By Andrew Jenck
We can never really determine the exact start of a genre, as many films are lost in time and the general identity of a genre is so broad that we can only pinpoint when the genre found its identity. Case in point, Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, may not have been the first slasher film, but it was the first to employ all the tropes that slasher films continue to use to this day. You have a masked killer with a signature weapon, teenagers as victims, the virgin is the survivor, music cues that accompany the scares, jump scares etc. These clichés have been incorporated into almost every horror film since this one came out, most of which I’m sick of, but somehow, all these aspects work really, really well. The way in which Carpenter directs the picture creates a very disturbing, suspenseful experience throughout.
I think what gives this film more suspense over something like Friday the 13th or other slasher films is that it puts atmosphere before body count that gives an uneasy feeling to the audience. Remember how I said with Friday, that the cinematography was lacking and didn’t create a disturbing mood? Halloween is the polar opposite. Michael Meyers, the villain, is mostly seen in the shadows or only partially until he makes his first kill, giving an impression of the unknown and waiting for him to strike. For example, there’s a scene where the main character is heading towards the house where Meyers is, and she walks away from the camera into the shadows of the house, indicating she is getting further away from safety.
It amazes me how this film was shot with only a $325,000, as it looks and is executed better than most high-budget horror film today. While jump scares are employed, they feel earned, being more patient with its audience. Utilizing the entire frame of the picture, Carpenter uses both the foreground and background to keep the audience off guard, having Meyers appear and disappear silently. This is much more subtle then having the camera turn to reveal the killer with a loud, obnoxious music cue. Carpenter himself provides the score with the main theme adding on top of itself, provoking an eerie and thrilling feel to the piece. Whenever Michael appears, the music has a more subdued, high pitched beat that isn’t part of the scare but leads into the scare. Still, the absence of music is effective, such as whenever Michael’s kills, you only feel the impact he has on his victims.
However, what makes this film stick with you is how Michael Meyers is depicted. He is essentially an updated version of the boogey man. He can’t be reasoned with and is unstoppable. Carpenter has described Meyers as evil personified, which may seem corny, but when it’s executed in a way that reflects real life mental patients. He has a complete lack of empathy, hence the emotionless mask. The film never dives into his specific backstory, aside from a very effective scene and expositional dialogue from his psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, played by Donald Pleascence. While he tells us what to be afraid of, the main character, Laurie Strodes, tells us why we should be afraid. Jamie Lee Curtis makes her big screen debut in the role, and comes off genuinely as the high schooler who’s stuck in that awkward phase between innocent child and adult. She’s good with kids but struggles to get with her friends more adult activities and only begins to come out of her own when Michael pursues, to the point where the film hits its stride.
Is it perfect? Well, the actors of Laurie’s friends are pretty cringe-worthy and the low budget shows at times but, honestly, that just makes the film more genuine. There is so much talent and passion in making the production, that these flaws just sort of feel right. The fact that this independent, cheap film redefined the horror genre shows how a basic premise can be more than the sum of its parts when placed in the right hands. Halloween is straight-up horror at its finest and makes for the perfect watch on October 31st, evoking the feel of the holiday while legitimately scary even after 40 years. After you give candy to trick or treaters, rent the film to end this holiday on a high note. Because if this film can make a dollar-store mask one of the scariest things I’ve seen in a film, you know you’re in for an experience.
Happy Halloween! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA