The Cabin in the Woods
What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to Cabin in the Woods?
Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles are:
- Domestic: The girl which has the dominant characteristics of a domestic character is Dana.
- Consumer: The girl with the characteristics of a consumer is Jules. Jules is the typical 'girly girl' who likes to spend money.
- Sexual: Jules definitely takes the role of being the sexual character in the film. The way she dresses and how she acts around males comes shining through and that's why she is the first to be killed.
- Marital: Dana shows the most marital type within the female characters. She is shy and conserved in the way she dresses and isn't the most forward girl in the group when it comes to male attention.
How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' Theory?
Dana does follow Clover's 'Final Girl' theory. Clover's theory states that the final girl has androgynous traits, remains virginal and pure whilst her friends pair off and have sex. Her name isn't a particular girly name and that she is a bookworm who makes it to the end of the film either by fighting back or being rescued.
Dana dominantly wears jeans throughout the film and doesn't show a lot of skin. This could been seen as a masculine way as she doesn't dress up like a girl would normally and doesn't wear a face full of makeup to impress the opposite sex; Dana doesn't really worry about what she looks like. We see at the start of the film that Dana is a bookworm and does worry about her grades and cares a lot about her education but also we see her having a side 'relationship' with one of her teachers showing more daring and secretive side of her. One of the first scenes we see in the film is her standing in her room in her underwear. Her underwear resembles a child's type underwear which is a bit out of date for her age. We know that Jules would of never of worn that style of underwear so this also backs up Dana following the masculine links.
At the end of the film we see that Dana is the 'Final Girl' in the film but not the 'Final Person' to survive. Throughout the film we see her fighting back and fighting to survive which shows a typical masculine linked thought and turns to aggressive violence to make her survive; whereas most females would be scared to fight back and would rather be saved being to predominantly 'damsel in distress'. The only trait that doesn't follow Clover's Final Girl Theory is that Dana isn't a virgin she isn't pure but she doesn't seem to be sexual towards any of the male character's in the film.
Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?
We see many both physical and mental transformations to Jules throughout the film. At the start of the film Jules informs the viewers that she has recently dyed her hair from originally being a brunette to now becoming a blonde. This resembles a physical change as we can physically see the change and the difference. This links with Propp's 8 character types, making Jules the role of the ditsy, blonde, 'bimbo' who cares too much about what she looks like and is always wanting the male attention. Later on in the film we realise that the people behind the whole organisation put a chemical into the hair dye which changes the way Jules thinks. This is a form on a mental change. Another mental change which we see in the film is when the organisation place aroma's on the forest floor which give out a certain toxin which changes the mental state of Jules which then leads to her getting with Curt and her mind being controlled and changed in a certain way.
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 is shown in the film dominantly by Jules. A lot of camera work is shown towards Jules for example tilt work, close ups, extreme close ups low angles and many more. There's a scene in the film where Jules is dancing rather erotically by the fire in the cabin, the camera is at a low angle making the audience seem that they are sitting on the sofa or a chair watching Jules dance but also as the camera is at a low angle it shows that she has more power then the viewer. Another scene where you see the 'Male Gaze' take place is when Jules gets dared to kiss the wolf and we see the camera using a tilt affect whilst Jules is walking up to the wolf head. The cameras starts up at her feet slowing working its way up her body and finally ending with a close up of her face, this makes the viewer feel that they're 'checking her out'. 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?
In the film we see this happen when Dana is in her room about to get undressed and Holden can see her through the mirror in his room but Dana is unaware that Holden can see her through the mirror. Dana goes up up to the mirror which then clicks to the audience that she cant see Holden, Holden stands there watching for a bit then realises that it is inappropriate and knocks on the wall getting her to stop. He then offers to swap rooms with her being a gentleman. When they both swap rooms Holden starts getting undressed in front of the mirror hoping that Dana is watching and playing up to the advantage that Dana can see him, but he cant see her, this is an example of scopophilia in the film.
Summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?
In the film women are represented in a way like objects. Everything has to go in a certain way and in a certain routine. The scientists make Jules look/behave like a 'slut' so she would be the first one to get killed. The scientists sit at watch Jules act in a more devious way with Curt as some sort of pleasure for them whilst watching her in the woods.
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