Staats Dissertation
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... Don’t Look Now: The Child in Horror Cinema and Media A Dissertation Presented by Hans Staats to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature Stony Brook University August 2016 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Hans Staats We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Krin Gabbard – Dissertation Co-Advisor Professor Emeritus, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature Stony Brook University E. Ann Kaplan – Dissertation Co-Advisor Distinguished Professor of English and Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature Stony Brook University Jacqueline Reich – Chairperson of Defense Professor and Chair, Department of Communication and Media Studies Fordham University Christopher Sharrett – Outside Member Professor, College of Communication and the Arts Seton Hall University Adam Lowenstein – Outside Member Associate Professor of English and Film Studies University of Pittsburgh This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Charles Taber Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation Don’t Look Now: The Child in Horror Cinema and Media by Hans Staats Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature Stony Brook University 2016 This dissertation examines the definition of the monstrous child in horror cinema and media. Spanning from 1955 to 2009 and beyond, the question of what counts as a monstrous child illuminates a perennial cinematic preoccupation with monstrosity and the relation between the normal and the pathological. Films like The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955), The Bad Seed (Mervyn LeRoy, 1956), Village of the Damned (Wolf Rilla, 1960), The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961), Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973), Profondo rosso/Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975), Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976), Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978), Child’s Play (Tom Holland, 1988), and Orphan (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2009) explore the normative and pathological specificity of childhood across a range of historical, religious, and economic awakenings and crises, from the work of Jonathan Edwards and Henry James to Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma. Ultimately the monstrous child is not a force of evil, but a rebellious and motivated figure at odds with a range of social and cultural norms found in the classic and modern American and European horror film. Specifically, the cultural function of the figure of the child in horror films works against norms of good and evil it is often linked to. By extension, the monstrous child and its function vary according to different historical periods and major historical events during the years 1955-2009 and beyond. These include: the Great Depression, World War II, Britain’s age of affluence, Italy’s Years of Lead or anni di piombo, the Cold War, 9/11, and the financial meltdown of 2008. In short, the monstrous child is a rebel with a cause, a figure that assumes a vital dimension of modern consciousness. To that end, I propose that a theoretical and historical analysis of the monstrous child in horror cinema and media during the twentieth and twenty-first century should be approached via three concepts: innocence, criminality, and anxiety. Focusing on the child in horror, I expand the theoretical scope of my dissertation to include: film and media studies, genre and popular culture, gender and sexuality, and psychoanalysis. iii For Carol Ann Lefemine (1951-2016). And as always, for Claire and Atticus, who are the best that a husband and father could hope for. iv Table of Contents ABSTRAST ................................................................................................................................... iii INTRODUCTION What is a Monstrous Child? .............................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 Pictures of Innocence: Horror Cinema, Media, and Childhood .........................................................................................17 The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961) ...................................................................................25 Village of the Damned (Wolf Rilla, 1960) .........................................................................38 The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) ...........................................................54 CHAPTER 2 Pictures of Criminality: Horror Cinema, Media, and Boyhood ............................................................................................69 Profondo rosso/Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975) .............................................................75 Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978) ....................................................................................85 Child’s Play (Tom Holland, 1988) ....................................................................................97 CHAPTER 3 Pictures of Anxiety: Horror Cinema, Media, and Girlhood ..........................................................................................114 The Bad Seed (Mervyn LeRoy, 1956) .............................................................................121 Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) ........................................................................................132 Orphan (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2009) .................................................................................144 CONCLUSION: The Monstrous Child and the Politics of Horror Cinema and Media ..........................................166 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................179 FILMOGRAPHY .........................................................................................................................197 ENDNOTES ................................................................................................................................199 v Acknowledgments I would like to begin by thanking my outside readers. It is not every day that I have the opportunity to work with two of the most respected scholars in my field. Christopher Sharrett and Adam Lowenstein have written extensively on the horror film, and have had a profound impact not only on the field of horror studies, but this dissertation in particular. I am especially thankful to Christopher and Adam for encouraging me to look more closely at the ideas of apocalypse and historical allegory, the difference between the child as monster and the monster as Other, and the need for a theoretical intervention about how we define the monstrous child in horror cinema and media. Next, I want to thank my dissertation chair, Jacqueline Reich. Especially during the early stages of writing, Jackie’s unfailing dedication and attention to detail transformed a dissertation proposal that was overambitious into a project that is focused and engaging – together we performed the heavy lifting. From the beginning, Jackie has had a profound influence on my development as a scholar, teacher, and graduate student. Entering the workforce, I am confident that my teaching philosophy will reflect the values and enthusiasm that Jackie embodies. Finally, I would like to thank my dissertation co-advisors, Krin Gabbard and Ann Kaplan. Krin is the first professor that I met at Stony Brook University. A stranger to Long Island and the North Shore, he introduced me to an academic community that would support and challenge my interest in film and popular culture for the better part of a decade. During that time, Krin has taught me an invaluable lesson that is essential to academia and to life: the value of good humor. Krin has always put a smile on my face, and made it easier for me to confront the challenges of the dissertation process. His love of film and jazz has made my time at Stony Brook an experience that is rooted in the joy of comparative literature and cultural studies. vi Last but certainly not least, I want to thank Ann Kaplan. Ann has graciously offered to help as my co-advisor in the later stages of this dissertation, and the majority of what I have written leading up to my defense is the result of work that Ann and I accomplished over a short period of time. It is imposible to put into words the influence that Ann has had on my writing. She has challenged me to think differently about my topic, and has driven me to work harder on this dissertation than I thought possible. As a result, the quality of my project has improved by leaps and bounds. One of Ann’s closing comments to me is something that I will always remember. “Enjoy while you work,” she told me. Thanks to you, Ann, my work has become a joy that I look forward to sharing with my students and colleagues. vii Vita 2004 B.A., Film Studies Brooklyn College 2008 M.A., Comparative Literature Stony Brook University 2004-2011 Adjunct, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Stony Brook University 2009-2010 Adjunct, Media Culture College of Staten Island 2010 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student Stony Brook University Publications “Tag . You’re It: Cold War Comics and the Performance of Boyhood and Criminality.”