The Influence of Horror/Thriller film on the Emotions

A warning that the plots and twists of several films will be spolied in this presentation.

What is Horror?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZNhGouvGg (watch from 03.22-4.22 for given definition)

Reason for the “H” Certificate

The film “The Bride of Frankenstein” featured a scene of a child being killed. As a result the British Censors established the “H” Certificate as explained the previous slide by Sir Christopher Lee.

Horror film definition

Horror film is a motion picture calculated to cause intense repugnance, fear, or dread. Horror films may incoporate incidents of physical violence and psychological terror.

Horror film genres

Traditional horror- Use of primal fears. Horror films often deal with the concept of the audience nightmares,hidden fears,terror of the unknown.

Plot point frequently themes like supernatural,monsters,aliens,witches.

Gore/splattler film- Focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence.

Use of special effects to exploit the vulnerability of the human body and the theatricality of its mutilation.

Psychological horror

Psychological horror- relies heavily on the characters' fears and emotional instability to build tension.

The aims are to create discomfort by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities and fears, such as the shadowy parts of the human psyche that most people repress or deny referred to in the archetypal shadow characteristics: suspicion,distrust,self-self doubt and paranoia of others or the world.

Case Study: Invasion of the Bodysnatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a 1956  American black and white science fiction filmdirected by  Don Siegel starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter, that was released through Allied Artists Picture Corporation. Daniel Mainwaringadapted the screenplay from Jack Finney's 1954 novel The Body Snatchers.[2]

The story depicts an extraterrestrial invasion of a small California town. The invaders replace human beings with duplicates that appear identical on the surface but are devoid of emotion or individuality. A local doctor uncovers what is happening and tries to stop them.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956)

The film portrays a different take on emotions. The two definitions of “universalist” vs “socail constructivism” are turned on it’s head.

Universalist theory: The alien pod people are born without emotions when they awaken. No emotions is biologically part of their DNA.

Social Constructivist theory: When Doctor Miles Bennet questions the difference of the pod people ,locals have their own percieved ideas of how their loved ones should act emotionally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpNdzSxXw-I Important clip detailing on emotions portrayed

Anit- Communist message

The film has been criticized for having an anti-communist message. The film released in 1956,during the heart of the Cold War. The United States feared of bombs dropped by the Soviet Union. The sci-fi twsit the film displayed is more freightening.

Instead of bombs they are pods, that sneak in through the farm and replace after you sleep.

Notice in the clip at how everyone will be the same, at that it is a much more simpler way of life.

Arguably Hollywood was playing on the emotion of fear on the public and portrayed the concept of communist being emotionless.

Coming the end of the film Becky falls asleeps and becomes a pod person. This an example of the two different shots. Notice Becky’s emotionaless face and Miles fearful emotional face to display the difference

Representation of 1950’s America through Becky and Miles relationship

Miles and Becky’s relationship displayed can be seen as the heart of the film. Despite them not being married

They represent the traditional American values of the 1950’s

Examples being : Date nights,the breakfast scene where displays these very traditional values.

These values are threatened by the pod people as their love is what they fight to hold on to no matter what. They are affectionate and playful together

It can be argued of their American values being socially constructed though.

Traditional Horror: Classic Monsters and their portrayal of emotions

Dracula: Portrayed as having emotions. He uses this as an advantage on his victims. However he does not experience all types of emotions eg love.

Frankestein’s Monster: Learns emotions and craves to be more human but is rejected. His society

The Wolfman- Loses his humanity through his transformation. Emotions are reduced

Zombie

A drone, protrayed as experiencing no emotions. The question of emotions determining what it means to be human

A quote of “Invasion of the Bodysnatchers” that argues emotions are define our humanity

“In my practice, I've seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. Only it happened slowly instead of all at once. They didn't seem to mind... All of us - a little bit - we harden our hearts, grow callous. Only when we have to fight to stay human do we realize how precious it is to us,” – Dr Miles Bennell

The film “Warm Bodies”(2013) gives the audience a new concept of zombies regaining emotions with the influence of love. In the film it restarts their hearts and turns their animated corpses into full functioning human bodies again

This again an example in film of emotions defining our humanity and what it means to be alive.

Gore/Splatter film

Examples: Halloween,Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jason

In direct contrast, the “monsters” of gore films are usually completely insane. That they do not experience emotions like empathy,sympathy or fear. They are merely men hidden behind masks committing murder, and are usually silent.

This arguably desensitised the shock value to the viewer. An example of this is in “Halloween”(1978) where the camera shot is seen through his mask while Michael Myers kills.

This has been critically accessed by Horror film directors to create a type of emotionless experience. As victims becomes a novelty and audience are merely watching people be killed brutally and not care.

Example of vision through Michael’s mask in Halloween”

Based on a True story?

Socially constructivism of “true stories” in Horror films

One type of Horror film that branches all genres is when they give the tag line “based on a true story”.

Example notice the tag line of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”(1974) “What happened is true. Now the motion picture thats just as real”

The True story element immediately plays on the mind, that this could have happened. This justifies it can happen to the given viewer and so before even beginning the film they start off a perception of fear. This perception of fear was socially constructed.

The Blairwitch Project(1994)

The film “The Blairwitch Project” is an interesting example of this socially constructed fear.

While it is not based on a true story. The marketing campagin made you believe it was. Examine at the text on the cover it appears as what could be seen in a news paper.

The filming style also influences this as while watching the film you feel as if it is a real life documentary that only adds to the audience idea of fear and paranoia.

Case Study: The Exorcist(1973)

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blattyfrom his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe,[3][4] deals with thedemonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother's desperate attempts to win back her child through an exorcism conducted by two priests.

The Exorcist had a huge emotional impact on the public

Scared the public of America back to church:

Audience fainting,passing out during screenings

Complimentary “barf bags” given with each ticket

Demonized Ouija boards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4f_NMUxcY Clip of the Spider-walk

The Exorcist played lightly on the “true story” element as it was loosely based on a book. The American public had never seen such a vulgar and grosteque evil on screen before.

Before the film there was a trend for Ouija boards that was completely demonized after.

The film had to be re-released with a proper age rating.

It is still to this day the highest grossing R rating film of all time and recieved oscar praise.

The Exorcist can indeed be seen as an example of a film influencing the emotions of society dramatically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDXFGpS0HV0 Example of foul language and imagery

Psychological Horror: Psycho(1960)

Psyscho is another film that had an impact on the public in 1960.

It follows the genre of psycological horror. We follow a main character that is already quite paranoid only to be shockening murdered in the shower.

This drastically changes the plot.

The rest of the film viewers may be on edge as we follow characters closely and emotionally. This makes murder scenes more influential to our emotions as we have been following other characters emotions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81qweiWqyTU Famous Shower Scene. Notice how music influences the emotional tone.

In contrast to other previous monsters examined Pyscho’s villain Norman Bates proves an different type of “monster” that kills. We see a range of emotions from the character which has to do with his emotional pyscological stuggle. In ways the audience learns to care and fear for him.

Example of Foreign Horror: Example: REC.(2007) (MAJOR

SPOILERS) Spanish horro that combines all three of the given horror film genres.

Rec.(2007) Example of Horror film that combines all three of the proposed genres

The film Rec. Plays on traditonal horror with the element of proposed zombies and monsters. Playing on our traditonal fears with locations like dark hall ways throughout the film. As well as the plot twist of not being zombies but a santanic cult of demon possessed people.

It has the feel of true story with the documentary touch of the shaky camera. This twist also acts on the pyscological aspect as we follow the main characters through the

It displays gore in the extreme violence demonstrated by “monsters”

Conclusion:

Fear is primal and biological within all of us as an emotion

. However our fears can be influenced by horror and how they are influenced is socially constructed by film makers.