Looking at film theories and applying them to the genre of Horror

1. By DivyaSharma

2. He said that a narrative text have a deeper meaning to them and you have to
unravel them to find that meaning. He came up with these five codes:
 The Hermeneutic Code (HER) = (the voice of truth) The way a story avoids
telling the truth or revealing all the facts to be able to drop clues for the
reader and create mystery
 The Enigma/ Proairetic Code (ACT) = (empirical voice) the way tension is
built up through the story to leave the audience guessing what will happen
next.
 The Semantic Code (SEM) = (the voice of the person) A text that suggest an
additional meaning by way of connotation which the story suggests.
 The Symbolic Code (SYM) = (the voice of symbols) similar to semantic but it
acts on a wider level. This is typically done in the use of antithesis, where
new meaning arises out of opposing and conflict ideas.
 The Cultural Code (REF) = (voice of science) Looks at the audiences wider
cultural knowledge, morality and ideology

3. His theory was about genre and he argued that pleasure is
derived from 'repetition and difference, there would be no
pleasure without difference. We may derive pleasure from
observing how the conventions of the genre are manipulated. We
may also enjoy the stretching of a genre in new directions and
the consequent shifting of our expectations.
Hollywood’s generic regime performs two inter-related
functions:
 To guarantee meanings and pleasures for audiences
 To offset the considerable economic risks of industrial film
production by providing cognitive collateral against innovation
and difference.

4. He believed that the way we understand certain words depends not
so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but much
more by our understanding of the difference between the word and
its 'opposite' or, as he called it 'binary opposites'.
Examples:
 Young vs Old
 Villain vs Hero
 Good vs Bad

5. Todorovs said that all narrative include contain five fundamental
stages which are:
 A state of equilibrium (all as it should be, the norm)
 A disruption caused by an event
 A recognition that the disruption has occurred
 An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
 A return or restoration of a new equilibrium

6. Propp’s said that in very narrative there are always certain
people that play certain roles. These roles can be:
 hero
 villain
 heroine
 side kick
 donor
 mentor
 father

7. RolandBartes
If applied to this genre it would use the Enigma/Proairetic code
as horror films are all about tension building and without it a
horror piece would not have the same effect.
StevenNeale
His theory would apply to this genre as I would have to include
the conventions that are recognized by my audience and be able
to manipulate them in a way that my audience will get pleasure
from it. But also the audience might enjoy and get pleasure
from seeing the genre being stretched out of its comfort zone.

8. Levi strauss
Applying his theory to this genre and the binary opposites would be
Evil against good or supernatural against humans.
TzentanTodorov
If applied to this genre :
 Starting a with a normal night in with both couples
 Their friends show up who are linked with the events that will start
to occur
 The main guy is becoming distant and seems slightly off to the main
girl and the friends.
 The guy kills off the fiends which helps makes him feel better
 The end is happy for the main guy as his duty of killing is now
complete.

9. VladmirPropps
Applied to this genre the people who will play these roles would be:
 Heroine = main female actor
 Villain= the main male actor and the evil figure
 Side kick= friend
 Donor= the figure
Typically in horrors there normally isn't some type of hero depending
on how the story lie will ned and typically no one wins expect the
villain and there are not many roles that are included in the genre.