To apply a concept I learned from watching mooc recently, "triple separation" and "dream narrative", this is the first place where "The Cabin in the Woods" shines
1. Dream narrative and ethical conflict
The film first creates a fictional real world, which is the world where the game leader exists, or what we call the world where the writer/producer lives. On top of this second-degree separation, the cabin in the woods where the characters in the play enter is the third-degree separation under the screenwriter's pen, or the dream world, a fantasy world. So far, the narrative framework has been formed. It would not be interesting to stop there. When the actors/characters in "Dream World" found out that they were being manipulated, they uncovered the clues step by step and began to break through the fate originally arranged by the screenwriter, and In the end, he broke through the original division and met the screenwriter in the fictional real world.
This is a typical problem of formal violation and ethical conflict. In the first division (the real and real world), the screenwriter borrows the dream to narrate the characters against the conservative screenwriter (the persistent pursuit of the ending of total destruction and the traditional literary motif of "preaching" horror). ), expressing his dissatisfaction with the current horror film assembly line, which is old-fashioned and uninspired. Of course, in a sense, they also ridiculed the ability of screenwriters in the dual division, because they cannot control the development of their own stories and characters. When it was finally difficult to achieve a complete plot and could not satisfy the audience upstairs (the audience in the first division), the audience's big hand destroyed the entire double division and triple division, symbolizing the denial of the film.
2. The literary motif of horror films
This is very interesting. I suddenly thought of "The Camera Don't Stop" in 2018. Compared with the nonsense of "Camera", "House in the Woods" is a deconstruction of horror films from the perspective of work.
(1) Background, triggers and monsters
There must always be a reason and an opportunity to go to a place that is inaccessible and without foreign aid. "Artificial" constitutes a third-degree division, and the transformation of logic rules must always be realized by triggering props (spells, relics, etc.) The third division is the world of horror films.
Different triggers will correspond to different monsters, which is not only a vertical comparison (such as Western zombies, Dracula, ghosts, etc.), but also a horizontal comparison (Nordic, East Asian grudges)
(2) Promotion and team structure
There will always be fixed small groups, and there will be different divisions of labor within the group, requiring roles such as prophet, physical output, spell output, protector, protected person (in the film, there is the first one who found something strange but was The so-called "fool" of neglect, the so-called "virgin" of ignorant and fearless triggers, the so-called "athlete" who act decisively to break the deadlock, and the whore who is lustful and guilty by the first drop of blood...)
We can see that these characters are completely artificial model characters, and the irony is reinforced by the manipulation of the second degree to the third degree in the film, the behavior of these characters in the show is completely deviated from their behavior in the real world. Logically, for the development of the plot, in order to achieve the goal that the screenwriter hopes to achieve. they need to do
(3) preaching
This is a very interesting point. The prototypes of monsters and their stories in horror films were first evolved from folk myths. At the beginning of their birth, they were more to explain supernatural phenomena and serve as warnings. For example, there are ghost fires in cemeteries, children Don't be naughty or you will be captured by monsters. Pay attention to the weather when you go out to sea, or the owner of the sea will take you away.
In the contemporary era of rapid technological development, rationalism has an absolute advantage. What is the significance of horror films still existing? The screenwriter in the second division in the film gave two answers, one is to remember the fear and let people remember this feeling. My interpretation of it is sensory stimulation, which is its entertainment function. The other is warning, punishing guilty people, and warning through direct bloody and violent sensory stimulation, because their actions contributed to the occurrence of death, so in real life, this kind of behavior should be avoided, such as athlete's recklessness and wise's cleverness Against being wounded by tigers, whore's intemperate desire, fool's decadence (is there any reflection on postmodernity and the "Beat Generation"). Here virgin is regarded as the existence of praise, perhaps there is still religious meaning in it, pure is innocent, but later when virgin is no longer pure, suddenly think of the story in the Priest.
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