Although the genre of horror in movies has existed for centuries, in The Philosophy of Horror Noel Carroll writes that the theme of horror movies changes with time. Carroll believes that throughout time, the themes in horror movies have changed to reflect, and respond to what is going on in the world. Carroll maintains that throughout time all works of horror must still contain a monster, but the monster itself, as well as the reactions of the characters and audience to the monster, change with time.
In the 1930s, America was going through the end of the Great Depression, as well as experiencing the beginning of World War II. These two events scarred the American country, and left many of the people feeling helpless. In this time horror films such as Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), King Kong (1933), and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) became popular. Although these films differ in plot elements, all films leave the viewer with a sense of sympathy for the monster. For example, in Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, viewers feel sorry for the monster Frankenstein. Frankenstein did not ask to be made out of dead body parts, nor did he have anything to do with his frightening appearance. In the movie the townspeople are frightened by Frankenstein and try to kill him, however, the audience sympathizes with Frankenstein because he only wants a friend, but is unable to make any friends.
In the 1950s, horror films shifted away from the themes of previous decades. While Americans were still living with the devastating effects of World War II, a new theme of horror movies emerged in the 1950s. Many films in the 1950s mirrored fears and paranoia that people had of the Cold War. Some of the most popular films from the 1950s were “Creature Feature” movies, which featured monsters which were mutated due to radiation. During this time audiences did not experience much sympathy for the monster at all. Films such as The Thing from Another World (1951), Godzilla (1954), Them! (1954), and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), all had monsters which were enlarged due to radiation, while other movies such as The Fly (1958), and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) had monsters which experienced shrinking due to radiation.
During the 1970s, America was experiencing the downside of the optimism that was present in the 1960s. Films during the 1970s often centered on the fear of demonic children, and other family members. The Exorcist (1972) tells the story of Regan, a young child possessed by the devil, while the movie The Omen (1976) has Damien, a young boy who is the son of Satan. Both of these movies, as well as well as Village of the Damned (1960), contain young children that are either possessed, or contain supernatural powers.
During the 1980s, horror movies seemed to reflect the post-modern world. Many of these films contain numerous special effects including distortion of body parts and more realistic monsters. Unlike earlier horror films in which the monsters were basically an actor in a monster costume, films of the 1980s showed a realistic monster, often including gory details. An example of the special effects that were present in the 1980s horror films would be in An American Werewolf in London (1981). This film contains a scene in which David, a young American attacked by an animal, is turning into a werewolf. The transformation scene is particularly frightening because the advanced special effects allowed the director to film a scene which shows a human turning into an animal through the use of distortion of the human’s body parts. Other films which show the advanced special effects of the 1980s would include: The Thing (1982), The Evil Dead (1981), and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
While all of the films listed above are considered to be horror, they feature different themes that depend on the time that the films were made. Although horror has existed throughout many historical events, the events seem to shape the type of horror that is made. The themes of horror movies have changed throughout time to reflect differing social and cultural topics.
1 comment:
I know we talked about this in class with regards to Horror and Ideology according to Carroll. I just think it is important to note that this is just a theory for Carroll and he would even say himself that no one theory could suffice. Although he encourages others to look for themes regarding the history of horror but there are always exceptions. I think Carroll's horror and ideologies is interesting as well as this article. It just goes to say how circumstances and periods in life affect the culture we live in. Im interested in what Carroll would say of the Hollywood horror films nowadays. If the culture/events reflects the horror films, I would also be interested in seeing a horror film depict this slight depression we are in with the economy...Do we go back to the 1930's with a sense of sympathy?
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