Genre
Theory:
The Horror Film
Continued...
"If
movies are the dreams of the mass culture... horror movies are
the nightmares"
- Stephen King -
Finally, Grossberg's third theory of meaning outlines the notion that "genres can be seen as articulations of texts that define a particular set of intertextual relations. In this sense, genres tell us how to read a particular text by placing it into more familiar structures of meaning" (Grossberg, p.161). As the horror film is often most recognizable by its intended emotional effect it creates on the audience, its aim to shock, scare, repel and terrify its audiences is created with society in mind. Most horror films tend to focus on what is of concern and feared at the time of its creation. It has been said that "Genres are not simple and stable categories…they are constantly changing…for example, making dialogue more like the 'real world' and introducing social-issue controversies…that had [or may have been previously] avoided" (Grossberg).
Films such as The Exorcist, or Poltergeist were created at a time when the 'unknown' was being questioned, whereas today, thrillers are made focusing on present fears such as 'the end of the world' or world diseases, combined with our continuing fear of the unknown.
Other examples are
films such as 'Nosferatu'
(1922), which tells a tale of premature and random deaths,
which tended to mirror those of the Great War and Great Flu epidemics,
rather than simply a story of vampirism. Contrast this with the
film Blade (1998),
which reflects the fear of powerful yet irresponsible elements
in today's society, rather than plainly a modern-day vampire account.
In this sense,then,
there is a structure of meaning as to how the viewer interprets
the flim, in accordance to the time of film-making and viewing;
we understand a film relative to our experiences and our present
social conditions.
Kristina Gold
Communications Studies & Psychology Student
