The Devil's Backbone

Throughout the class, I viewed many horror films but my favorite would have to be The Devils Backbone. The movie starts out in Spain during the middle of the Spanish Civil War. Carlos was sent to an orphanage to live, thinking he would only be there to wait on his father who actually died during the war. Early on we suspect there is a ghost due to Carlos vision of one in the kitchen upon his arrival. At night he is distracted by noises that is suggested to be a ghost. Soon after we learn that a boy that actually lived in the orphanage not to long ago disappeared and is thought to be killed. Little did we know Santi really was actually killed by Jacinto out of rage who is caught by Santi trying to steal gold from the orphanage. After an explosion, many died and a few of the orphans to survive protected themselves together against Jacinto who ultimately is defeated and is drowned in the same pool of water that Santi was thrown into. Although, The Devils Backbone, is controversial between Caroll and Cynthia Freeland's theories the movie provides examples in both "art-dread," and "art horror."

I would consider The Devils Backbone to be more "art-dread" than "art horror." According to Cynthia Freeland, dread involves a sense of danger but is less focused on a particular object and doesn't inlcude the strong repulsion and disgust of horror. In the movie, there is the ghost of Santi that could be considered a monster but the movie isn't centrally focused on the fear of him. The fear is focused more on Jacinto and his presence. Carlos eventually isn't scared of the ghost and confronts him and asks him what he wants, which is Jacinto. So how can the ghost be considered a monster when the characters in the movie aren't even scared of him in the end? But the ghost does create a unnerving feeling since the ghost is powerful and unidentifiable to reason.

The movie also incorporates some of Carrolls theories. In some way, there is a complex discovery plot. We do have some feeling in the beginning of the movie there is going to be some sort of ghost with the fear displayed on some of the faces when there is talk about the orphanage. Then Carlos discovers a ghost on his arrival and in the kitchen stairway later that night. Eventually, Carlos does confront the ghost in the end and reveals he isn't afraid anymore. The ghost does have disgust and fear since his presence isn't possible with modern day science.

Even though there are some points in the movie that could be debated on if The Devils Backbone is "art-horror" I would consider this picture "art-dread." The movie just promotes a sense of danger and fear and doesn't focus on the ghost, which would be considered horror. The movie could go on without the ghost of Santi and there would still be a plot. Santi's ghost is just an added plus.