White Mask: Adolescents Realities in Wes Cravens Scream - Movie Review Example

SuJung Choe English 2000 Jerod Hollyfield May 4, White Mask: Adolescents' Realities in Wes Craven's Scream Despite the increased death rate during 1996, depression in the age group is greatly under-diagnosed and leads to serious difficulties in school, work and personal adjustment, which may often continue into adulthood. Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil, mood swings, gloomy thoughts, and heightened sensitivity. In 1996, nobody knew about blogging and there was no social bookmarking site too. Mobile phone was in its infancy and was limited to a small number of countries, at the hands of a small number of rich people during that time. The first of the Scream Trilogy introduces the major characters and the serial killings of the people starting with Sidney Prescott's mother and then a couple of teen-agers by a masked person with a knife. The killer would usually start taunting his victims through a telephone call befriending the victim and later being annoyed when the victim hangs up on him. He then attacks the helpless victim with several stabs until the victim dies. The movie was released in 1996. Regardless of Wes Craven's Scream, he represents historical events during 1996 and provides descriptions that apply today's adolescents' realities of social life and past culture 90's. It was in the 90s when technology was at its peak with the initiation of most people to personal computers, digital sounds, digital cellphones, microwave ovens and the like. Technology has become a personal issue. Communication was made swift and transportation an easy access. Even in remote places, people can be informed and up-to-date. The focus of this essay is to present how film addresses the historical context of the period it was released as well as the reviews and responses of the viewers. It can be noted that in the year 1996, two major events happened: one is the booming of technology particularly the computers; and the other one is several cases of deaths - natural and intentional. These major events can be illustrated in the following incidents: In January 1996 particularly on the 5th "Yahya Ayyash, the "Engineer", the elusive mastermind behind a wave of Islamic suicide bombings against Israel, is killed in Gaza, apparently by a booby-trapped mobile phone." And on "Newspapers reported that Microsoft had struck deals with several computer makers that would give it a significant advantage the companies would not be allowed to use Windows." On December 16, "IBM announced on this day in 1996 it would stop selling computers that used that PowerPC chip and ran Windows NT. IBM, Motorola, and Apple had teamed up to challenge Intel Corporation's dominance in chips and Microsoft's near monopoly on operating systems." On the 17th "Intel Corporation and the Energy Department announced the development of a high-speed computer capable of performing more than one trillion calculations per second." Finally on December 26, "Six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's Boulder, Colorado, home. The killing remains unsolved" (Rethinking History). [>>>I think this is enough, if you delete some more then you can no longer prove that there was indeed a technology uplift and it was used in connection with killings.] These two events, the killings and the booming of computer technology, are evident in Scream. There is the presence of intentional killing by two individuals to take it as a prank using technology to their advantage. The obvious use of a cellphone and the manipulation of the gadget in order for it to sound differently and distinct about just one type of voice. The computer is also given center stage as in the incident when Sidney could not use the telephone; she opted for the computer to send her message to 911. Although, there was only the use of VHS for movies, it was also reflecting the period because CDs, VCDs and DVDs came later. There were several intentional killings in 1996. The terrorists were using suicide bombers to make their message known to the whole world. There was the indiscriminate killing of children at a kindergarten school and beating and strangling of a young girl that remains unsolved. This brings the discussion to the justice system, how the police can sometimes be outwitted by the criminals and how unsafe the world can be when the real criminals are not caught. The policeman in Scream was slow and came to the crime scene late. He is shown to be outwitted by teens and easily distracted especially in the presence of the attractive newscaster. Obviously, the fashion trend is also reflected in way the characters dress and the way they behave. The cars and other necessities are true-to-life during the period the film was conceived. One of the characters, the police chief even mentioned that teenagers during that time were so different from the teenagers twenty years earlier. The teen partying and loose moral was also characteristic of the period. The film has received various responses and reactions from both the viewers and critics. According to one source, "The success of the film and its numerous imitators effectively established Craven as a hot mainstream commodity." Moreover, it said, "One of the horror genre's best-known and most celebrated directors, Wes Craven has been widely credited with reinventing the teen horror movie"(Michael 38). The success of the film is described as "phenomenal' as it "spoofed the teen horror genre even as they revived it." What is unique about Craven's style is that it makes fun of horror movies even if it is a horror movie itself. It paved the way for more horror films as it "kicked off a trend in teen horror films, inspiring any number of imitators that, for the most part, failed to live up to Craven's own work" (Dennis 129). It set an example for horror movies and many others followed after Craven, but not one surpassed his horror movies. Another critic commented that "Wes Craven (dir. Nightmare on Elm Street) did a solid job putting this film together and mixing all of its genres without angering the audience." According to this source, "When this film came out horror films were out of fashion. And after the second sequel was made 3 years later, horror films were back in the mainstream culture" (Badley 35). Moreover, Mike Oliveri said, "It's not often that a movie comes along and sparks a whole new outlook on its genre, but Scream did just that. Several hip teenage slasher flicks surfed the wake of its success, putting a Generation X stamp on the characters and hiring teenage prime time drama icons to portray them." Oliveri continued, "Perhaps the best part of the writing, however, is the way in which different characters are made out to be suspects.The action is intense, and the ending, if somewhat predictable by the time you get there, is entertaining. It set the new trend for a reason" (Scott 88). This implies that the genius of Craven in putting all characters as possible killers sparked the interest of the audience because this is one of a kind. It goes against the usual style of writing movies. What filmmakers seem to know better than film critics is that gender is lesser wall than a permeable membrane. The Universal claims of the psychoanalytic model: the threat function and the victim function coexist in the same unconscious, regardless of anatomical sex (Clover 47). Nor is the gender of the principals as straightforward as it first seems. The killer's phallic purpose, as he thrusts his knife into the trembling bodies of young women, is unmistakable. At the same time, however, his masculinity is severely qualified: he ranges from the virginal or sexually inert to the transvestite or transsexual, and is spiritually divided. The horror film thus expresses female desire only to show how monstrous it is. Another review said, "Scream is more of a mystery flick than a horror movie. Granted it has its share of blood and gore, but the identity of the actual serial killer is what held my interest throughout, and it is what makes this movie worth watching." It is said to have a complicated plot and it "transcends the horror/mystery genre by being somewhat of a self-parody, and paying homage to slash/gore movies that have come before it"(Waller 91). Moreover, the review continued that "There's also quite a bit of philosophizing in Scream, after all the killings are done in standard Hollywood style. We are told here that horror movies don't cause people to kill, but they give killers creative ways to go about their business." In addition, according to the review "Scream is a statement about an important aspect of pop-culture (an oxymoron). It's more suspenseful than scary, and definitely worth watching if you can deal with the gore"(William 45). The horror movies rub noses in camerawork; its basic structures of apperception are fixed and fundamental. Finally, one book said that "The difference with Scream is its shameless self-awareness. The characters openly discuss what you should and shouldn't do in a horror movie"(Holoston 18). In addition it is described as both clever and stupid at the same time. It's original in its premise and shows a dedication to breaking the boundaries normally strictly adhered to on the horror circuit - yet, at the same time, the characters end up seeming just as witless as the stereotypes they mock, and the number of gaping plot-holes verges on the ridiculous. The movie, just like all the other art forms, is indeed a product of its time. The trends, events and ideas of the period that conceive it are reflected in it whether in the characters, setting, plot, or theme, or all of these elements. Actually, history can be more appreciated if one is to watch film or read literature. Works Cited Badley, Linda. Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1995. Brottman, Mikita. Offensive Films - Towards and Anthropology of Cinema Vomitif. Greenwood Press. Westport, Connecticut. London. Brunas, Michael, et al. Universal Horrors - The Studio's Classic Films. MacFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London Clover, Carol J.. Men, Women, and Chain Saws. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey. Crane, Jonathan Lake. Terror and everyday life: singular moments in the history of the horror film. Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publications, c1994. Craven, Wes. The Art of Horror. Jefferson, N C., London, McFarland, c1998. Fischer, Dennis. Horror Film Directors, 1931 - 1990. MacFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London Grant, Berry Keith. The Dread of Difference: Gender and Horror Film. Austin : University of Texas Press, 1996. Holston, Kim R. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror film sequels, series, and remakes An illustrated filmography, with plot synopses and critical commentary. Jefferson, N.C. London, McFarland & Co 1997. MacDonald, Scott. "Perhaps Pragmatic - A Tentative Taxonomy of Boston Documentary" Film & Reality: Boston Documentaries. 2008 Rethinking History. The Journal of Theory and Practice, Volume 14 Issue. Routledge. 2010. Tony, William. Hearts of Darkness: The family in the American Horror Film. Madison, NJ : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1996. Waller, Gregory A. American Horrors: Essays on the Modern American Horror Film. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, c1987. Worland Rick. The Horror Film - An Introduction. Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub., 2007. Westwell, Guy. Critical Approaches to the History Film. London: Routledge. 2007. Read More