1. Matthew Hackett / Northumbria University
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How scream critiqued the horror genre
In this essay, I will be discussing how Wes craven’s Scream (1996) is a
contextual response to the now threadbare slasher subgenre and how it critiqued
and subverted genre tropes to create an interesting, refreshing narrative for
audiences of the time and how its critiques and subversion kickstarted the
critique stage of the genre cycle.
Narratively, the film subverts the typical structure of a slasher film: order,
chaos, reconstruction. Instead, starting with a prologue with Drew Barrymore, a
big name in the 90s, therefore, the focal point in the marketing of Scream; this
is the first subversion as she’s killed in the prologue when audiences would
expect a big-name actress to be the star so when she’s killed it leaves the
audience in shock. This is reminiscent of psycho when Janet Leigh’s character
was killed midway through the film. This cold open for the film (a narrative
genre troupe originated with 1978’s Halloween) is effective, cementing viewers
into the narrative. This is the narrative subversion as after this inciting incident
in the prologue we are thrown into the chaos, bypassing order which gives the
film a great sense of pace and absorbs the audience into the narrative. During
the chaos section of the narrative we see multiple chase scenes, murders, jump
scares which lead to a final act. At the end of the final fight, Billy is on the
ground and Randy says “this is it the moment when the killer comes back for
one last scare” and Billy jumps up only for Sidney to say “not in my movie”
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after shooting Billy. This is the reconstruction and gives the film a concrete
ending, the monster isn’t still alive waiting for a sequel which is the satire Wes
Craven is implying; making a statement on how studios of the time would make
countless sequels that have made the subgenre stale.
There are multiple ways Wes Craven subverted and critiqued the monster. In
horror, there are four types of monsters: scientific, natural, psychological, and
supernatural. In the slasher subgenre, the predominant types are psychological
and supernatural. In Scream the villains are psychological, conforming to the
genre troupe. It subverts when it’s revealed in the film’s climax that there are
two killers which audiences were not expecting in the 90s. Additionally, most
psychological monsters have a motive but here the motive for Billy is weak and
Stu’s was almost comedic so their motive is almost ambiguous. “We all go a
little mad sometimes”, the iconic line from psycho Billy’s quote revealing he’s
the killer mocks the paranoia of the time and how people believed that these
films would affect the youth. Another way subversion is made is that “Slashers
to be so satisfying because they really rely on plant and payoff to work. You are
dropping hints, red herrings”. (1) Billy subverts this as is to seem like just a red
herring when he drops incriminating evidence but is then cleared of suspicion;
letting the guard down of the protagonist and the audience. Billy is a subversive
fake red herring audiences didn’t expect. The final way in which Wes Craven
subverts the monster is that these villains are weak; they cartoonishly stumble
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around and are constantly knocked over and hurt which is a stark contrast to the
slow-moving but unstoppable force of Michel Myers; this subversion gives
these killers an almost comedic effect but since we see the brutal things they are
capable of in the beginning the audience is still fearful.
It’s a common troupe for teens to be murdered almost as punishment for
promiscuous sexual activity; a result of the context in which the slasher
subgenre was born. The subgenre was officially born with a Texas chainsaw
and in that late 70s period a lot of American teens were rebelling at the older
generation for the Vietnam war and the Watergate scandal. Accompanied by
this time being when teens had disposable income making them targets for
advertisement combusted in the subgenre. The subgenre which has teens as
leads yet shows them doing sinful acts then being punished for those sins. The
final girl is the only one who survives; she’s plain and obedient, take Lorie
Strood as the archetype. Scream subverts this narrative troupe. Sidney is a final
girl yet she is layered; she has a flawed relationship with Billy, a troubled past
which is already a lot more character development than a final girl usually gets.
In the end, she loses her virginity but instead of meeting her fate she triumphs
and becomes a subversive final girl.
The relationship the film has with the audience is voyeuristic. In the opening
scene, we are in a victim’s perspective; we know only as much as the character,
making us a surrogate victim to the horror. The scene has Casey on the phone
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with the killer tormenting her but we don’t see the killer for a large portion of
the scene; indicative of how Spielberg would “hide the shark” saying “I was
able to use so little of it but imply much more” (2). Not seeing the threat gives
the audience the thrill/terror of not knowing what’s coming creating a slow,
nail-biting tension finally released when the killer appears and the brutal murder
is shown. Furthermore, this scene uses three dolly shots. Dolly shots are used to
“reveal, conceal or comment on an action or situation”(3) and “instead of cut (to
a tighter framing of the face) Allows the tension, suspense, and drama of this
moment to unfold gradually”. (3) The scene does exactly this; three times we
find out new information and every time it uses a dolly zoom. This is effective
as in the close up the audience sees Casey’s emotions clearly and can Identify
with her creating tension and terror within the viewer
To conclude I believe Wes Craven watched the subgenre he loved become
oversaturated and was in the final dying embers and I believe my points show
he gave a new and refreshing take on the subgenre.
References
1) James Hellerman (2020) available at: How to Create a Slasher Villain
(nofilmschool.com) (accessed 09/11/2021)
2) Steven Spielberg (1981) The Dick Cavett Show, available at: Steven
Spielberg On The 'Jaws' Shark | The Dick Cavett Show - YouTube
accessed 10/11/2021
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3) Gustavo Mercado (2010) The filmmaker’s Eye: England, Routledge (143)
