Representation of Women in Horror Films

Traditionally women are represented in horror films as the damsel in distress and are often being attacked by the killer because they have committed as a sinful act.

Being a victim is the most popular role of a female as they were and still to this day are seen as the weaker sex. Not being able to voice their own opinions is how females we’re treated before they had any equal rights to men and this obviously reflected into such media as film. They often show familiarities such as being naive, dumb, weak and gullible which tends to lead them into falling into traps and dying before the film has even entered the climax. The most common stereotype is that the females, specifically blondes die first as they are represented as dumb, weak and unable to protect themselves without a man. This has slightly changed in modern filmmaking and Director’s are starting to bend the rules and change the way the audience see all women in horrors, including the blondes.

Women are the victims and only the heroin or killer if they show masculine attributes, which are associated with men. This is supported in “Scream” the US horror film where the main character Gail Weathers, a strong female whom when is not a damsel in distress is out fighting to bring down the killer knowing she could end up in danger. Being strong is not a characteristic that belongs to women as they are labelled as weak.

In the horror Scream, Gale rescues Sidney. She is wearing a masculine looking leather trench coat and is positioned in a stance which would be described as dominant. This is a clear example of a woman in a man’s role.

When a female character is the hero and survives the killer and sets off on a mission to either kill or capture the killer herself. This demonstrates the characteristics of a strong and powerful woman that is presented as superior to the killer, which states the modern woman have empowerment over men; which is a feminist ideology. To add to this point, Director’s are breaking the general stereotype of women in horror films.

However, now with the influence of feminism and modern beliefs, women in reality are much more successful and independent therefore the representation has slightly changed in horror films where they have become intelligent and strong. I believe feminism movement changed culture to think of women in dominant roles to illustrate how women and men that are both capable of different things are actually equal.

Jennifer’s Body focuses on the power females hold against males in horror films. Women are still commonly seen as victims but tend to surprise us by being strong minded and smart heroes and even killers because women are proven to have more power in society in reality, which is the fear of traditional anti-feminists. Jennifer’s Body demonstrates how modern culture has changed the genre from men being the one to save the day or murdering victims to women adopting their dominant roles. Breaking the stereotype of women in horrors is exciting and new as we are so used to men in their dominant roles.

In the film ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ the only two females characters are defined only by their sexuality- nothing else such as personality traits is relevant whereas then three males are put into the archetypes; fool, scholar and athlete based on their character traits. The whore always dies first so the virgin must die last. Their personalities are altered so they fit into their chosen archetypes to be sacrificed to save the ancient gods.

There is Dana, the “so-called virgin” even though she slept with one of her professors, which is mentioned in her first scene of the film. In my perspective Dana’s past and choices would probably be seen “whorish”. Simply because of the way they are physically presented on the screen. Jules is still seen to fit the whore archetype and Dana the virgin, as she is quiet and humble. American society thinks of virgins as sweet hearted and the word whore sends signals that the female is loud and likes to have fun.

To conclude, horror films have changed since women gained equal rights to men. This gave them the voice to stand up for themselves, rather than being told what to do and how to do it. Women have adopted masculine attributes in horror films, which gives them more dominance compared to men or as equal to them which is breaking the original representation of women in horror films as the modern woman is seen as independent and strong minded.