'Scream' Gender Analysis

How is gender represented in this extract?

‘Scream’ is a 1996 horror, produced by Dimension Films, which worked in synergy with Miramax to create this film. The opening of this film has elements which show how gender is mediated to the audience through different aspects such as mis en scene, editing, camera work and sound.

The mis en scene in this extract represents the protagonist in this film- whose name is Casey and is played by Drew Barrymore- as being innocent, through her costume. This is because she is wearing a cream sweater and has blonde, bobbed hair. By choosing to have her wear this particular mis en scene, it connotes her innocence as cream is stereotypically linked to purity. Also, with her hair being blonde, this links to the generic stereotypes, common in horror films, that she is dense. However, although she is being portrayed as innocent in this manner, she is being slightly sexualised by the way she is wearing a rouge coloured lipstick. This conforms to Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory as although she is wearing minimal makeup on her face, her lips have been tinged with a red colour to make them the focus. This sexualises her as the rest of her appearance is not sexualised yet her lips give other connotations.

Also, when Casey is on the phone to the mystery male and he is imposing threats, she runs to lock all of the doors. On the door, there is a window section at the top with panels. This shot made Casey look as if she is imprisonment. Although she locks the doors, it makes the audience think she is slightly unintelligent to leave them unlocked when she is home alone. This correlates with the stereotype that because she has blonde hair, therefore she is witless.

Before Drew Barrymore starred in ‘Scream’, celebrities wouldn’t generally star in horror films, yet this relates to Richard Dyer’s Star Theory. This is because, by having Drew Barrymore in this film, it will lead to more people to watch it as they will recognize Barrymore, therefore gain more viewers. Furthermore, this lead to the popularisation of celebrities in horror films.

Also, in films, women are generally punished for being impure, she tells the man on the phone that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Yet when he starts to be threatening, she says that she has a boyfriend. This creates the stereotype that the woman needs protection by a male as they are feeble and that in films, the male is the one to come and save them, despite their show of strength and independence throughout the film.

The editing in the opening of ‘Scream’ is slow paced with long length shots, building up tension and creating the effect that someone is following the protagonist. This is exemplified when she is walking round the kitchen from turning the popcorn on the hob, to answering the telephone. This is done in one continuous shot which is then followed by a cut to the swing outside, letting the audience know that the mysterious person on the phone is near. Also, the shot of outside, shows how she is in the middle of nowhere, provoking fear for the audience as this is an unfortunate likelihood that help will not get to her quickly.

The editing in ‘Scream’ is also climactic as there is a cut away to the popcorn, which is growing. This connotes to the audience that tension is building and the popcorn is the stimulus behind it. As the fear in the scene builds, the popcorn grows till it is bursting, and this is when Casey is beginning to become uneasy. This also represents the stereotype that Casey is slightly unintelligent as she has forgotten all about her popcorn that is bursting on the hob whilst she is consumed by the mysterious person on the phone.

Camera work also relates to this as there is a close up of the hob being turned on, creating the enigma as they audience wonder who it was that ignited the hob. This links to Barthes Enigma Code which he theorised that the text is like a ball of thread and it needs to be unravelled in order to piece together what the text means.

Moreover, as she goes to look out the back door of her home, she exits the shot but the camera focuses on the image behind her, it is a large painting of a castle hanging above the mantle piece. This relates to the gender in this extract as it is connoting that she is a damsel in distress, conforming to typical films, where the woman must be saved by a man.

Also, when Casey is crying, as she is terrified of this unidentified man on the phone, the shot is handheld. This patronises Casey making her seem weak, a common stereotype of women in horror films. The camera also moves higher, this manipulates the audience to see Casey as being belittled and feeble. The audience are granted gratification as they now appear to be above her and looking down on her, relating to the stereotype that women are weak in films.

There is also foley to exaggerate the sharpness of the knife as Casey pulls it out to admire when she is first on the phone to the male. The knife isn’t a particular sharp knife, however, this was used as iconography to lead the audience to feel that Casey has these weapons to defend herself. However, this realisation is diminished, when she is being closed in on by the man on the phone and she only grabs one knife instead of all of them in the stand as the man could use these against her. This conforms to the stereotype that females are submissive but not always smart when using their own initiative.

The dialogue is driving the narrative of this opening scene, this is exemplified when the male on the phone says to Casey: ‘I want to know who I am looking at’. The non diegetic sound then begins from the previous sounds of her breathing, representing her vulnerability. Also, this relates to how  males have more power,as he is dominant in this situation and blunt, common stereotypes found in films. This use of sound then mirrors how we as an audience should feel as the fear is beginning to set in for Casey and we now understand that the man on the phone can see her, foreshadowing what is to come. The audience also know that the male can see her as he calls her ‘blondie’ over the phone, this is a generic stereotype found in films that blondes are naive and aren’t as strong in pressured situations and the male is belittling her, gaining the power.

To conclude, mis en scene, editing, camera work and sound all show how the gender is represented in the opening of ‘Scream’. The mis en scene and camera work is manipulative to the way she is presented to the audience with her rouge lips and belittling by the camera angle. Moreover, the sound and editing show gender also but way they present the stereotypes of the male and female in this opening. Casey is represented to be weak and emotional whilst the male on the phone is dominant and powerful, all of which are common stereotypes found in horror films.