Gender in Horror Films Carrie, Alien and Amityville Horror
Uploaded by sarahryan70 on May 05, 2005
The representation of gender in horror films varies from director to director, writer to writer. However certain characteristics of gender representation do, at times follow a certain theme. Whilst studying the evolution of horror films it struck me that in some cases the film, while appearing to differ only ever so slightly from the novel upon which it was based, would create images onscreen that would imply things that the novel had never done. Through the tiny differences between novel and film is where insight is to be gained about the audience to which the film is aimed and also about the director’s perspective on the novel itself. In Brian De Palmas production on Carrie I will analyze the representation of women in the film and of their relationships with men and most importantly with one another. Again in Alien Resurrection, which is interesting because the character of Ripley is developed and so more focus is given to her relationships with other characters but also to her sexuality. Finally Amityville Horror is interesting because while initially it will appear that a normal family dynamic is being attacked in the house it becomes clear that the lack of biological link between George and the children makes him as a male character closer to the audience and therefore more relatable than to the family. Finally I will look fleetingly at the gender representations in Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire and how they appear to differ but in fact are very much like the other three texts.
In Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie the focus is completely on all things female. While many films and novels previously were more concerned with the male hero while using female roles as the victims Carrie’s relatable characters were, with the exception of Tommy Ross, all female. While the film does not deviate hugely from the novel certain scenes were cut and more attention is paid to the highly sexed atmosphere between the characters. Filmed in 1979 the film concentrates a large proportion of its subliminal messaging on the changing sexual attitudes and promiscuity of the youth at that time and juxtaposes these new attitudes with its main character, Carrie. The film concerns itself from the beginning with creating a clear difference between Carrie and her peers especially in relation to sex. The opening sequence where the girls are changing in the...