elements such as shot distance, focus, and camera angles, establishing the framework for the subsequent film analysis.
4. Film Analysis: Conducts a detailed investigation into the visual and narrative portrayals of witches in three specific contemporary films, applying film theory and gender analysis.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirms the hypothesis that contemporary films still rely on negative gender archetypes, and suggests directions for future research.
Keywords
Witchcraft, Gender, Film Theory, Stereotypes, Monstrosity, Misogyny, Historical Context, Heresy, Representation, Cinema, Feminism, Visual Analysis, Female Archetypes, Modern Media, Cultural History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the intersection between historical concepts of witchcraft and the contemporary representation of women as "witches" in American movies, specifically focusing on how these depictions reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in the analysis?
Key areas include the historical construction of the "witch" during the Middle Ages, the sociopolitical factors targeting women, and the cinematic language used to portray female characters as monsters or antagonists.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks what defines a "witch" in film, what stereotypes are present, and whether modern attempts to include "good" or "white" magic actually change the negative representation of the female gender.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses historical contextualization to establish the roots of the witch figure and applies structural film theory (analyzing shots, focus, and camera movement) to deconstruct the visual presentation of characters in selected films.
What does the main body of the work entail?
The main body is divided into a historical overview, an introduction to technical film theory, and a direct analysis of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Last Witch Hunter, and The Witch.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Witchcraft, Gender, Film Theory, Stereotypes, Monstrosity, Representation, and Cultural History.
How does the paper differentiate between "medieval" and "modern" witches in the films?
The paper highlights that while "modern" witches may adapt to human lifestyles, their visual portrayal—often defined by age, ugliness, or predatory sexual behavior—remains rooted in historical, gendered tropes used to identify "the Other."
What is the author’s conclusion regarding the character of "white witches"?
The author finds that even "white" or "good" witches are often depicted as weak, sexually objectified, or entirely dependent on male protagonists, thereby failing to break the established negative stereotypical mold.
- Citation du texte
- M.Ed. Timmy Paul (Auteur), 2018, Witchcraft and Gender. The Depiction of Women and Witches in Contemporary American Movies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1169270
