.young: Film (r)evolution — horror | Young | .a week

vampires and German expressionism

The origins of horror in film can be traced back to the silent era and the German Expressionism movement, known for its use of specific artistic techniques – it rejected cinematic realism and used visual distortions and hyper-expressive performances to reflect internal conflicts. It is therefore not surprising that films became iconic for this period Doctor Caligari’s cabinet (1920) a Vampire Nosferatu (1922) by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, which also belonged to the expressionism movement. They laid the foundations of the genre by using expressionist imagery to evoke horror in viewers who, until then, had no way of fitting in with such a way of visual expression. Silent horror films often relied on shadow play, extravagant make-up (especially noticeable in the lizard Max Schreck as Count Orlok) and dramatic lighting, together creating a dark surreal environment.

it lives!

The interwar and war period was associated with the creation of new “spooks” of the silver screen. Universal studios brought iconic monsters that changed the trends of the genre forever. These films introduced audiences to classic monsters played by actors like Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, setting the stage for the horror icons’ enduring popularity. FROM Nosferatu become Dracula (1931), and not only the adaptation of Bram Stoker’s legendary novel, was a resonating theme that the creators still like to return to today. Also Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein (1931) still somehow cannot disappear from the viewfinder of today’s filmmakers. This is also evidenced by the expected remakes of Robert Eggers and Guillermo del Toro, which will reach us in the next two years.

zombies in supernatural

The 1950s and 1960s were something of a milestone in terms of the shift in the spooky theme through the psychology of the characters, with the occasional supernatural theme mixed in. Perhaps the most appropriate example is the “master of suspense” Alfred Hitchcock, a genre revolutionary who, with the film Psycho (1960) pointed to mental disorders and it was even an exceptional case where the main character dies already in the first half of the film. Rosemary’s baby (1968) by Roman Polanski or Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero about a zombie upheaval explored social anxieties and the terror of the unknown.

dead teenagers

The following two decades saw the rise of slasher and supernatural horror, exemplified by the infamous Michael Myers from Halloween (1978), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) or A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). A slasher is defined as a psychopathic killer with a sharp object who stalks a group of people, mostly young people. It was based on the Italian subgenre of the 60s and 70s, Giallo: thriller book templates in yellow covers were the inspiration for the creation of the adaptation brimming with mysterious, explicit scenes, dynamic camerawork and a terrifying soundtrack. So Slasher continued his tradition. The so-called character was also typical for him. “final girl”, i.e. the last girl who at the last moment stands face to face with the dreaded killer and defeats him. Masked killers or supernatural entities torturing unsuspecting people touched the concerns of a new generation – after the Vietnam War, faith in man was already lost, horror began to abandon the classic mystery or monster, and real people, deranged individuals appeared.

cult classics

The 1990s and early 2000s brought a resurgence of interest in horror after a number of failed slasher attempts, with films such as the legendary Silence of the Lambs (1991), Scream (1996) or Sixth Sense (1999) combined the spooky with elements of mystery and psychological thriller. The Asian wave also gained international recognition during this period thanks to adaptation Bread (1998) a Hatred (2002), which later influenced the Western approach to the genre.

a little of each roll

The boundaries of horror have expanded beyond the known in recent years. The authors explore new found-footage subgenres such as Paranormal Activity (2007), an elevated horror film that interprets the story with a more experimental, artistic approach, as A cursed legacy (2018). Director Jordan Peele stands out for his exceptional work on the socially conscious racial subgenre. His Escape (2017) No no (2022), whether Midsummer (2019) by relative newcomer Ari Aster are among the best that could give us chills in recent years. It is also worth remembering Talk to me (2023) with a return to mediums and conjuring spirits.

The existence of horror only strengthened our love for horror. Whether you prefer classics, modern twists or are looking forward to the next burst of creativity in this genre, bravely cross the boundaries of this dark world of film and discover what else awaits you as the slasher final girl around the corner… or under the bed.

The author is a member of the newly formed young editorial staff of the week and a student of Film Studies at the Academy of Musical Arts in Bratislava.

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