Fairytale and Gothic Horror

211 Pages·2018·2.69 MB·English

by  Laura Hubner

f a i r y
L A U R A H U B N E R
t a l e&
g o t h i c
Uncanny Transformations in Film
h o r r o r
Fairytale and Gothic Horror
Laura Hubner
Fairytale and Gothic
Horror
Uncanny Transformations in Film
Laura Hubner
Department of Media and Film Studies
University of Winchester
Winchester, UK
ISBN 978-1-137-39346-3 ISBN 978-1-137-39347-0 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-39347-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018934634
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identified as the author(s) of this work
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction
on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are
exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and
information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication.
Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied,
with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published
maps and institutional affiliations.
Cover credit: Mimadeo/Alamy Stock Photo
Printed on acid-free paper
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Macmillan
Publishers Ltd. part of Springer Nature
The registered company address is: The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW,
United Kingdom
P
reface
The idea for this monograph originates in a Masters module I devised
and began teaching in 2007, at the University of Winchester, called
‘Fairytale and Gothic Horror’—a Film Studies module open to students
from four other Masters degrees (English, Creative Writing, Cultural
Studies and Religion: The Rhetoric and Ritual of Death) as well as Film
students. The module examines fairytale and gothic horror traditions in
a diversity of cultural forms, drawing on a range of theoretical modes of
thought, such as postcolonial criticism, feminism and psychoanalysis. The
dark undercurrents of fairy tale and folklore are explored, looking at the
close links with gothic romance, gothic horror, fantasy and nightmare.
Due to its open nature, the module also offers a broad cultural study
that investigates a number of disciplinary perspectives, including art,
film, literature, language, media, mythology and religion to shed light
on the many faces of fairytale and gothic horror within the cinema. The
challenge was to offer a module that, grounded in the field of film, at
the same time presented themes that could interest and engage students
from other disciplines.
This book is indebted to the students’ monumental contributions to the
module, and the disparate ways of thinking they inspired along the way.
Winchester, UK Laura Hubner
v
a
cknowledgements
I would like to thank the Faculty of Arts Research and Knowledge
Exchange Committee at the University of Winchester for supporting this
project through all its stages and for awarding the sabbatical that enabled
the drafting of this book. Thanks also to the Faculty Head of Research,
Inga Bryden, for her helpful guidance and encouragement, and to my
colleagues in the Faculty, including Imruh Bakari, Jude Davies, Neil
Ewen, Gary Farnell, Vanessa Harbour, Fran Mason and Andy Melrose.
Special thanks are due to Steven Allen, for the valued and helpful sug-
gestions on early drafts and ideas, Leighton Grist, whose inexhaustible
knowledge and generosity helped galvanize a difficult chapter into better
shape, Marcus Leaning, for the incredible support and boundless enthu-
siasm, and Dan Varndell, for the insightful and lively conversations that
got me putting pen to paper many a time. I am also indebted to my val-
ued research students, a constant inspiration, and MA students (given
singular mention in the Preface).
My sincere thanks go to my editors at Palgrave Macmillan—Lina
Aboujieb, Ellie Freedman, Karina Jakupsdottir, Chris Penfold, Felicity
Plester and Hari Swaminathan—for their immense assistance and
patience over the course of writing this book. I am very grateful to Steve
Chibnall for the time given at the Hammer Film Archives (De Montfort
University)—for the expertise and enthusiasm, as well as the special nav-
igation through his personal collection. Thanks also to Jane Dipple for
being the perfect research companion. I would like to thank the organ-
izers (Kaja Franck, Samantha George, Bill Hughes) and delegates of the
vii
viii ACKNoWLEDGEMENTS
‘Company of Wolves Conference’ held at the University of Hertfordshire
(UK), especially Maggie Robb, who joined me there, and all those in
attendance at the ‘Supernatural in Literature and Film’ Conference
(North Unst, Shetland). I also gleaned vital information from the British
Film Institute and the British Library exhibition ‘Terror and Wonder:
The Gothic Imagination,’ thanks particularly to the knowledgeable and
helpful staff. Singular thanks are due to Sue Short who provided sup-
portive feedback on the draft manuscript, and helped me to see how the
various strands linked together. Philippa Greening and Carl Davies are
also due thanks for loaning the handy books on women, wolves and the
work of Angela Carter, as are owen Evans, Jane Foster, Francesca Froy,
Pauline Greenhill, Beth King and James Walters for their whole-hearted
encouragement of the research proposal and David Aldrich for the won-
derful insights into ‘framing the dark.’ I am grateful to Zoe Ross for pro-
ducing the index with dexterity and insight.
Exceptional thanks are due to my family for their ongoing support—
in particular my parents, Anne and David, for their lifelong encourage-
ment, kindness and inspiration and my sister, Clare, who has always been
there by my side and is not afraid to walk through the woods at night.
Thank you to Bob Bavister (the perfect outlaw) and Maggie Mclean for
their warmth and enthusiasm. Last, but by no means least, I would like
to thank Paul Bavister who has been a bountiful source of love, patience
and good humour—thank you for helping me see through the haze, and
for reading through every final draft.
I would like to dedicate this book to my sons, Daniel and Jason,
whose magic and wonder persists.
c
ontents
1 Introduction 1
2 Fairytale Roots and Transformations 13
3 Gothic Transgression, Horror and Film 43
4 Rebecca Returns: Death and Renewal Beyond the Door 75
5 Encountering the Werewolf—Confronting the Self:
On and Off the Path to The Company of Wolves 117
6 The Horror in Pan’s Labyrinth: Beneath the Rhetoric
of Hope and Fear 159
7 Afterword: Uncanny Transformations in Film 191
Index 197
ix
l f
ist of igures
Fig. 3.1 The boundary is crossed; Corky slips out of control—Magic
(Richard Attenborough, 1978) 63
Fig. 3.2 The camera comments on the horror of Fats taking
over—Magic (Richard Attenborough, 1978) 64
Fig. 3.3 Innocence fuses with the sinister—Let the Right One In
(Tomas Alfredson, 2008) 69
Fig. 4.1 The ending, just before the west wing goes up
in flames—Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) 79
Fig. 4.2 In the beach cottage, when the telephone rings—Rebecca
(Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) 80
Fig. 4.3 The heroine is at the door, about to leave—Rebecca
(Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) 88
Fig. 5.1 The heroine smiles—The Company of Wolves
(Neil Jordan, 1984) 127
Fig. 5.2 The werewolf sheds a tear—The Curse of the Werewolf
(Terence Fisher, 1961) 134
Fig. 5.3 Voyeur on the outside world—Werewolf of London
(Stuart Walker, 1935) 140
Fig. 5.4 Between the laboratory and the garden
party—Werewolf of London (Stuart Walker, 1935) 141
Fig. 5.5 Encountering Dr. Yogami—confronting the
self—Werewolf of London (Stuart Walker, 1935) 143
Fig. 6.1 The Resistance are spotted, framed by Vidal’s
binoculars—Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) 165
xi
xii LIST oF FIGURES
Fig. 6.2 Words and pictures flood ofelia’s body and the
walls—Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) 169
Fig. 6.3 A white flower opens as the insect looks
on—Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) 187