Masculinity and Surveillance in the American Serial Killer Film 1978 - 2008
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Reburn, Jennifer (2012) Watching men: masculinity and surveillance in the American serial killer film 1978 - 2008. PhD thesis http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3390/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Watching Men: Masculinity and Surveillance in the American Serial Killer Film 1978 – 2008 Jennifer Reburn Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Theatre, Film and Television Studies School of Culture and Creative Arts University of Glasgow May 2012 © Jennifer Reburn 2012 2 Abstract Masculinity and Surveillance in the American Serial Killer Film This thesis explores the depiction of masculinity in the American serial killer film with a particular focus on the articulation of surveillance. I trace shifts and trends in films made between 1978 and 2008. Drawing on existing analyses of the serial killer panic, I argue that cinema swiftly assimilated FBI rhetoric which influenced the development of the serial killer as a cultural figure. In particular, I highlight the profiler as a crucial element of serial killer discourse. This thesis tracks the development of this figure within American cinema, investigates the influence of this character on portrayals of the serial killer, and argues that the killer and profiler are constructed as opposing agents of surveillance. Using a chronological approach, I investigate the films shaped by this historical moment, splitting them into time-specific cycles in order to understand the cultural shifts affecting their development. I argue that a fascination with surveillance is a factor in the continuing power of the serial killer, exploring the different ways in which surveillance is thematised in the films. Highlighting the gendered nature of surveillance, I contend that the films support gender norms, with the killer often functioning as a violent example of the suppression of non-normative expressions of gendered identity. Including discussions of both mainstream and niche films, I show that the serial killer is distanced from normative masculinity in ways which allude to the Gothic and to gender, class and race prejudice, constructing the status of the serial killer as a special, inscrutable individual removed from power structures. The thesis argues that cinematic representations have embraced certain elements of FBI rhetoric, emphasising the exceptional surveillance skills of the profiler. As a result, the serial killer is frequently depicted as an extraordinary figure requiring elite expertise. I consider the ramifications of these portrayals and discuss the moments at which patriarchal power structures underlying this form of violence are both concealed and exposed. 3 Table of Contents Abstract 2 List of Tables 5 List of Figures 6 Acknowledgments 10 Author’s Declaration 11 INTRODUCTION 12 CHAPTER ONE Literature Review: Scrutinising the Serial Killer 24 CHAPTER TWO The American Serial Killer Film, 1978 – 2008 56 CHAPTER THREE White Masculinity and Surveillance in the 1980s Profiler Film 83 CHAPTER FOUR Otherness, Urban Space and the Crime Scene in the 1990s Profiler Film 119 CHAPTER FIVE Unpleasure and Reality Horror: the Portrait Film 153 CHAPTER SIX Chapter Six: The Serial Killer in the 2000s: Profiling and Torture Porn 199 CONCLUSION 247 4 Table 1: Development of the Cycles 263 Bibliography 273 Filmography 289 5 List of Tables Table 1 Development of the Cycles 263 6 List of Figures Figure 1.1 Female sight is restricted and linked to the supernatural through the eerily whitened (apparently blind) eyes in a mask-like, ghostly face. 43 Figure 1.2 The cover of a serial killer-themed DVD box set, each killer staring threateningly at the viewer. 43 Figure 3.1 The newsroom is for the first time softly lit and occupied only by the chastened Malcolm and the domesticating Christine. 99 Figure 3.2 The bright, open-plan newsroom suggests unobstructed sight . 105 Figure 3.3 Andy’s camera intrudes on Mrs Hooks’ grief. 106 Figure 3.4 Malcolm is out of place in the white trash milieu inhabited by ‘Hilson’. 114 Figure 3.5 In contrast to his white trash persona, Delour is well-groomed and unobtrusive before abducting Christine. 115 Figure 4.1 Rhyme under medical surveillance. 135 Figure 4.2 Rhyme steps into a deep focus shot which suggests his mastery of urban space. 142 Figure 4.3 Amelia struggles to attract the attention of the helicopter at the chaotic pier. 145 Figure 4.4 Cheney’s clasped hands, formal manner and buttoned suit mark him out as a bureaucrat incongruous in the homely detection space . 148 7 Figure 5.1 The Ulli Lommel “Serial Killer Box” highlights sight. 167 Figure 5.2 Ted Bundy dominates a nightmarish landscape. 167 Figure 5.3 Despite its narrative significance, Bundy’s first attack is filmed from a distance. 174 Figure 5.4 Bundy is “in control” as he exercises his power over a screaming, bound woman. 176 Figure 5.5 and 5.6 Ted Bundy appropriates the famous mirror shot of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer . 178 Figure 5.7 Retaining the sense of unobtrusive direction, the film nevertheless emphasises Bundy’s height in comparison to a pig-tailed teenage victim. 179 Figure 5.8 A photograph of the real Bundy is superimposed over a ghoulish visual representation of his crimes, red blotches indicating attacks. 182 Figure 5.9 Bundy’s move to Utah is playfully represented through the iconography of the American road movie. 183 Figure 5.10 The church scenes are oddly composed and obviously staged. 188 Figure 5.11 Images of a pig’s head, the flames in its eye sockets mirroring Nancy’s blindfolding. 189 Figure 5.12 The opening montage also emphasises sight. 190 Figure 5.13 Jack is caught in a tight close-up as he harasses Petersen… 194 Figure 5.14 … linking him visually to the outwardly calmer Rader, watching Petersen on television. 194 8 Figure 5.15 Caught in an array of frames, Peterson is watched by a male technician. 195 Figure 5.16 Echoing Peterson’s capture within the camera, a victim is framed within a mirror. 196 Figure 6.1 A sulking Smith deters sympathy, encouraging allegiance with Earl and sardonic Marshall. 218 Figure 6.2 In his ‘killing uniform’ and without his glasses, Earl is at his most recognisable as Kevin Costner. 220 Figure 6.3 The ghostly Marshall whispers to Earl. 221 Figure 6.4 Marshall blends into the dark studio… 222 Figure 6.5 …but stands out in Earl’s bright, glass-walled office. 222 Figure 6.6 Our first sight of Earl: a divided figure, sight aid in hand. 223 Figure 6.7 Earl and Marshall communicate via, and are visually doubled by, the rear-view mirror. 224 Figure 6.8 The scruffy Smith is out of place in Earl’s clean, reflective conference room. 225 Figure 6.9 The transparency of Earl’s table flags up his deceptive appearance. 225 Figure 6.10 The first shot of Saw II highlights sight and industrial aesthetics. 234 Figure 6.11 A CCTV camera blankly views Mathews’ son waiting at the police station. 235 Figure 6.12 Jigsaw reminds the captives they are being watched at the torture house. 236 9 Figure 6.13 The impassive Jigsaw resembles a religious leader. 239 Figure 6.14 Jigsaw tenderly comforts the subservient Amanda. 242 10 Acknowledgments This thesis would not have been possible without the enthusiasm, guidance and support of my supervisors, Dr Karen Boyle and Dr Ian Garwood, who have demonstrated superhuman levels of patience. Thank you for your insight, encouragement and, most of all, for keeping me motivated. I am also grateful to the fellow students and members of staff of the Film and Television Department at the University of Glasgow who offered advice and support throughout the project. Thank you also to those not involved in film studies who provided help: alerting me to relevant films, offering technical assistance, and enduring hours of debate about serial killing. Finally, I would like to thank my family for your support, encouragement and for watching hours of violent films with me. Thank you especially to Jonny, for your technical skills and for always being able to make me laugh, and to Mum, for never giving up. This thesis is dedicated to John T C Grant. 11 Author’s Declaration This thesis represents the original work of Jennifer Reburn, unless otherwise stated in the text. The research upon which it is based was carried out in Theatre, Film and Television Studies at the University of Glasgow under the supervision of Dr Karen Boyle and Dr Ian Garwood during the period of October 2005 to September 2011. 12 Introduction Masculinity, surveillance and the serial killer Near the beginning of the seventh Saw film, Saw 3D (Kevin Greutert, 2010), shoppers gather round a shop window display in which three people are restrained. As a circular saw revs up and slices towards the victims, onlookers hold their mobile telephones aloft to record events; only a few call the police. One woman futilely slams her bag against the window as the victims scream; the crowd flinches as blood splatters onto the window. As intestines hit the floor, police officers arrive, forcing their way through a sea of transfixed citizens aiming their camera phones at the bloody display.