Twisted Allure:
The Dark Appeal of Horror Cinema
People are drawn to different genres of film for a variety of reasons. Romantic comedies, for example can be understood as a kind of wish-fulfillment about an idealized form of 'true' love. In a similar fashion, violent genres such as 'splatter film' in which gore and senseless violence are glorified, appeal to the darker side of human nature; by portraying our primal fear and urges the audience is able to engage with concepts and emotions that are repressed in everyday life. In this sense. film is not only a source of distraction, but also an emotional and psychological outlet for our inner demons. The horror genre encapsulates this impulse in several key ways.
Horror movies can take many forms. Some focus on the buildup of dramatic tension through atmosphere and allusions towards terrible things to come. The Blair Witch Project is a classic example of this sub-genre; a documentary-form 'found footage' movie with an elaborate marketing campaign designed to build anticipation and dread. The marketing strategy of this particular film (and it's incredibly successful outcome) suggests that people want a sense of realism in their horror films so that they can cannot on an emotional level with the problem of the characters. Interestingly, in the Blair Witch Project the actual violence is kept to a minimum. Instead the audience gratification comes from the anticipation and buildup of tension.
Humans have certain primal fears that have been around for thousands of years. Snakes, spiders, deep dark places such as caves... Coming into contact with these things generates an adrenaline release, causing increased heart rate and feelings of excitement. Done well, horror movies create the illusion of danger, and stimulate a physical response. The Saw franchise subjects characters who do not seem to value their lives and subjects them to their worst fears. The audience' primal fears are triggered, leading them through a process of fear and catharsis.
A more unsettling reason why people are drawn to horror films (and movies in general) is the desire to identify with certain characters, usually the victims but sometimes (especially in cases when the antagonist is charismatic killers like Hannibal Lecter or faceless monsters like Jason Voorhees) it is possible that the audience relates to the antagonist. Humans contain both light and dark elements, and horror movies place put these competing element into sharp contrast.
Despite their ability to arouse and provoke feelings of fear and discomfort in the audience, horror films are a medium of entertainment that function by triggering our primal instincts and giving voice to our implicit repressed thoughts. It is precisely due to their disturbing qualities that people are drawn to the genre- out of morbid curiosity and the thirst for catharsis.
No comments:
Post a Comment