Representation: Cabin in the Woods

Representation: Cabin in the Woods

1. What were Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in the Woods?

Jeremy Tunstall made the argument that the representation of women in the media emphasized the four character roles that they would usually be depicted as. These include:

- Domestic

- Sexual

- Consumer

- Marital

However, the only character role which I think is present in the film is the Sexual role. This role is portrayed by the character Jules, given the title of the “Whore” for the ritual which took place in order to keep the Ancient Ones satisfied. In the beginning, Jules does not show this role and is seen as a modest student. But as the effects of the pheromone fog take over, she slowly begins to become more like the archetype assigned to her. She dances suggestively, pretends to “make out” with a wolf head and even tries to have sex with Curt in the woods before her death. This is a reference to other horror films where a character that has sexual intercourse is usually the next character to die.

2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory? Please mention: the ending; Dana's appearance and her actions during the film.

Clover’s theory defines the ‘Final Girl’ as “a congenial double for the adolescent male. She is feminine enough to act out in a gratifying way, a way unapproved for adult males, the terrors and masochistic pleasures of the underlying fantasy, but not so feminine as to disturb the structures of female competence and sexuality”. However, despite being given the role as the ‘Final Girl’ or the “Virgin”, Dana is missing a few traits which most characters of the same archetype would usually share. First, most ‘Final Girl’ names are androgynous and can apply to any gender e.g. Laurie, Sydney, Parker, etc.). And second, she is usually seen as a non-sexual female, yet it is revealed at the start of the film that she has an affair with one of her professors. In fact, it is possible that prior to becoming the “Virgin” of the group, she could have fit the role of the “Whore”. However, as the film reaches its climax, Dana does actually become the role set for her by being one of the last people alive. Not just from her group, but out of everyone in the facility who were killed by the various monsters.

3. Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

As I mentioned in my first answer, Jules is given the role of the "Whore" for the ritual taking place beneath the Cabin and this role was given to her long before they first arrived. It is mentioned that the people in the Chem. Department at the facility treated her blonde hair dye with "a slow acting toxin that retards cognitive ability". This is relevant to the horror archetype of the "Whore" due to the fact that they are usually blonde, a bit dumb and date the "Jock". However, in the beginning, Jules was seen as a pre-medical college student, meaning she had a high intellect despite her changed personality later on. And with the added help of the pheromone mist, she soon starts making out with a stuffed wolf head, dancing provocatively and even takes Curt outside of the Cabin to have sex.

4. 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' theory is the theory that "much commercial cinema puts the spectator into the position of an ‘appraising heterosexual male’ by adopting technical camera strategies which present women as objects to be looked at and men as subjects who do the looking". This theory is shown through camera angles, shot types and reaction shots of the male to show that he is the "subject" looking at the "object". And I think that this theory is represented perfectly at a single point in the film: when Curt and Jules have sex. As the staff of the facility use the pheromone mist to tempt the couple into intercourse, they are watching the whole time on security cameras and even use different angles to get a better view of the naked Jules. In fact, when they first attempt to use the mist, a large group of male staff members are seen gathered around the screen hoping to witness the act taking place. In my opinion, this a perfect example of the 'Male Gaze' theory due to the addition of revealing camera angles, close ups and even a physical representation of the "subjects" viewing Jules as an "object".

5. 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?

I believe that, as an audience, we are made to be voyeurs at the same scene I mentioned in my last answer when Curt and Jules have sex. Much like the male staff members at the facility, we are also "spying" on the couple as they engage in sexual intercourse. In fact, we have the advantage of being able to view the scene from right beside them due to the fact that we are viewing the events as an actual horror film. This amplifies Jules' representation as the "Whore" by making her an "object" to be observed by the male "subjects" at the facility as well as the film's audience.

6. (Briefly) summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods. Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?

In my opinion, I think that women are represented in different ways in The Cabin in the Woods, both sexually and mentally. One of the most mentioned ways in the film is sexually due to the representation of both Jules and Dana. For example, due to Jules' role as the "Whore", she is seen as the character who is objectified and is there to provide satisfaction for the heterosexual males. However, we are forgetting that there are other important female roles seen in The Cabin in the Woods which shows that they are not all seen as "objects". I am referring to Wendy Lin, a member of staff at the facility which controls the events of the Cabin. She was a technician in the Chem. Lab which actually created pheromone mist used to mentally alter the personalities of the main characters. This shows that she played an important role in the events of the film which did not include her being sexually represented in any way.