Women as Victims and Heroines

The role of women in horror films has been the subject of much critical debate, as in the past they were usually portrayed as victims of psychotic killers and crazed monsters who subjected them to horrifically violent danger or death. What is still true today is that it is often while they are engaged in sex or drugs that young female victims are slaughtered, suggesting that they should be punished for the sin . Only the "good girl," the one who generally resists sexual advances, manages to survive, as if survival is a reward for her chastity. The good girl is one of the most common characters used in horror, pitting a strong, resourceful heroine who finds the will to survive against an evil being without a conscience (e.g., A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Scream). While this "beauty and the beast" model has had its share of successes, the archetype is reaching a point of saturation, and the predictability of this type of heroine is killing the suspense.

Some of the most memorable characters of all time do not conform to the usual archetypes; they are not simply helpless victims, or heroic goody-two-shoes. In Rosemary's Baby, for example, the heroine did not manage to save her baby from Satan's evil-doers, despite all her efforts, leaving us with a troubling view that evil can reign. Her character had very human vulnerabilities, insecurities, anxieties, and growing paranoia about events too large and improbably to grasp. Had Rosemary beaten or outwitted Satan, the movie would have had a much different and undoubtedly less powerful tone. Her ultimate powerlessness against the devil made the movie that much more credible and engaging.

What's your take on the role of women in horror?