Scream Timeline (Propp's Theory)

The Exorcist Timeline (Levi-Strauss's Theory)

Descent Timeline (Todorov's Theory)

How Does Halloween Follow the Codes and Conventions of the Slasher Horror Sub-Genre?

Halloween is a good representative of a slasher horror film, as it includes a variety of paradigms which include setting/camera shots, prop, sound, lighting and character. For example, knifes, masks and baseballs bats are all sound paradigm. A baseball bat is used as a defensive weapon as it is an object that most households can easily purchase and is quiet a violent weapon when used properly.

The start of the trailer opens with an establishing shot of an isolated white house. The reason they use an isolated house is because there is no escape routes for the victims as there is no one around to help them. Most horror films open with an establishing shot to allow the audience to indicate the setting of the film. During the establishing shot there is a narrative voice telling the story, this would have been a convention during this time period, but nowadays they mostly use quick cuts and aspects of the film to the tell story during the trailers. The whole of ‘Halloween’ is set in the night time; this gives the audience a sense of disorientation as they are unable to see exactly what is happening, making it easier for the killers to remain unknown. As the film continues we start to see a range of settings used, the main one being inside the white house. Inside a house is a typical setting to use as it allows the killer to restrain from being noticed by the victim and the audience until they are able to attack. This keeps the audience on edge and builds up tension. The main part of the house that is always used is the staircase; this is because the killer can be shown as more powerful by using a low angle shot at the bottom of the staircase. This is shown in Halloween when Jamie Lee Curtis falls down the stairs making her vulnerable to the killer as he stands at the top of the stairs in silhouette, plotting his next attack. Another setting that is used in Halloween is a car; this is because it is a small enclosed space making it difficult for the victim to escape and allowing the killer to strike from any angle.

The camera then cuts to a point of view shot of a character in a mask. Masks are a common prop to use in slasher horrors, as they conceal the killer’s identity, making it difficult for the audience to recognise the killer when approaching their victims. The mask in Halloween is a clown mask, the reason for using a clown mask is because some people have a fear of clowns, which makes the killer seem more daunting to the audience. The camera cuts to a medium shot of a child holding a knife, this juxtaposes with the typical image of a child, as they are meant to be seen as innocent and naïve. The prop of a knife is a main convention of a slasher horror as it is a more interpersonal weapon, allowing the victims to achieve more contact when killing their victims. The motion of the knife penetrating the skin of the victim is seen as a sexual image, which is also why it is a widely used prop across all horror films. When Laura is looking around her house she witnesses her friend murdered. The gravestone above her head is used to portray the image of her death bed which enables the audience to make the connection that she has been killed. Another prop used in this same scene is a jack-o-lantern, which contrasts with the biblical imagery of her dead friend who lies in a cross position. The lantern also relates to Halloween which is the title of the film.

The main character and victim in Halloween is a young woman. This is common because women are stereotyped as being weak and are seen as an easier target rather than men. Jamie Lee Curtis who plays Laurie Strode is dressed in a white blouse. The colour white connotes with the virginal imagery and innocence. Being a virgin in a horror film automatically means you won’t die, whereas if you were a more promiscuous character you would be killed as their actions would be classed as sinful. The killer in Halloween is a typical character as he is first of all male, giving him that immediate dominance over his victim. His previous time in a mental hospital allows the audience to believe he has misguided thinking. Most killers in the horror films also have a reason for killing which is most likely to be for revenge.

The lighting throughout most of the film is dim, as it adds to the eerie atmosphere and makes everything less visible, which makes it more difficult to understand the exact plot. The only lighting that is used outside is the light from the street and porch lights. When Laurie is walking through the house there is no light at all, except for when the light comes through the window from the street lights which makes her upper body a focal point. During this shot, you can slightly see the killer behind her in a very dim light but Laurie is oblivious to this. When it cuts to the scene where she fell down the stairs, a low angle shot is used to show the killer who is presented as a silhouette. Here the outline of this body is shown but his identity is still concealed due to the lighting.

The sound paradigms that are used within Halloween include diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The diegetic sound is mainly of the characters screaming, if the characters didn’t scream the audience would not be able to recognise when the killer has attacked; for example, when she falls down the stairs we hear her scream but if she didn’t scream we would not make connection that she fell down the stairs as the handheld camera makes it hard for the audience to see exactly what’s happening. The non-diegetic sound follows the sound paradigms as it is an eerie score with unidentifiable instruments which helps to build tension. When the score builds to a crescendo, we recognise that this means the killer is getting closer which also is used to create apprehension. When she knocks on a neighbours door the camera cuts to inside the neighbour’s house, at this point the non-diegetic sound cuts as we are shown that the house is a place of safety and that we are unaware of the danger happening outside. When the camera cuts back to Laurie trapped at the door, the sound re-enters reinforcing the vulnerability of being outside at night.

In conclusion, Halloween effectively follows all the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre, by including paradigms of sound to paradigms of characters. The most effective convention of the film was camera angles and shots; as if it was all a singular shot the film would seem repetitive and dull. Whereas, including a handheld camera gives the film a different perspective as it’s not completely still and clear. However, there were a few unconventional features which include the narrative voice over the trailer, as its gives most of the plot in the trailer which makes it pointless for people to go watch it in the cinema. Also, Laurie’s friend was conveyed as innocent due to her white clothing and the fact she was completely covered. However, she was later found to be the first victim, because of my prior knowledge of horror films I would portray her as being promiscuous as she was killed first.