This document analyzes the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in terms of its use of exploitation horror techniques and film theory concepts. It notes the film's fast opening pace contrasted with scenes of teenagers having fun, the masked killer using various weapons culminating in a chainsaw, the teenagers encountering the abandoned house and suspicious locals, and the lone surviving female character at the end consistent with the "Final Girl" trope. Overall, it examines how the film employs conventions of the horror genre like mysterious killers, dark settings, and vulnerable victims to create suspense through its visuals, sounds, and treatment of gender roles.

1. Exploitation Horror
Analysis of Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Shot when he is chopping meat in the slaughter house, depth of field over the
shoulder shot is used, this creates enigma because we can’t see his face (Barthes
Narrative Theory)
- The beginning is very fast paced (dark, gross, screams, horrific) and then abruptly
cuts to teenagers in a pool. Binary oppositions, good life vs bad, gruesome, harsh life
(Levi-Strauss Narrative Theory)
- Sex section – blonde girl – conventions of teenagers, romance
- Masked killer, sledgehammer, hits old man (conventions of exploitation horror)
- Axe, knife – blood everywhere – killer analysed all weapons and chose the biggest
(the chainsaw)
- Flash – unfocussed shot of the guy in black, also creating enigma
- Teenagers in the car – binary opposition of death – they all look very happy and they
are playing happy music
- Change in equilibrium – the bikers mess with the teenagers in the car (we, as viewers
now know that something bad is about to happen)
- There is an abandoned house (horror convention)
- Policemen are driving – chainsaw guy dressed in black with mask – we can’t see him,
creates enigma
- They are eating the sheriff – out of the norm, very exploitive
- Dark surroundings – slow, deep music – creates suspense
- Long shot, depth of field, low angle worms eye on sheriff – this makes him look more
powerful
- Characteristics of the girl – curious, vulnerable, suspicious (typical for most victims)
- They crash into a cow – things change – there is blood everywhere, gets very messy
- Last girl standing – Brunette – Still there at the car (Final Girl Theory, Carol J Clover
1992)
- Deep, heavy breathing of girl (typical convention)
- Shot of the man’s foot stamp on the ground – we can’t see anymore, we don’t know
what is coming
- Screeching/heavy breathing continuously
- Cut to scene where sally is running on her own through some woods (horror
convention)
- “Hush little baby” – contrapuntal sound – hitting of blonde guy at the same time!
- Harsh, dark lighting
- Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey) – Men play active roles, women play passive roles