Throughout the many tropes which are correlated with the presence of the Horror Film Genre, there is always one underlying theme that is consistent over the lifespan of horror film development: The main protagonist(s), male and/or female, struggle to bring a sense of normality and uniformity back into a society that has turned into a chaotic domicile. We, then, must question and evaluate what obstacles conflict with the protagonist’s motives. These are, in terms of this analytical essay, the subject of the Other to whom possesses characteristics that can be equated to common symptoms of patients diagnosed as psychotic or similar psychopathology. In valuating this posed statement, Robin Wood’s theory, which is the concept of sexual repression …show more content…
Essentially, this theory describes that a boy feels like he is in competition with his father for the love and compassion of his mother. The boy views his father as a rival and will do anything to gain the mother’s companionship. Additionally, Freud claims that this theory occurs within the phallic stage of psychosexual development between the ages of three and five and will remain with the boy throughout his life unless it is properly resolved. Many horror films surround themselves around this concept of sexual desire and sexual repression, particularly in Hitchcock’s Psycho, where Norman Bates engulfs this sexual relationship between himself and his “deceased” mother. In mother-son incestuous relationships, the mother either loves her son in all of the wrong ways or there tends to be more focus on who in this relationship is the aggressor, the mother of the son. This particular aspect in the relationship is often played humorously within a film, where the son understandably freaks out due to the mother’s advances (which is correlated to Norman Bates’ reaction to his “mother” when he discovers that Marion has been
I have provided a clear evaluation of his essay in an organized way using the appropriate standards of evaluation. In understanding why humans “Crave Horror Movies” even when some people get nightmares after watching them we find the importance of our emotions and fears. We find those emotions and fears form a body of their own which needs to be maintained properly in order to remain healthy. We see how emotions can be controlled though viewing horror movies. Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies” is a well written essay with convincing analogies, comparisons, and urban humor.
...y away from women, Norman seems to lusts after Marion, and “Mother” did not approve of it. Of course at the end of the film we discover that the mother is actually also Norman, who “transforms” into his mother whenever he experiences sexual desire for other women. Norman’s mother’s personality that consumed him would kill those who threatened to come between them. After listening to the manner in which Norman’s mother spoke to her son, Marion can't believe that Norman is traumatized so harshly by his mother and suggests he should break away from her. She overstepped her boundaries when she suggested Norman place his mom in an asylum. Marion insists that he can free himself from the traps that he feels have possessed him. The fact that Norman lusted Marion and Marion threatened the relationship between him and “mother’s” served purpose enough for her murder.
This film pulls in real dreads, Bates attempting to deal with his mother’s passing. It has nightmares, when he can’t handle her passing, so he treats her corpse as if she is still alive and well. It shows the interests of others, which for most people is curiosity, and this is brought in with multiple questions about the mother. This film is inserting not one, but yet two opinions, one of which is that people with multiple different personalities can be dangerous. The last opinion, it in forces is that people all have two sides to them. They have the side we let everyone see, the Sside they believe they are as people, and then we have another side, which for some, as in Bates condition, is difficult to keep in check. This film has captured many people, because it is possible for these things to happen in real life. It’s not like some scary movies where it seems almost impossible for most of this to
Modern day horror films are very different from the first horror films which date back to the late nineteenth century, but the goal of shocking the audience is still the same. Over the course of its existence, the horror industry has had to innovate new ways to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Horror films are frightening films created solely to ignite anxiety and panic within the viewers. Dread and alarm summon deep fears by captivating the audience with a shocking, terrifying, and unpredictable finale that leaves the viewer stunned. (Horror Films)
Psychological manipulation was imbedded in the film when it was finally revealed that Norman is ‘Mother’, it made us question how we identified with a deranged villain. Hitchcock manipulated us through psychological and narrative techniques by gaining the sympathy for Norman Bates before the crime is committed. Making us already have a basis for wanting Norman to be safe and unaccountable for his ‘Mother’s’ crime. In Psycho the villain is portrayed humanistically. This makes us audience question if it takes a normal human being to be a
For the past five weeks we have studied gender and psychoanalysis in horror films. Over the duration of our studies, I have learned much more about the abject and how gender in regards to female genitalia is conveyed in some horror films. The object that I decided to write my object analysis about is the film Teeth directed and written by Mitchell Lichtenstein. The film surrounded most of its attention on the protagonist Dawn and the horrors created by her vagina. In the beginning of the film Dawn remains celibate and refrains from anything that will sexually arouse her, including movies and male friends. As the film persists, Dawn eventually is raped by her crush, Tobey, during their sexual encounter Tobey’s penis is suddenly chopped off from
The film studies the duality of human nature, and discusses the depravity and immorality of the 1950s. Feminist film critics often argue it to be a “prototypical on extreme violent assaults on women.” Psycho places prominence on the devouring nature of Norma Bates and her influence on her son as both an individual and lover. It can be argued that Norman would not be the criminal he is without the controlling methods of his mother. Through Norman’s impersonations “go tell her she’ll not be appeasing her ugly appetite with my food… or my son” allows we as an audience to form a judgment about the character of Mrs. Bates. Through the repetition of “my” we are able to observe her possessive nature and verbal maltreats towards Norman. Despite Norman killing her off ten years ago, Norma Bates has an enormous impact on his life. Although the mother is not present in the film, the symbolic role of the “absent” mother is more powerful, as it continually reminds us of the maternal dominance of an adult’s infantile unconscious. In Psycho Hitchcock passes over the fine line between neurosis from psychosis to reveal the protagonist’s utter dominance by the hallucinating illusions of the ‘oedipal
Everyone knows their fair share of “mama’s boys” right? Get this, ever met one who still lets their mother bathe them? Oswald Cobblepot is the sinister villain in the Tv show Gotham where he does what has to be done to get to the top. Norman Bates of the movie Psycho is a seemingly harmless manager of his mother’s motel who has a rather dark side. Oswald and Norman are far from your normal share of grown men. Although both characters stories structure and settings do not actually correlate to one another, the behaviour of the two personalities and relationships with mothers are very alike. Similarly both have closer than average unhealthy relationships with their mother. Also, both share a mental problem of being flat of crazy. Through the
On the surface, Ginger Snaps can be easily dismissed by critics as a typical B-rated teen-turned-werewolf movie. What distinguishes this movie from other horror films, however, is its subversion of the traditional perspective of its genre. The transformation in the film is suffered by Ginger Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old girl. This lycanthropy coincides with Ginger's first menstrual period, making the subject matter metaphorical for the often fearful transition into the sexuality and identity formation of adulthood. Moreover, the relationship between Ginger and her sister Brigitte deteriorates in such a way that is also emblematic of the human psyche's conflicts. As their paths diverge in the film, each sister is confronted with the instincts of love and death or aggression; Eros and Thanatos in Freud's terms. The focus here will be to view these salient themes in Ginger Snaps through the lens of Freudian analysis. More specifically, this paper will analyze the psychical conflict due to complications of the instinct toward love or aggression, as represented in the metaphorical transition into adolescence and the relationship between the two sisters.
sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that may
Norman’s mind housed two personalities, his and his mother’s. After his father had died, Norman and his mother had lived “as if there was no one else in the world.” A few years later, Norman’s mother met a man that she planned to marry. Driven with jealousy, Norman murdered both the man and his mother because he had felt replaced. The guilt ate him up and caused him to pretend that his mother was still alive. In order to do this, half of him became his mother. Just as Norman was jealous of any man who came near his mother, the mother half of Norman was also jealous of anyone that aroused Norman himself. Therefore, when Marion came to stay at the Bates Motel, owned by Norman, he was attracted to her, and his attraction spurred the mother half of him to become jealous and murder Marion. Sometimes Norman would dress up as his mother when reality came too close and threatened his illusion. Since his mind was housing two personalities, there was a battle, and eventually his mother won and completely took over Norman. Norman was gone, and his mother has fully taken over (Psycho). The viewers realize that Norman Bates never meant to hurt anyone. It was his jealous emotions stemming from his mother that caused him to murder Marion. In Norman’s case, his mental illness was to blame for his vile crime. Through this portrayal, the viewers are more likely to view mental illnesses negatively. Because Norman’s
Freud called childhood desire to sleep with the opposite sex parent and to kill the same sex parent of the Oedipus Complex. Freud describes the source of this complex in his introductory lecture (twenty-first lecture): “ You all know the Greek legend of King Oedipus, who was destined by fate to kill his father and take his mother to be his wife, who did everything possible. to escape the Oracles decree and punish himself by blinding him. learned that he had none the less unwittingly committed both these crimes. ”(16.330)
Here is a story where Oedipus the King, who has accomplished great things in his life, discovers that the gods were only playing with him. He has everything a man of that time could want; he is king of Thebes, he has a wonderful wife and children, and great fame through out the lands. He has lived a good life, but in the end everything is taken from him.
No one can deny that horror movies have many negative effects on the psychology and physiology of a person. But if that’s the only case, no one would like watching them. Instead many people crave horror movies, they don’t only...
Outside his palace, Oedipus finds a crowd of citizens and a priest of Zeus. He walks toward the crowd to see what they have to say. He introduces himself as Oedipus, the king, and tells them that he wants to help in any way possible and to find out why they are there.