Essay on Structuralist Theory

How does the opening of Scream follow the Structuralist theory of the horror genre?

Genre is a text which is identified through the key elements which occurs within the text. The elements portrayed within a certain genre are seen through the paradigms (codes and conventions) which the audiences are able recognise and bring a set of expectations to the text, thus grouping it into a certain genre. One way in which paradigms are represented is through the structure of the text, the way it’s put together, and the iconography used as well as the structuralist theory, an ideology which emphasises how films convey meanings through the use of codes and conventions. This essay will explore the way the horror movie Scream follows the structuralist theory within the opening sequence, by considering the plot, theme, mise-en-scene, sound and editing.

The establishing shot of Scream instantly shows the audience that it is a horror movie because of the non-diegetic sound of screams. It is put to the audiences’ attention that the first shot is also the first paradigm of the movie due to the fact that horrific, shrieking screams strongly portray the codes and convention of a horror movie, thus conforming to the structuralist theory from the start. The low angled shot shows the setting of the opening sequence to be at night in a detached, “middle of nowhere” house, where it is remote and far from civilisation. This is a reoccurring factor amongst horror movies because it shows the characters to be inferior to the killer as well as helpless and fragile, due to the fact there is no civilisation around them, again following the structuralist theory of the horror genre through the helpless victim.

The female victim herself is seen to be the biggest paradigm of the opening sequence because she is a young, teenage girl, a common victim for horror movies because they are mainly intended for teenagers. The code and convention of Sex=Death is represented within the opening sequence as the dialogue of the victim reveals her to be flirting with the mystery caller as seen in, “why? You wanna ask me out on a date?” Thus indicating she’s going to die, similar to many other horror movies, proving Scream to follow the structuralist theory of the horror genre. The dolly-shot of the victim walking through the empty house adds to the audience’s attention that she is alone, therefore implying that the victim is vulnerable and completely helpless, adding to the codes and conventions of horror as the victim is always helpless and out of reach from any form of communication, thus never surviving.

One other way in which the female victim can be seen as a paradigm is through the feminist theory applied to the opening sequence. For the reason that it is a female who is being tormented implies to the audience that it is a horror movie as the majority of the audience viewing horror movies are more likely to be male, hence the reasons for female characters to be brutally killed for the sadistic pleasures of men.

The aspect of iconography is also presented within the opening sequence of Scream as the close up of the victim pulling out a knife from a knife block indicates to the audience a murder weapon which the killer is most likely to use later during the movie. as the victim goes around the house, locking all the doors, shows the audience that the structuralist theory is being put into practice as it shows the victim to be locking herself in, thus resulting to trapping herself when it comes to her death. This is a typical feature of the horror genre, therefore strongly suggesting Scream follows the codes and conventions of horror movies. The long shot of the outside pool also shows the audience that Scream typically follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre as the mist forebodes the death of the victim as well as enhances the effect of the non-diegetic eerie music in the background.

As the opening scene follows on, the audience can gradually notice the tension and atmosphere build up due to the eerie, orchestral non-diegetic sound and the victim’s reaction to the unfortunate events. The structuralist theory of horror is represented here, as the audience see the female victim break down and plead for the mysterious killer to stop tormenting her, as it is even more clear now that the victim is weak, linking back to the feminist theory, and therefore using the codes and conventions of horror. The chase scene within the opening of Scream reinforces the feminist theory and also portrays the iconography of horror as the victim is always trying to get away, but the killer always manages to cut off their escape and captures the victim.

Editing is also an important factor when it comes to the horror genre. This is because the editing of the movie generally reflects how both the victim and the audience feel. Similarly to many other horror movies, the editing and transitions of shots at the beginning of Scream are slow and lengthy. This is to project to the audience the period of equilibrium for the character as everything seems normal. However, when the tension arises and the victim is aware of being tormented, the editing drastically changes from being very smooth long shots and transitions to becoming short and jumpy. This is clearly presented through the point-of view shots and the shaky camera shots near the end of the opening sequence. The up-beat orchestral non-diegetic sound at this point emphasises the editing which makes the audience jump due to the chaotic atmosphere created by both the sound and the camera movement. This shows Scream to follow the structuralist theory of horror because the fast-paced editing, reflecting the heartbeat of the audience, is in fact a code and convention of horror movies, therefore proving Scream has conformed to the structure of many other horror movies.

Along with the female victim being a big paradigm within the horror movie, the killer also adds to the genre of horror, because of the similar iconography used. The white mask worn by the killer put across to the audiences’ attention that they have no identity, thus creating fear amongst the audience as well as following the iconography of the unknown. The structuralist theory is clearly implied when the audience find out that the mystery caller is really the killer, through the line “I want to know who I’m looking at?” The structure/iconography of being watched or stalked without knowing is a clear indicator for the codes and conventions of horror as it reinforces the idea of being unaware of your surroundings.

Another aspect of iconography concerning the killer is that of blood and gore. The line “I want to see what your insides look like” adds to the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre as the idea of torture is being expressed. Like many other horror films, blood and the idea of torturing someone is a huge paradigm because it makes the audience feel uneasy and therefore fear for what may happen next to the victim. Scream successfully incorporates torture and blood within the opening sequence as the slow-motion editing clearly shows the killers knife stab the victim as well as show the audience all the blood on her clothes. The idea of the victim crawling away to try and get to safety after being stabbed, also enhances the idea of torture due to the fact that she is helpless and now unable to save herself due to her condition. The blurred point of shot when the victim is stabbed adds to the idea of Scream following the codes and conventions of horror movies, as this type of shots also puts the audience in the same position of as the character, a similar trait many horror movies use.

In conclusion, Scream follows the structuralist theory of the horror genre through various ways. A lot of the iconography used within the opening sequence clearly gives the audience the chance to recognise the genre, instantly allowing the audience to bring in their own interpretation and expectations of the codes and conventions shown within the text. Scream has successfully represented the iconography of murder weapons, female victims and the killer, through using certain codes and conventions, similar to other horror movies to make clear to the audience the structure of the movie. Aspects such as mise-en-scene of the sequence, sound, the editing and the change in editing as well as the themes, i.e. the feminist theory, all clearly follow the codes and conventions of the horror movie genre, thus proving Scream has conformed to the structuralist theory of horror.