Representational issues
- 1. How are different social groups presented?
- 2. Misogyny can occur in horror films when there is a degrading representation of women. This is found particularly in slasher films, where there is often gendered specific violence towards women. Female characters experience violence and brutality at the hands of male antagonists far more often than male characters in these films. Women in horror films are typically reduced to roles that are considered tropes, such as the final girl, the blond victim and the femme fatale. The horror film emphasizes the idea of female sexuality being something that needs to be punished or come with negative consequences. It shows that once a woman acts in a lustful way she will be killed. The American fantasy of women continuously being sexualized is completely taken away in horror films.
- 3. This issue has been presented in movies over the years. It can be stereotypical, as teenagers are presented as being unexperienced, naïve and rebellious, while elders are wise, conservative and grumpy. This can create binary opposites, which is shown in many films. Regarding our film opening, the two characters will be binary opposites, through their age difference and attitude. The contrast between the two characters will be discovered throughout the movie.
- 4. Witches have a history going back many years. Before the advent of Christianity there were many diverse religions – Druids, Norse Odinites and the witches that had for centuries acted as healers, midwives and wise women and men. However, when the Inquisition was launched, it wasn’t just direct ‘threats’ to the Roman Catholic Church that came under suspicion. Anyone could potentially be accused of heresy, and many of those healers and wise woman came under attack. Within horror movies, witches are generally presented as being ugly or deformed, having evil intentions. They usually persuade women to follow them or get revenge upon leaders, especially men. In very few movies witches are presented as being good (Harry Potter franchise).