Cabin in the Woods is an extremely recent Horror movie, as
it was released in 2012.
The story consists of aspects which seem conventional, e.g.
a group of teenagers going on a road trip, but there are clear subversions in
this film. The main twist in Cabin in the Woods, would be the company who is
presented voyeuristically watching the teens every move before and after they
reach the cabin. This essay will analyse elements which I found interesting in
the trailer, but also the movie.
Conventions and Subversions:
Cabin in the Woods subverts traditional Horror, as the
narrative consists of a company who has to sacrifice people in order for the
earth to be safe from the God’s. The
genre is a hybrid, as there are Supernatural aspects in terms of mythology and
it occasionally seems like a Teen Comedy. In terms of characters you have the
conventional “Blonde Slut” trop (Jules), who is shown encouraging hedonistic
activities when drinking and dancing provocatively. This is a traditional
aspect of Horror, which is why as a viewer I knew she would die. In Horror
movies women who have had sex, often die first as they’re seen as impure and demonic.
When first watching this film, I was surprised that there was an intelligent
male (Holden) and female (Dana),
as usually you either have one or the other within the group of friends. This
was unconventional, however the way the other characters treated them added an
element of convention, e.g. the “Jock” Curt assumed the intelligent girl would pick
truth in Truth of Dare. Marty who at first appears to be an unintelligent“junkie”,
is actually the first character to question their safety at the cabin. This is
unconventionally as in films like Scream and Halloween, the characters who take
drugs, drunk alcohol or had sex were portrayed as people who deserved to die
due to their sinful behaviour. Marty breaks this stereotype and almost survives
till the very end with Dana.
What I found Interesting:
A scene which I found interesting was at the start of the
film, where Dana is in her underwear standing in front of a window. The wide
shot emphasises a sense of voyeurism which is consistently presented in Horror.
This shot was odd to me as usually it isn't the virgin who is presented as
vulnerable by being half naked, especially at the very start of a film. This scene reminded me of Alien, when Ripely
was shown her underwear, however it is slightly different as her lack of
clothes represented the danger which was about to occur due to the alien
appearing.
Films it pays homage to/Theories:
- It reminds me of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as there are a bunch of teens going on a road trip. The pan shot of the scenery is extremely similar Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as the nature adds emphasises to the isolated location.
- There's a a picture of Lillith from Case 39 in the cellar. This reinforces the idea that Cabin in the Woods is repeating traditional aspects of the Horror genre with difference (Steave Neale). Typically Horror films don't reference other Horror films, but like Cabin in the Woods Scream also uses satire by playing on the expected conventions.
- The wolf on the wall mirrors the hawk in Norman Bates room. They're both used as symbols of the characters being in danger, as wolfs and hawks watch their prey from afar and slowly seek them.
- The Hermeneutic Code by Barthes is portrayed in the trailer, as it suggests that you will see something unexpected and different but it is left a mystery to what causes distress for the protagonists.
Conclusion
While studying the Horror genre, you need to be able to consider every moment of change or repetition throughout the years. Cabin in the Woods is a good example, as it strengthens the idea that in order for something to be new it has to have elements of the old in order to create something new.
Reference:http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/File:The-Virgin-the-cabin-in-the-woods-32022810-500-200.gif , http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/32000000/The-Whore-the-cabin-in-the-woods-32022718-500-200.gif
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