Film Analysis: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

On Halloween of 2016, I was invited to a midnight showing of the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the Princess Twin Cinema. As the queue quickly grew, I felt overwhelmingly plain—other movie-goers were donned in intricate costumes and full-faced makeup—and I was wearing generic jeans and a sweater. Although I had previously heard of the film, my expectations of the screening were nothing in comparison to what the actual evening had in store for me. The film tells the tale of the couple Brad Major and Janet Weiss who find themselves with a flat tire on a rainy evening. Seeking a telephone, they find themselves at a nearby castle and are taken under the shelter of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a “sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania,”

In accordance to Marsh, the reinforcement thesis suggests “the media preserve the existing social order.” Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in America in 1975; hence, in reference to Marsh, “Judeo-Christian tradition[s] [would have been] identified within or behind the majority of films watched by Western cinema-goers” during this era. For example, using this theory, the film could have been interpreted as a cautionary tale of the enticement and repercussions of temptation. The main characters, Brad Major and his fiancée Janet Weiss, begin as “two young, ordinary, healthy kids.” However, as they continue their stay at Dr. Furter’s residence, their values quickly plummet. In the night, Dr. Furter visits Brad and Janet in their separate rooms, and seduces each party respectively, contrary to their oppositions to “wait for marriage.” This introduction to sex subsequently leads to Janet becoming intimate with another resident of the estate, Rocky. Therefore, allegorically, Rocky Horror Picture Show may be interpreted as reinforcing the Judeo-Christian notion that intimacy should be reserved for marriage; otherwise, sex may act as a gateway to other sinful activities such as adultery. Hence, in regards to the reinforcement theory, the film may be interpreted as promoting Judeo-Christian hetero-normative

The film can be interpreted in numerous ways and the ritualistic nature of the film is an extremely fascinating topic to investigate. Clive Marsh’s reinforcement thesis and mediation model aided significantly in providing some transparency regarding the audience reception of this film. Although the film may just be interpreted as a B film parody to olden horror and sci-fi movies, there are evidently much deeper-rooted meanings that viewers have instilled in the film. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is everything that I did not know I needed in a movie—satire, gender-bending and lingerie. Although I am not entirely confident that I understand the premise of the film and all of its messages, I am genuinely looking forward to attending another showing and deepening my understanding of this outlandish community and