Horror genre has its origins in the gothic 19th century novels like Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) or John Polidori’s The Vampire (1819). Even though horror movie is a typical European genre, it has a long history in American cinema dating back to 1915 silent movie Les Vampires by Freuillade and to one of the first sound movies from 1931, Tod Browning’s famous Dracula. Horror movies may be put into three categories: ones that contain the supernatural elements, in which vampires, ghosts, witchcraft appears; psychological horror, which relies on characters’ fears, their guilt or beliefs; and massacre movies, with scenes of slaughter, brutality and rough treatment (Cinema Studies 184).
Although horror movies, as an element of mass culture, may be perceived as simplistic, predictable, lacking depth and simply being an unworthy for analysis, there is a great deal of films that in its content reflect the contemporary problems that occurred in the American society. While many critics consider horror genre as a “low culture,” one must not fail to notice that its significance is enormous. One can sense an inextricable link between film and social concerns, since the role of the film is to project certain fears and concerns of contemporary society as well as to help people to resolve them. As Prawer observed: "If the terror film is thus connected to our social concerns, it also, paradoxically, helps us to cope with our ordinary life by jolting us out of it" (60). A popular opinion has it that the popularity of horror movies increases along with the disturbance experienced by the society. Since the 20th century is perceived as the era of the constant social upheaval, the history of the horror movie equals the history of the anxiety (Wells 3); hence, the time the cultural chaos erupts, the audience turns to horror movies as a means that liberates them from their anxiety. As Phillips asserts, “anxiety tends to promote a sense of helplessness; fear, on the other hand, provides an impetus for change” (9). Thus, the fear evoked by the slasher film, one is forced to invent new ways of coping with his or her difficulties, since a typical way of thinking will occur not only problematic but also troublesome.
Table of Contents
1. THE PROJECTION OF CHANGES IN AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY HORROR MOVIES.
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to analyze how contemporary American horror films serve as a reflection of the social concerns and cultural shifts within American society during specific decades, particularly focusing on changing gender roles and the perception of women. The research explores how horror movies, often dismissed as "low culture," function as a significant medium for projecting societal anxieties and negotiating moral values.
- The historical evolution and social significance of the horror genre in American cinema.
- Analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho as a reflection of 1950s social unrest, consumerism, and gender domestication.
- Examination of John Carpenter’s Halloween in the context of 1970s social permissiveness and the decline of family values.
- The conceptualization of the "final girl" and the representation of masculinity and femininity in horror film narratives.
Excerpt from the Book
THE PROJECTION OF CHANGES IN AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY HORROR MOVIES.
Horror genre has its origins in the gothic 19th century novels like Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) or John Polidori’s The Vampire (1819). Even though horror movie is a typical European genre, it has a long history in American cinema dating back to 1915 silent movie Les Vampires by Freuillade and to one of the first sound movies from 1931, Tod Browning’s famous Dracula. Horror movies may be put into three categories: ones that contain the supernatural elements, in which vampires, ghosts, witchcraft appears; psychological horror, which relies on characters’ fears, their guilt or beliefs; and massacre movies, with scenes of slaughter, brutality and rough treatment (Cinema Studies 184).
Although horror movies, as an element of mass culture, may be perceived as simplistic, predictable, lacking depth and simply being an unworthy for analysis, there is a great deal of films that in its content reflect the contemporary problems that occurred in the American society. While many critics consider horror genre as a “low culture,” one must not fail to notice that its significance is enormous. One can sense an inextricable link between film and social concerns, since the role of the film is to project certain fears and concerns of contemporary society as well as to help people to resolve them. As Prawer observed: "If the terror film is thus connected to our social concerns, it also, paradoxically, helps us to cope with our ordinary life by jolting us out of it" (60).
Summary of Chapters
1. THE PROJECTION OF CHANGES IN AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY HORROR MOVIES.: This introductory section establishes the historical origins of the horror genre, its evolution into American cinema, and argues for its profound cultural significance as a mirror of contemporary societal anxieties and fears.
Keywords
Horror movies, American culture, gender roles, social unrest, Psycho, Halloween, consumerism, sexual revolution, final girl, family values, psychological horror, cultural anxiety, patriarchy, cinema studies, social isolation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The work focuses on the relationship between horror films and the evolution of American society, specifically examining how these movies reflect cultural shifts, gender role perceptions, and societal anxieties across different decades.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the text?
The core themes include the intersection of mass culture and social concerns, the historical evolution of horror cinema, the representation of domesticity and gender, and the impact of societal moral decay on film narratives.
What is the main research objective of this study?
The primary goal is to demonstrate that horror films are not merely "low culture" but are complex, meaningful texts that effectively project and help audiences process the specific fears and social transformations of their time.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a socio-cultural film analysis, incorporating psychoanalytic theory and thematic critique to examine how specific cinematic narratives function as cultural mirrors.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body provides case studies of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho to illustrate 1950s social trends, and John Carpenter’s Halloween to analyze 1970s social permissiveness and the breakdown of traditional family structures.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The research is best characterized by terms such as horror genre, gender roles, social anxiety, cultural reflection, and cinematic symbolism.
How does the author interpret the character of the "final girl" in the context of the 1970s?
The author, referencing Carol J. Clover, interprets the "final girl" as a boyish figure whose intellectual strength and distance from sexualized behavior allow her to survive, symbolizing a complex negotiation of traditional and non-traditional gender values.
What role did the absence of parents play in the horror narratives analyzed?
In the analyzed films, the absence or failure of parental figures is identified as a critical factor that leaves teenagers vulnerable, mirroring a perceived societal loss of moral guidance and the decline of traditional family values during the 1970s.
- Quote paper
- Emilia Wendykowska (Author), 2012, American culture and perception of women in horror movies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/196807
