Jeremey Tuntstall emphasised women's domestic, consumer, sexual and marital activities to the point where they are reduced to only having these purposes. The only slight way that this analysis can be applied to Cabin in the Woods is by taking a look at jules' sexual activities. She and Curt take the more sexually aware roles in the way that he acts as the stereotypical heterosexual male while Jules acts as a provocative female. Apart from this, there is no real sign of any domestic, cnsumer or marital qualities in any of the four females that are seen in the film. 2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory? Please mention: the ending; Dana's appearance and her actions during the film.
Throughout the film, Dana is the more quiet and controlled character in the way that she dresses and acts. At the beginning of the film we see her in her underwear. The underwear she is wearing is very plain and childlike and when she realises that she was standing like this with Curt, she reacts in a shocked way suggesting she feels embarrassed and uncomfortable about the situation. Although she is not masculine in her physical appearance, we learn that she and Curt both studied the same subject. Excluding the fact that she studies and planned to study on her holiday (like most final girls do), her subject of choice is the same as the alph-male (a charcter who stereotypically would not study); this emphasises the fact that she is fairly mundain in the 'fun' activities she takes part in. Hadley, one of the executives, later says that he's 'rooting' for Dana when the audience are lead to believe that she is the only remaining character. When she swims out of the lake that the van crashed into, audiences see her really struggling to make it to the surface which links to the Clover's theory on the final girl. Audience members don't connect with her because of the fact she is female, they connect with her because of her willingness to fight back and make it out alive. The ending of the film explains how she is the final girl when the Project Director explains the mishappenings that have been taking place on the group's trip. She exaplins (as does Hadley) that Dana's death is opotional as long as it is last which purposely informs audiences that this is the role she is expected to be taking. Her unflattering clothing and the way she is willing to shoot Marty in order to save the rest of world is masculine. However, the way the she and Marty agree to let another species take humanity's role on the planet is a very strong and large decision to make for a girl of her age which in turn reitterates the fact that she is the sensible girl therefore, the final girl.
3. Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?
The first time audiences meet Jules, they learn that she has died her hair blonde. This creates a new horror-film version of Jules in the way that she conforms to the character role of the blonde bimbo that partakes in sexual activities, this making her unaware of her surroundings causing her to be the first to die. Her mental transformation takes place when she enters the cabin because the directors have introduced a chemical / drug that encourages the characters to play up to their expected stereotypes. In this case, Jules becomes more 'slutty' for the purposes of the audience and her suddenly heterosexual, alpha-male boyfriend, Curt.
4. Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera angles and POV shots.
Mulvey's Male Gaze theory is shown through The Cabin in the Woods in the most simplest form by where there are two male characters controlling what is visible to the audiences of the reality TV show; when Jules and Curt are in the Forrest, Hadley and Gary control the conditions to make the surroundings suitable for sexual activities. When Jules says it's 'chilly', they increase the temperature; when she says it's dark, they introduce light etc until finally, they see her remove her clothing whilst positioned on top of Curt. This is an example of how the male characters on the production team are physically the camera, conforming to the theory on the Male Gaze as audiences of the reality show and the film are put into the eyes of the men.
When Jules is dancing in the lounge area of the cabin, she has her back to the camera and she is dancing in ways that accentuate her figure. At this point, the camera is at a low angle making her bottom the central feature of the shot as it will be at eye level with the character and audiences that are seated. In this situation audiences are forced to be watching her dance provocatively because the situation is inescapable. Audiences have no choice of being introduced to this scene either because it starts off with the camera looking into the cabin so that Jules' figure is just a silhouette. This has sexual connotations because of the way she is unaware that she can be seen through the window.
Because of these scenes it is clear to see that Mulvey's theory on Male Gaze is exemplified through the film. The reality tv show uses the conventions of horror films; the character stereotypes, the links between sex and death etc to generate views and therefore save the world and this would not be able to have been achieved without including the theory of the Male Gaze because of the way that audiences connect with the killers through these sexual characters.
(There is even a youtube video titled "Anna Hutchingson Hot Scenes" which proves that the purpose of her character was purely for sexual and pleasure purposes, or to demonstrate the purpose of similar characters in other horror films)
5. In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?
Audiences are made to be voyeurs at the point where Jules' provocative nature comes to life. Like previously mentioned, they are put into the position where they are forced to watch and enjoy Jule's dancing because one, the camera puts her bum in our point of view throughout her dance, and two, we are encouraged by her boyfriend's cheering and approval in the background. This scene is important in terms of character representation because this is the point where Marty begins to question the situation they are in. He informs Dana that neither Jules or Curt have had these 'stereotypical' characteristics and that something must be happening in order to make them conform. The more prominant example of the audiences becoming voyeurs is when Holden removes a scary painting from his wall to find a window separating his and Dana's rooms. As Holden looks through the window, we find that Dana is unaware of it's existence as on her side, it is just a mirror. For a while, Holden looks through until he feels uncomfortable about Dana undressing and he informs her. This puts the audiences in a voyeuristic position because Dana is unaware that she is being watched.
6. (Briefly) summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?
The Cabin in the Woods is a clever play on the key character types and archetypes that are found in the majority of horror movies. The 5 teenagers in the horror situation each conform to a different type of character that is key to the dynamics of the genre; the sexual blonde who comes with an alpha-male boyfriend, the innocent and virginal girl who survives, the fool and the scholar, however in this film, even the virginal girl is sexualised slightly. Dana is introduced semi-naked and dancing around her room in front of her giant windows overlooking the street. There is no real reason for her to have been introduced in this way apart from the fact that it makes her look more appealing to the male audience despite the patronising advice that Jules is giving her about the activities she could be getting up to at the weekend. Perhaps Dana was introduced in the way to confuse audiences as to the kind of character she was going to be; she filled her suitcase with economics books and was wearing childlike underwear but Jules found a bright red bikini for her to wear; red is the colour of passion and love and so instantly audiences are pondering whether or not Dana is as innocent as her underwear suggests.
Jules' purpose in the film is to demonstrate how the sexual characters die first. She and Curt showed no awareness of their surroundings and decided to partake in sexual activities as a resurrected tortured family came towards them. Had they had been more aware of the woods they may have survived a little while longer. This shows the link between sex and death in horror movies however it is Jules that takes on the role of the whore and other than for this purpose, the scenes in which she oozes a sexual persona are the ones that suggest she is there to keep the male audiences interested until the murder starts happening.
Although both of these characters have alternative roles by where they help audiences appreciate the nature of a typical horror cast, they do fulfil sexual and pleasurable purposes for the male audiences because of the many occasions that kissing / sex / nudity takes place.
Because of these scenes it is clear to see that Mulvey's theory on Male Gaze is exemplified through the film. The reality tv show uses the conventions of horror films; the character stereotypes, the links between sex and death etc to generate views and therefore save the world and this would not be able to have been achieved without including the theory of the Male Gaze because of the way that audiences connect with the killers through these sexual characters.
(There is even a youtube video titled "Anna Hutchingson Hot Scenes" which proves that the purpose of her character was purely for sexual and pleasure purposes, or to demonstrate the purpose of similar characters in other horror films)
5. In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?
Audiences are made to be voyeurs at the point where Jules' provocative nature comes to life. Like previously mentioned, they are put into the position where they are forced to watch and enjoy Jule's dancing because one, the camera puts her bum in our point of view throughout her dance, and two, we are encouraged by her boyfriend's cheering and approval in the background. This scene is important in terms of character representation because this is the point where Marty begins to question the situation they are in. He informs Dana that neither Jules or Curt have had these 'stereotypical' characteristics and that something must be happening in order to make them conform. The more prominant example of the audiences becoming voyeurs is when Holden removes a scary painting from his wall to find a window separating his and Dana's rooms. As Holden looks through the window, we find that Dana is unaware of it's existence as on her side, it is just a mirror. For a while, Holden looks through until he feels uncomfortable about Dana undressing and he informs her. This puts the audiences in a voyeuristic position because Dana is unaware that she is being watched.
6. (Briefly) summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?
The Cabin in the Woods is a clever play on the key character types and archetypes that are found in the majority of horror movies. The 5 teenagers in the horror situation each conform to a different type of character that is key to the dynamics of the genre; the sexual blonde who comes with an alpha-male boyfriend, the innocent and virginal girl who survives, the fool and the scholar, however in this film, even the virginal girl is sexualised slightly. Dana is introduced semi-naked and dancing around her room in front of her giant windows overlooking the street. There is no real reason for her to have been introduced in this way apart from the fact that it makes her look more appealing to the male audience despite the patronising advice that Jules is giving her about the activities she could be getting up to at the weekend. Perhaps Dana was introduced in the way to confuse audiences as to the kind of character she was going to be; she filled her suitcase with economics books and was wearing childlike underwear but Jules found a bright red bikini for her to wear; red is the colour of passion and love and so instantly audiences are pondering whether or not Dana is as innocent as her underwear suggests.
Jules' purpose in the film is to demonstrate how the sexual characters die first. She and Curt showed no awareness of their surroundings and decided to partake in sexual activities as a resurrected tortured family came towards them. Had they had been more aware of the woods they may have survived a little while longer. This shows the link between sex and death in horror movies however it is Jules that takes on the role of the whore and other than for this purpose, the scenes in which she oozes a sexual persona are the ones that suggest she is there to keep the male audiences interested until the murder starts happening.
Although both of these characters have alternative roles by where they help audiences appreciate the nature of a typical horror cast, they do fulfil sexual and pleasurable purposes for the male audiences because of the many occasions that kissing / sex / nudity takes place.
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