How does the horror genre represent women?

Typically in genre, women are represented by their four roles; domestic, consumer, familiar (marital) and a sex object; they are usually objectified through the use of cinematic techniques from a male’s point of view, also known as the ‘Male Gaze’. Although many theorists believe commercial cinema is seen in this way, making the audience, of both genders, view it from a male’s point of view and objectifying women, I don’t however; necessarily think this completely applies to the horror genre.

Take, for example ‘Halloween’ (1978) directed by John Carpenter. It was considered to be the first movie to set a trend for the slasher sub genre, setting a basic theme to sub horror plots. The opening scene is a long take, point of view shot of Michel Myers watching his sister having sex with her boyfriend, and although he isn’t seeing it in a sexually pleasing way, (because he is a six year old boy watching his sister), he is still objectifying her, this kind of shot is repetitive throughout the film, whereby after he escapes 15 years later, he murders Annie and Lynda, who are also two sexually active young girls. Halloween is very much revolved around sex, and how it relates to ‘the return of the repressed’ which causes Michel Myers psychosis. A feeling where he has tried blocking out the traumatic incident of seeing his sister engaging in sex corrupted him into killing more sexually active people, which turns out to be mostly young girls, which, conventionally is one of the roles that is fulfilled by young women. However, Laurie, who is the same age as her peers, dresses more masculine, whereby she is not seen as someone to look at sexually, but, she does play the role of domestic, carving pumpkins with the children and being their carer. Although throughout the movie the audience associates with her as the main protagonist through camera shots (close ups and reaction shots) she does also step out of her role of the stereotypical representation of a women as the subject to become the victim/hero, using her initiative, giving traits of how men are ‘usually presented in terms of stereotypes’, showing she can be authoritive and independent, she is seen as intellectual throughout, which s probably why she isn’t made to look feminine or that interested in men.

In ‘The Shining’ (1980) the only scene where a woman is objectified is the scene where jack walks in on the woman in the bath tub, we see this as a point of view shot where he is looking at her legs, and then gradually tilts up her naked body, she is fulfilling the role of being desired, a sex object. However, when he realizes she is an old rotting corpse she is no longer seen as a desirable but is repulsive because of her age (and her rotting flesh). Initially, Jacks wife Wendy reinforces the gender stereotypes as well; she fulfils her familiar role by caring for her family and doing her domestic duties, and through the majority of the film Jack, the ‘alpha male’ is dominant and authoritive, and she is submissive and defined through her relationship with him. Even though she is placed in some roles that are associated with women, she doesn’t dress at all provocatively, and is not objectified through camera techniques, and as the movie progresses, the camera begins to have more close ups of her, reaction shots and see things from her point of view, making us, the audience now associate with her as the main subject, the protagonist. Again, the phrase ‘return of the repressed’ is relevant to this movie because Jack has accepted a job because he wanted to be able to complete his book and thought it would be good for his family. After he begins to crack up and hallucinate he becomes psychotic that he hasn’t done the best for him and his family, that he has failed at looking after them and not taken his role on as the dominant protective male of the family, losing his power of authority and shows an intellectual ‘writers block’ and the best thing to do would to be the murder them.

Like with Laurie in ‘Halloween’ Wendy is the final girl, they’re both not overly feminine, edging on masculinity and in Laurie’s case, she is a contrasting representation to her peers, which is ironic seeing as in both movies it is the final girl which the killers seem to be after.

It’s clear in horror movies there is more flexibility for the age ranges in male characters, probably due to they are shown on television more then women, typically, age for both genders have very different connotations, i.e. a single women known as a spinster, gives the image of an old woman in a dusty old house, where as a bachelor is a well off, youthful man living in a nice one. Although the movies I have studied I have found this isn’t always true, and there are just as many main female roles as men, proving that in horror women are to be the main protagonist, and coming out, and triumphing as the hero, not submissive and weak, and the fact that these movies were both made over two decades ago shows equality even then, and has still progressed now in film, but does also still conform to some stereotypes such as in ‘Eden Lake’ (2008) but of more modern ideologies and conformities.