7019MAPA- Is 'The American Nightmare' Still Alive?
'The American Nightmare' theory posed by Robin Wood (2003) essentially highlights the surplus of extreme repression within American society. This is in that if repression itself is what makes us identifiably human through developing from the innate animal capabilities of little more than convulsions, surplus repression is what essentially creates a deeper societal structure which we must follow. For example, the surplus of such repression can be seen through the likes of sexual energy within American society, in which any form of 'creative' sexuality, beyond the monogamous, patriarchal norms of women as subordinates, is repressed and denied as a norm or as the 'ideal'. This representation of such repression can be seen basically and rather explicitly through the lens of film, and in particular through horror film.
When we note film as reactionary, essentially meaning as a reaction to the happenings of the social, economic, political context in which it was made, horror film 'reacts' as it were, in the most clear cut, direct way (Wood 2003), through its rather melodramatic nature. To highlight this American nightmare in the changing genre of 'horror' films, particularly over the 1970's- early 80's, I will be using 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), 'Halloween'(Carpenter 1978), and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984). This is a particularly notable time period due to the influence the Vietnam War had over American national consciousness particularly over the 70's, in that it created almost a moral panic in which the society's questioning of their own authority lead to the questioning of its entire social structure. Once again noting film as reactionary, we can see the film over this period 'reacting' to such uncertainty.
Within all three of these examples, I would argue that we can see the American Nightmare largely embodied through the repression and thus punishment of female sexuality. Although more particularly within the earliest of the three, before the end of the Vietnam war, in 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), we can see a deeper punishment of women, and also children, in considering Mari and Phillis as under the age of 18 and thus as children. To first identify amongst all three films the repression of female sexuality as stated by Wood (2003) in terms of not following the traditional monogamous, 'no sex before marriage' trope, we can see in 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), rather simply through the newfound womanhood of 'Mari', which she appears to be proud of, liberated by, and keen to experiment with (perhaps most obviously through the scene where it is made explicit through her choice not to wear a bra and thus highlight her 'new' breasts, as well as her very overt discussion of her excitement over her new breasts). This is then punished not only by her parents questioning her and denying her approval, but through the later rape evolved from the newfound womanhood that made her desirable to a traditional male gaze, and ultimately death by her rapist.
Secondly, we can see in 'Halloween' (Carpenter 1978), the repressed female sexuality as subject to punishment very basically through the fact that every woman in the film we see who either has sex or expresses an intent to have sex is killed and thus punished. Through the lens of The American Nightmare this is seemingly as a reaction to the 'nightmare' that America wishes not to come true, in that women should not be liberal or creative in their sexual desires. It is Lori, the only woman in the film who flat out denies any intent to have sex with or even date a boy, that survives until the end, representing the 'ideal' in fulfillment with a non creative sexual life.
And thirdly, in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984), we see the same sexual punishment in that very close to the beginning of the film itself, we see 'Tina' killed brutally by the monster, not long after she has just had sex with someone where it is not even clear if she is monogamous with him or not. Thus she leaves 'Nancy', the female who denies her boyfriend whenever he suggests sex, as the final girl who must defeat said monster.
Although, in the two latter films, it cannot be ignored that male characters are also murdered by the monster. It is from this that I would note perhaps instead an emphasis on denouncing teenage sex in general, but also highlighting meanings more specific to the context of the films. For example in terms of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', an implication of the notion of children's youth being taken from them after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on 'Elm Street' resulting in a political shift where children were sent to war could be taken as an alternative reading. This suggests representation of, or a reaction to, an altogether different American nightmare. Although it could also be said that the fact that the only teenager who survives and has to save the day (Nancy), being the one who altogether denounces the need for sex, highlights a subconsciousness affirmation of the original American Nightmare.
To return to the earlier point in which we can see a deeper American Nightmare in 'The Last House on the Left', we see the punishment of childhood rebellion, in that Mari and Phillis go out to an unconventional music show, they search for drugs, take their parents car, and ultimately meet their fate through a sick group of strangers who later kill them both. The repression of children arising in horror films very much embodies the American Nightmare in that Wood (2003) notes the repression of children to be based off of what the previous generation repressed in us, and thus we continue to repress these aspects in our own children. The child repression is thus highlighted here in that it subvertedly tells the audience that if you rebel against your parents, and societal norms, you will be extremely punished. We can also see a very literal embodiment of the notion that if 'pornography is the theory, rape is the practice' (Williams 1991), in that women being objectified, and coming across as at all 'sexually ecstatic' (Mari in her excitement with newfound sexuality), the consequence, or logical (in an extreme sense) reaction to this, is that you will be raped. This is also why I would argue 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), to be the most explicit embodiment of the American Nightmare, perhaps because of the fact that it preceded the end of the Vietnam War, and thus also preceded such moral panic that surrounded it.
To build upon the repression of the child as part of the American Nightmare, the opening scene of 'Halloween' (Carpenter 1978), can show us that through the same fear that what the previous generation repressed in us, we repress in our children, Michael Myers, the child at the start of the film, and also the monster throughout, shows a rather extreme example of how a child should not be. Through a very first-person lens, we see young Michael Myers in a rather weird sense looking at his naked sister, and then ridding of the fact that he looked at her at all in a sexual sense by killing her. On top of this it highlights the societal panic of child violence leading to a life of becoming the 'other', as happens with Michael becoming known as a monster (the boogyman).
To elaborate on the core of the American Nightmare as being repression, within 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984), the very fact that the films concept is centered around a 'nightmare' and thus something that is not being shown as real, it comes across as simply embodying the repressed fears of society, in the very freudian sense that our dreams represent our subconscious/ repressed fears or desires. However in this film in particular, the very literal notion of your nightmares becoming a reality, in that 'Nancy' is able to bring tangible objects, and ultimately even monsters, from her nightmare into reality, shows to me that it is more than simply showing or dramatizing that which we repress. Instead it embodies the very real fear that it is possible for our nightmare to become a reality. It also provides a considerably feminist, and thus not coherent with the idea of the American Nightmare in creating women as subordinates, scene, in which nancy provides the reality that to overcome her fear she must face it, and deny it power, something previously repressed as a feminine trait, considered 'too masculine' for girls.
To conclude, whilst we can see elements of the American nightmare in horror both in early 1970's, and into the early 80's, the nightmare appears to have a different purpose as the genre progresses. We still see subverted elements of the repression that the American society faced at this time, in the sexuality of teenagers, and even in the children of the film, particularly in Halloween. However this repression appears to be more due to the repression of their society that has been so deeply ingrained into them and thus cannot be escaped. It is explicit in the later films that they give much more empowerment to the previously repressed characters, for example the child and the woman, particularly represented in 'Nancy' in A Nightmare on Elm Street, in that she is able as a female to exert extreme power, thus embodying the traditional masculine quality of power and dominance, and also in that as a child, she overcomes and proves wrong everyone who saw her as deluded and troubled.
Bibliography
When we note film as reactionary, essentially meaning as a reaction to the happenings of the social, economic, political context in which it was made, horror film 'reacts' as it were, in the most clear cut, direct way (Wood 2003), through its rather melodramatic nature. To highlight this American nightmare in the changing genre of 'horror' films, particularly over the 1970's- early 80's, I will be using 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), 'Halloween'(Carpenter 1978), and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984). This is a particularly notable time period due to the influence the Vietnam War had over American national consciousness particularly over the 70's, in that it created almost a moral panic in which the society's questioning of their own authority lead to the questioning of its entire social structure. Once again noting film as reactionary, we can see the film over this period 'reacting' to such uncertainty.
Within all three of these examples, I would argue that we can see the American Nightmare largely embodied through the repression and thus punishment of female sexuality. Although more particularly within the earliest of the three, before the end of the Vietnam war, in 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), we can see a deeper punishment of women, and also children, in considering Mari and Phillis as under the age of 18 and thus as children. To first identify amongst all three films the repression of female sexuality as stated by Wood (2003) in terms of not following the traditional monogamous, 'no sex before marriage' trope, we can see in 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), rather simply through the newfound womanhood of 'Mari', which she appears to be proud of, liberated by, and keen to experiment with (perhaps most obviously through the scene where it is made explicit through her choice not to wear a bra and thus highlight her 'new' breasts, as well as her very overt discussion of her excitement over her new breasts). This is then punished not only by her parents questioning her and denying her approval, but through the later rape evolved from the newfound womanhood that made her desirable to a traditional male gaze, and ultimately death by her rapist.
Secondly, we can see in 'Halloween' (Carpenter 1978), the repressed female sexuality as subject to punishment very basically through the fact that every woman in the film we see who either has sex or expresses an intent to have sex is killed and thus punished. Through the lens of The American Nightmare this is seemingly as a reaction to the 'nightmare' that America wishes not to come true, in that women should not be liberal or creative in their sexual desires. It is Lori, the only woman in the film who flat out denies any intent to have sex with or even date a boy, that survives until the end, representing the 'ideal' in fulfillment with a non creative sexual life.
And thirdly, in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984), we see the same sexual punishment in that very close to the beginning of the film itself, we see 'Tina' killed brutally by the monster, not long after she has just had sex with someone where it is not even clear if she is monogamous with him or not. Thus she leaves 'Nancy', the female who denies her boyfriend whenever he suggests sex, as the final girl who must defeat said monster.
Although, in the two latter films, it cannot be ignored that male characters are also murdered by the monster. It is from this that I would note perhaps instead an emphasis on denouncing teenage sex in general, but also highlighting meanings more specific to the context of the films. For example in terms of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street', an implication of the notion of children's youth being taken from them after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on 'Elm Street' resulting in a political shift where children were sent to war could be taken as an alternative reading. This suggests representation of, or a reaction to, an altogether different American nightmare. Although it could also be said that the fact that the only teenager who survives and has to save the day (Nancy), being the one who altogether denounces the need for sex, highlights a subconsciousness affirmation of the original American Nightmare.
To return to the earlier point in which we can see a deeper American Nightmare in 'The Last House on the Left', we see the punishment of childhood rebellion, in that Mari and Phillis go out to an unconventional music show, they search for drugs, take their parents car, and ultimately meet their fate through a sick group of strangers who later kill them both. The repression of children arising in horror films very much embodies the American Nightmare in that Wood (2003) notes the repression of children to be based off of what the previous generation repressed in us, and thus we continue to repress these aspects in our own children. The child repression is thus highlighted here in that it subvertedly tells the audience that if you rebel against your parents, and societal norms, you will be extremely punished. We can also see a very literal embodiment of the notion that if 'pornography is the theory, rape is the practice' (Williams 1991), in that women being objectified, and coming across as at all 'sexually ecstatic' (Mari in her excitement with newfound sexuality), the consequence, or logical (in an extreme sense) reaction to this, is that you will be raped. This is also why I would argue 'The Last House on the Left' (Craven 1972), to be the most explicit embodiment of the American Nightmare, perhaps because of the fact that it preceded the end of the Vietnam War, and thus also preceded such moral panic that surrounded it.
To build upon the repression of the child as part of the American Nightmare, the opening scene of 'Halloween' (Carpenter 1978), can show us that through the same fear that what the previous generation repressed in us, we repress in our children, Michael Myers, the child at the start of the film, and also the monster throughout, shows a rather extreme example of how a child should not be. Through a very first-person lens, we see young Michael Myers in a rather weird sense looking at his naked sister, and then ridding of the fact that he looked at her at all in a sexual sense by killing her. On top of this it highlights the societal panic of child violence leading to a life of becoming the 'other', as happens with Michael becoming known as a monster (the boogyman).
To elaborate on the core of the American Nightmare as being repression, within 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (Craven 1984), the very fact that the films concept is centered around a 'nightmare' and thus something that is not being shown as real, it comes across as simply embodying the repressed fears of society, in the very freudian sense that our dreams represent our subconscious/ repressed fears or desires. However in this film in particular, the very literal notion of your nightmares becoming a reality, in that 'Nancy' is able to bring tangible objects, and ultimately even monsters, from her nightmare into reality, shows to me that it is more than simply showing or dramatizing that which we repress. Instead it embodies the very real fear that it is possible for our nightmare to become a reality. It also provides a considerably feminist, and thus not coherent with the idea of the American Nightmare in creating women as subordinates, scene, in which nancy provides the reality that to overcome her fear she must face it, and deny it power, something previously repressed as a feminine trait, considered 'too masculine' for girls.
To conclude, whilst we can see elements of the American nightmare in horror both in early 1970's, and into the early 80's, the nightmare appears to have a different purpose as the genre progresses. We still see subverted elements of the repression that the American society faced at this time, in the sexuality of teenagers, and even in the children of the film, particularly in Halloween. However this repression appears to be more due to the repression of their society that has been so deeply ingrained into them and thus cannot be escaped. It is explicit in the later films that they give much more empowerment to the previously repressed characters, for example the child and the woman, particularly represented in 'Nancy' in A Nightmare on Elm Street, in that she is able as a female to exert extreme power, thus embodying the traditional masculine quality of power and dominance, and also in that as a child, she overcomes and proves wrong everyone who saw her as deluded and troubled.
Bibliography
- Carpenter, J. (1978) Halloween. [DVD] Los Angeles: Compass International Pictures
- Craven, W. (1972) The Last House on the Left.[DVD] USA: MGM
- Craven, W. (1984) A Nightmare on Elm Street. [DVD] New York: New Line Cinema
- Williams, L. (1991) 'Film Bodies: Gender, Genre and Excess'. Film Quarterly 44(4), 2-13Wood, R. (2003) Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan... and Beyond. New York: Columbia University Press
- Wood, R. (2003) Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan... and Beyond. New York: Columbia University Press
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