I agree with all those below who affirm Tourneur's Night of the Demon as a work of the horror genre per the requirements outlined by Carroll. But it seems to be that most of us see the requirement of the monster being fulfilled by either the demon itself, or by Karswell, the man "controlling" the demon and working dark magic. I would argue that simply the runes themselves, being a powerful, impure and threat in their own right might qualify also. The magic sequence of runes that posses the power to bring certain doom to those who unwillingly receive them -well, that seems threatening enough to me. The idea that the symbols on this piece of paper are indicative of some otherworldly force that can determine fat, and that they almost seem to have a will of their own, trying to escape or evade the grasp of those who hold them. So, in a way, I think that the runes themselves might qualify as the representative monster in a sense, and that they're more than just a note that says, "hey, a demon's going to come and get you," but rather the indication of the force that can control fate.
So, monster out of the way, Tourneur also does a good job of creating opportunities for the audience to sympathise with the protagonists in the story and fear for their well being when they are placed in dangerous and suspenseful situations, and when they encounter the various manifestations of monsters in the story. Through these opportunities to sympathise and fear for the characters, through the chances we're given to become emotionally invested, and through the inevitable harrowing events that ensue, I also think that the emotional effect that Carroll identifies as characteristic if the horror genre exists. At times, one might also be given the opportunity to encounter a certain degree of cosmic fear or dread, as when Holden is slipped the runes and told he has only three days to live. The idea that such a small and discreet slip of paper could have so much power of his fate and that such a fate seems inescapable, creates within the audience a degree of dread and awe at the idea that one's fate could be controlled so easily. That something understood to be beyond all control could be determined so quickly and without much effort.
This theme of fate can be understood using Carroll's logic of suspense schema. When a man has a fate that is "sealed" when he is given a definite date on his demise, the most probable and least acceptable outcome is that he does, in fact, meet his doom in the manner prescribed. This is what draws the audience in, gets them emotionally involved with the character, for though the least favorable outcome is the most likely, we must see if it really does. In this case, Holden doesn't die three days after receiving the runes. An especially tense and suspenseful scene occurs at the very end of the film, when Holden has ten minutes until the demon is supposed to kill him and is trying to slip the runes back to Karswell without being caught. Holden's chances of success at this, when Karswell is being especially careful and when he's only got less than ten minutes to do it, are very low, and yet the most desirable outcome would be his success. Thus, Carroll's formula for suspense is effective in this instance.
The plot of the film appears to be a combination of both the complex discovery plot and the overreacher plot. The overreacher plot is easily identified as Karswell's attempt to control dark forces that he has no business dabbling in, as has been mentioned below. The complex discovery plot can be identified in the film in several areas, perhaps most readily dealing with Holden's inability to accept the supernatural. Rather than Holden's attempting to prove to others and the world the existence of a monster, it is the world (particularly Karswell, Karswell's mother, and Ms. Harrington) that is trying to convince Holden of the existence of a monster and an urgent need to act. In the end, the existence of the monster is proven and accepted by Holden and the matter addressed, just as would be the case in the conventional application of the complex discovery plot -only that it's the protagonist that needs convincing. It is arguable, however, that the confrontation with the monster is forgone, at least by Holden, who, though convinced of its existence enough to give the runes back to Karswell, refuses to see if it was really the demon that led to Karswell's demise.
Regarding Tourneur's cinematic techniques, I appreciated his use of a characteristic sound for the approaching demon, though I would have liked to have seen it used a bit more throughout the film, and perhaps use it not just to reference the presence of the demon directly, but of the runes at work as well. And as for a moral, social or political message implied... well one could argue that the moral of the story is to not dabble in that which inevitably will overtake you, and to not underestimate the reality of the spirit world (whenever you're in England, anyway). Nothing particularly social or political stands out to me, unless you count the obvious incompetency of the British police force as portrayed in the film, or the ridiculousness with which Holden's psychiatric colleagues operate. All in all, everything points to indication that spirits and demons and magic persists, regardless of our adamant attempts to ignore it, our own disbelief, or science's attempts to explain it away.
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