The film The Human Centipede uses several horror conventions and film theories. It features a psychopathic doctor villain who surgically attaches 3 people mouth to anus, creating a "human centipede." This transgressive act subverts the normal positive iconography of doctors and hospitals. Feminist theory also applies as the 2 female victims are vulnerable and subjected to the male gaze. The ending leaves one victim alive, allowing for a potential sequel as theorized by Carroll. Overall the film creates horror through disturbing the expected meanings of common icons and empowering the villain over his victims.

1. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE
Applying and Identifying the micro-elements in Horror
film plots

2. SUB-GENRE AND CONVENTIONS
There are several sub genres that can be identified in the film, such as sci-fi, body parts and
mutilation. There are also some common conventions used in characters and themes in the
film. The characters conventions met are a villain “doctor”, who has elements of the
psychopath character in him. He is mutilating his victims in a horrific way and creating
something which is far from real life, meaning we see it as his strange fantasy and lets us
assume he is mentally deranged. The fact he is wearing a doctors coat creates a strange
juxtaposition and makes him seem even weirder as the connotations of a doctors coat is
helping people whereas he is using it in a sick way.
Another main convention of characters in the film are the 2 young American girls who are
tourists in Germany. Young girls are typically common victims in horror films, and these girls
are tourists which makes them even more vulnerable as they are in a unfamiliar country.
There are also some instances of the male gaze, which is almost always seen in horror films
with young women in. There is also a sense of sex and power, with the men being in the
higher power and the women in the lower power. For instance, they are on their hands and
knees and close to the ground when they are attached to each other, when the villain is
higher and has the power over them. Secondly, the 3 rd person in the “centipede” is a man,
who is chosen as the first link of the centipede which is the best place to be, as you are fed
while the people at the back have their mouths attached to the person in front. This shows
the women are seen as having less worth than men as they are chosen to be at the back.
There is also the last girl standing, the girl in the middle of the centipede, as she is the one
left alive at then end of the film.

3. ICONOGRAPHY
There is a lot of important iconography in this film, which adds to the theme and horror for the
audience of the film. The villain, Dr. Heiter, wears a doctors coat which is part of the
iconography in the film, as it shows a juxtaposition against what the normal iconography of a
doctors coat is, e.g. saving lives, important role, heroic person, with the contrast of the
context in which he is wearing it, which is with intention to mutilate and create inhumane
experiments. This creates a binary opposite between the iconography of the doctors coat in
real life compared to in this film. The effect of this is more of a disgust and horror from the
audience because of the use of the coat, and the fact of his actions linked to being a “doctor”.
It also shows the power he has over his victims, as he is wearing a costume which is linked
with a role to do with saving people and he uses it for control and self interest. Bandages also
add to the clinical, doctor theme, which are wrapped around the patients knees and heads, as
they are in a crawling position while they are attached to each other. Again, this created a
binary opposite with the fact that bandages are used to heal and help people when they are
wounded, however in this film it is just to help the fact they are attached to each other
inhumanely.
The fact the three people are attached to each other “mouth to anus” and the title, The
Human Centipede, also creates a sort of iconography of a creature created by three humans.
This gives them a derogatory sense, making them into something less important than they
are because they are being forced and mutilated into a horrifying shape and connecting them
to create something new.
The location is a convention as well as an iconography, which again adds to the binary
opposite theory and the juxtaposition in the film, as it is a makeshift hospital themed room

4. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE AND FILM
THEORY
There are a number of theories that can be applied to The Human Centipede. Firstly,
Levi Strauss' theory of binary opposites; the idea of two themes as opposite forces
in the film. For this theory we can say the idea of the iconography creating a binary
opposite of what we recognise and the context of it in the film (the doctor, hospital,
surgery elements). This creates a link between good v evil.
Another theorist, Noel Carroll suggest films are left open ended to allow a sequel to
be produced. This creates enigma and suspense and will make the audience see the
sequel if it is produced, because we want to see what happens. In this case, it is
achieved by the last girl standing, and there is a Human Centipede 2.
Laura Mulvey's feminist theory of the male gaze can be applied to the two females
in the film, as they break down and come to the man's house looking for help. They
are vulnerable and seen as less powerful than men, as well as being on their hands
and knees for the centipede. When they come to the house, they are wet from the
rain and have low cut tops and their hair down, emphasized the sexual idea behind
them.