Case Study: The Evolution of Frankenstein Films Week 13: Class, Race and the Horror Film Draft Written by: Greg Thompson Edited by: Dr. Kay Picart Web Design by: Michaela Densmore Edited by Dr. Kay Picart and Michaela Densmore © 2001

Objectives and Outline  Introduce Horror Genre (30 minutes)  Horror Film Time Line (30 minutes)  Discussion of changes in What horrifies and why in contemporary society (15 minutes)  The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) (30minutes) OR  Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (30 minutes)  Discussion (15 minutes)

HorrorHorror  The horror film genre is one of the most easily recognizable genres that we discuss. It is marked by several key icons such as heavy makeup, a monster, or monstrous antagonist, and creepy settings. Even though the definition is easy to grasp, the horror film is intended to horrify the audience.

What Horrifies?  Both the question of what horrifies, and the idea of overcoming that which is feared, lead to an understanding of what the society values and fears.  For this reason we can look at the horror genre and identify several key factors during the course of American history that are reflected in the genre throughout the twentieth century.

1930’s Horror Films  Dracula (1931)  Frankenstein (1931)  The Mummy (1932)  King Kong (1933)  Bride of Frankenstein (1935)  Son of Frankenstein (1939)  The Wolfman (1941)

1930’s World  During the 1930’s, and early 1940’s of course, the U.S and much of the world was in the grasp of a prolonged and deep economic depression.  The decade ended with uncertainty about the deteriorating political situations in Europe and the coming of World War II. Continued...

1930’s World (2)  It would seem that two important things are of significance in relation to these films.  One consideration is that the audience (although being scared) is finding a form of pure escapism in these film; another consideration is that there is a sense of placing the blame on something or someone beyond human control for all the chaos in which one lives.

1950’s Horror Films  The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)  The Beginning Of The End (1957)  The Blob (1958)  Attack Of The Fifty-Foot Woman (1958)

1950’s World  During this post-war period again, several fac- tors contribute to make the horror genre follow a specific pattern.  In this instance, the dropping of the atomic bomb in Japan and the coming the “Atomic Age” presented society with an ambivalent feeling toward the benefits / potential dangers of a scientific world. Continued...

1950’s World  Also largely at play during this time were the insistence on the growth of a corporate mentality and the feeling of alienation that occurred during a tremendous growth in mass society and culture.  The Cold War mentality further emphasized the “us-versus-them” mentality of the time period. Continued...

1950’s World  The films of this time would punish the “evil” or those not willing to “fall in line,” while re- warding those that do follow society’s rules.

1970’s Horror Films  Rosemary's Baby (1968)  Exorcist (1973)  The Omen (1976)  The Amityville Horror (1979)

1970’s World  The films of this time period reflect such things as the deterioration of the family, the Vietnam War era, and the battle between traditional and counter cultural points of view.  There had been an enormous movement in the counterculture of the ‘60s, involving the appropria- tions of Eastern religions. Continued...

1970’s World  The number of films that deal with religious themes could be a relation to this shift in the de- centering of Christianity as the sole religious foundation in U.S. culture.

1980’s and 1990’s Films  Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)  Friday The 13 th (1980)  Halloween (1978)  Silence of the Lambs (1990)  The Sixth Sense (1999)  Hannibal (2001)

1980’s and 1990’s World  The 1980s and 1990s horror films bring along the continuation of the de-centered American family and the dangers that this brings with the 1980s.  These films also focused on the teenage audience and as Bordwell and Thompson state, the fascination with the combination of sexuality and danger. Continued...

1980’s and 1990’s World  The 90s seem to be far more focused on the mental aspects of well being or flaws of the human psyche, reflecting the late twentieth century’s focus on psychology, psychiatry and psychiatrically based therapeutic solutions to problems.

Three Traditional Horror Elements  Spooky locations (e.g. a castle, laboratory, insane asylum).  Heavy make up with or without masks (e.g. Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Freddy Kruger).  Low budgets (e.g. generally any of the films listed above).

The Monster is a Breach of Nature  How the monster is a breach of nature can come about in a number of ways.  The monster might violate the boundary between the living and the dead. It might be an ordinary human who is transformed, or the monster might manifest biology unknown to science. Continued...

The Monster is a Breach of Nature (2)  Belton states that if the monster horrifies us be- cause it violates the laws of nature, we know that the genre is well suited to suggest the limits of human knowledge.  This leads to a common convention of this type of plot wherein the characters conclude that there are some things that humans are not meant to know. Continued...

The Monster is a Breach of Nature (3)  Hence, we see in the horror genre, perhaps more so than in any other genre, the age-old battles between knowledge and power, science and nature, science and religion.

RACE and The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)  Coding and the question of aliena- tion are interrelated in this film and lead us to question of the “look” of the film in terms of casting. Continued...

RACE and The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964) The Problem of Omission  Let me first say that your initial reaction to this question is “Well, it is 19 th century Germany Rhine-land area and a lack of diversity is reason- able, historically.”  To which I reply yes.  With two conditions... Continued...

RACE and The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)  One, the film was made in England in 1964; it would have been possible to cast “non-whites” in some roles.  Point Two is the fact that in reality there are two non-white roles and how they are depicted tells us a great a deal about race in this film. The first of course is the creature. He is blue or green or something that is not any skin color (that’s healthy at least)... Continued...

RACE and The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)  Our other non-white character is that of the deaf-mute girl.  I would emphasize not only her inability to speak but also for her stunning red hair.  She is marked by that hair as something different, out of the ordinary, and unable to fit into society. Continued...

RACE and The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)  Like the creature, she is used by the white male characters in the film for their own gain; she is unable to fit into society and she lacks intelligence.

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell  The question of race portrayal comes about through marking and through omission. Continued...

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell  The monster was a human being at one time, but form the first moment we see him, he is far more ape-like than human, both in terms of the amount of hair and his facial features.  Certainly this type of make up / costuming would at the very least make him less than human.

Class and The Evil Of Frankenstein  Frankenstein is a Baron.  His economic status, although damaged, is still an important identifier for Frankenstein.

Class and Power in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell  In this film Baron Frankenstein is in a position of power not through economic means, which of course has no real value in the insane asylum, but he does have information on the director that puts him in the position to control the asylum.  However, his “power” manifests itself in materialistic ways. Continued...

Class and Power in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell  Frankenstein’s lodgings in the hidden room of the asylum are filled with luxury items that other “inmates” would not be allowed to have.  His ability to purchase the items he needs to continue his experiments also demonstrates his position of power. Continued...

Class and Power in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell  He is now being funded by the state. This is seen when we first we him come to the director to discuss why materials were not paid for in advance.  Through the blackmailing of the director, any and all equipment he will need is paid for through government subsidy.

Discussion Questions  In what ways do race and gender intersect with the monstrous in horror films?  What is the role of the female traditionally in horror films?