MEN: In horror films, men are usually seen as the heroes of the film as they always carve some sort of plan in order to save their loved ones or any victims.
They are seen as the key to defeat the villains due to the stigma being attached to them for being brave and in some cases, their well physique. The male heroes are seen as the typical stereotype. This is because they are the main leader which results in them trying to impress, comfort and satisfy the other victim and side characters around them. This can be seen in “The Cabin In The Woods” as “Chris Hemsworth” is seen as the one and only hero, excluding the rest. Despite the typical male hero giving their best shot to offer protection, they end up being severely injured or dead towards the end of the movie. This is done to establish and emphasize their authority, making the audience feel for them and build a special connection with them in regards to how much work the male hero has done.
Overall, the men are seen as the dominant figure, rising above everyone else in almost every aspect of the horror film. The men can be seen as a comfort cushion for the other characters in the horror film as they automatically become inspired, motivated and engaged by the main man. This enable them to have some hope to get through the rough times but doesn’t always go to plan.
The males are at the very top of the hierarchy when observing who the villain is being played by. In the horror film, “Friday 13th, the male villain was wearing a ragged and ripped costume which instantly gave him a animalistic, non-civilized and an outcast look, distinguishing him from the rest of the characters, therefore signifying his importance. The evil male would find pleasure and enjoy the moments of pain being endured by the victims. The evil male is seen as heartless, showing no sympathy towards the ones suffering. This shows a completely different side to how the male can be “good” or “bad. This kick starts the next topic on “contrast” in the men’s two roles. Men are seen as more superior but tend to play more as the villain than the hero due to the support of their physical strength backing up the point of them being ruthless when it comes to killings and outraging behaviour which society does not accept nor agree with. The woman would play the victim more than they would the hero role because they are often undermined by the thought of them playing the strong villain.
WOMEN: The women in horror films are seen as having a weak physique and are more vulnerable to being injured or dying as they find it difficult to protect themselves.
They tend to panic more and follow some instructions of the villain which evidently lead to death. In the horror film “Scream” a young, beautiful, physically appealing young mid 20’s blonde had died within the first few minutes of the opening scene. She was portrayed as a rather emotional woman. A good looking woman in a horror film is seen as a sexual object used to create pleasure for the dirty minded / average male. The males in the horror film are attracted to this because this is how they view woman overall as being nothing of use other than sexual objects. The female is likely to over react, cry or get very emotional, disrupting the plan of the male and causing havoc and unnecessary pressure and tension. Women tend to try and help the male in the process of solving the situation and escaping from the villain but instead, end up accidentally foiling the plan and diverting the situation to have a much worse outcome. The men sometimes view the women as a distraction or see them as an obstruction because another stereotypical factor would be that the women hold the men back from concentrating and doing their jobs.
In contrast to the soft side of the women, there are some female characters who tend to break this barrier and get rid of the thought that women are seen as puny. In a horror film called “Shining”, the actress “Shelley Duvall” shows an excellent impression on how she has a rigid and tough personality by surviving alongside a son as well. Despite the fact that she is still terrified, she manages to find strength and maintains a strong “Never Give Up” mentality, therefore defying and putting to bed the light side of women. After she had defeated her abusing and narrow minded husband, she manages to be independent and still able to protect others at the same time. Her leadership qualities shows the audience that being ruthless but with smart and tactical thoughts, will empower the individual enabling total control of the situation no matter how bad it may be. Duvall has showed that woman may sometimes crack under pressure but also have an on going determination and resistance factor which helps them to keep going further, progressing and solving problems.
Men would be the centre points for battling, winning and taking control, but that is not necessarily always the case in all horror movies.
Although the male is the main character in most horror movies, the female also has a say by proving to the men that they are actually of some use and not just a so called “sexual object” used for pleasure. Also, in “A Nightmare On Elm Street”, the hero, the protagonist – “Nancy Thompson” is the individual who manages to save and change the day after helping her helpless boyfriend as he was neutered by her after being attacked by the fedora-wearing menace. Nancy had placed booby traps all around her house in order to capture and confront the killer. (villain) Again, this shows how women are capable to take charge, showing determination which not only men possess. Men however are still seen as the dominant and all mighty ones due to their strength, hard work and contribution. Due to these features they possess, the women are paid little attention and not as much as they actually deserve.
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