The Cabin in the Woods 2012 and Representations

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

• ·         Domestic
• ·         Sexual
• ·         Consumer
• ·         Marital

Women are depicted as busy housewives, eager consumers, content mothers and as sex objects. Jeremy Tunstall suggested that the existing research found for the representation of women in the media emphasised women’s activities. The media has a larger focus on women especially these four character types, for example; the media has less to say about males in the nude compared to females instantly presenting a sex object for heterosexual males.

‘The Cabin in the woods’ presents two of these representations within the two main female characters. Jules is presented as the sexual character; numerous scenes suggest this by the use of camera shots and behaviour presented. Her character is stated as ‘the whore’ in the film which is said by The Director. The second main female character Dana is presented as the domestic role as she makes sure everyone is happy and have their drinks one evening when the group have arrived at the cabin, therefore Dana is presented as the caring female character due to these traits.  

2.  How is Dana typical of Clover’s ‘Final Girl’ theory?

Dana has masculine traits compared to Jules, for example at the beginning of the film Dana is packing for their weekend away in the cabin wearing what’s known as ‘granny pants’ which are unflattering for a young girl like herself. During this scene, Curt who is Jules boyfriend informs Dana isn’t wearing any pants and in response Dana franticly tries to cover up and apologizes. This effectively presents Dana as the non-sexual female in the beginning scene. Later in the film the audience are aware all of the characters who stay in the cabin for a weekend away are all college students, this suggests they all have the same ability and academic. However, Dana is the only character wanting to bring college books onto the trip which immediately suggests she’s academic even though they all go to college, achieving the bookworm representation which is another trait of the ‘final girl’. Clover states the ‘final girl’ has an androgynous and non-traditional name for a female, Dana connotes this part of his theory as the name ‘Dana’ is both male and female compared to a female only name such as Jules the other main female character. Although Dana makes it to the end of the film she is constantly being rescued by her friends who as a result leads them to being in danger. On the other hand Dana does fight back attacking the Buckner family for survival of herself and her friends, however at the end of the film Dana is willing to shoot Marty who rescued her in order to complete the ritual and save herself. Compared to the other main female character Jules, Dana wears jeans and less make-up presenting masculinity for a ‘typical female’. When Dana is the cabin with her friends she is presented as a virgin even though she isn’t due to the masculine representations as The Director states near the end of the film “they work with what they have” in order to complete the ritual as it’s vital the whore is first to be killed and the virgin is the last or can survive.

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

At the beginning of the film Jules originally had brown hair but dyed her hair for the weekend away. However, the company who control the killings to complete the rituals tampered with the dye to make her hair turn blonde to fulfil the ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype. The managers of the company have full control over the college students once they’re in the cabin. Although Jules goes to college suggesting she’s smart she is changed mentally and physically to suit ‘the whore’ representation for the ritual. During the film Curt and Jules go into the woods for a walk and Curt suggests having sex in the middle of the woods which Jules rejects for many reasons. However, the managers Sitterson and Hadley control Jules by increasing her body temperature and behaviour by intoxicating Jules with mind-altering drugs in the form of mist which blends in with the natural wood theme which gives her a sex drive so she agrees. This scene in the film connotes Jules transformation mentally and physically but presents Clover’s theory as it’s stated anyone who has sex in the woods or a car must die in the horror film. During the film Marty points out to Dana Jules is acting strange implying she’s behaving like a ‘whore’ compared to her usual self which has no connections to that label. Therefore, it’s clear that Sitterson and Hadley the company managers have been intoxicating the teenagers with mind-altering drugs which as an effect causing rational thinking and a sex drive to produce the archetypes for the ritual.

4. Is Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera and POV shots.

      This theory is exemplified throughout this film in several scenes, when Jules is dared to make out with the wolf on the wall she walks towards the mounted head with a strut in her step swaying her legs and bum side to side. During this scene the camera is angled at her feet slowly panning up her legs and bum, this creates a long shot which is often from the male point of view of women to encourage the audience to look at the female in this case Jules as an object and sexually displayed for the pleasure of men. Another long shot which focuses on body parts is the scene where Jules is dancing in front of the fire place; the camera focuses on her legs and bum as she’s dancing which makes her a subject for men by the use of camera shot. The woodland scene between Curt and Jules has the use of a point of view shot from the position of Curt when Jules removes her shirt portraying Jules as a sex object for the male viewers.

            

            
      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?

The audience are the voyeurs during this film as they are placed into the point of view of Holden who gains satisfaction from watching Dana getting undressed through the one way mirror as she doesn’t know she’s being watched. A voyeur can be expressed by both male and female as presented in this mirror scene. When Holden is aware Dana can’t see him, he begins to enjoy watching her gaining a satisfaction which present male voyeurs and what heterosexual males enjoy about the female body. Dana begins by fixing her hair and looks at her appearance in her reflection, however her facial expression changes and looks away from the mirror suggesting she doesn’t like what she sees presenting a sense of insecurity. Once Dana has finished in the mirror she begins to undress herself producing satisfaction for Holden who’s watching but soon realises it’s wrong and stops Dana before she undresses herself any further. They eventually switch rooms as Dana felt uncomfortable about the situation but reflects her actions of Holden when he takes his shirt off in front of the mirror Dana hesitates to watch but gains a satisfaction presenting the female voyeur and attraction to the male body. However, Dana has the same reaction as Holden and decides to cover up the mirror with the painting when he begins to take his trousers off as she remembers the respect Holden had for her so she gave him the same respect of privacy.

     
      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/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?

Throughout this film the women are presented and objectified to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males. This is presented through one character in particular Jules, the camerawork used on her character focuses on her assets and sexual behaviour through body language and movement. During the scene between Jules and Curt outside the cabin, the male workers in the company who control the completion of the rituals are gathered staring at the screen as Jules begins to undress which presents her character as an object for men rather than an equal. This is connoted when one of the managers Steve Hadley says “your basic human needs disgust me” suggesting Jules as the sex object providing satisfaction for heterosexual men and their needs. Overall, Jules is presented as the most sexualised character and Dana is presented as the virgin although she isn’t she’s considered a virgin due to the difference in behaviour between Dana and Jules to complete the ritual and keep the god’s happy. Dana is presented as the smart one although they all attend college or have graduated; therefore Dana fulfils another purpose as she takes her studying seriously which causes her to take interest into a diary which belonged to Patience Buckner. As a result, this summoned the zombified Buckner family which raised them to the woods resulting in deaths, although Dana was the cause of the release she helped overcome the zombie attacks with her mind, help from Marty and numerous savings by her friends. Therefore, Dana fulfilled the role of the ‘final girl’ whilst Jules is objectified to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males which is connoted with the use of camerawork to present their character behaviour and roles.