Through the horror genre the world cinema has changed dramatically, as an influx of shocking, convention breaking and boundary pushing elements have dominated the screens. This is all thanks to things such as advances in technology, the audiences wants and needs, cultural changes and changes in style and context. Not only that but with the economic struggle throughout part of it all, it all comes together and has helped shaped what we know and love what we call horror today.
1925 - Phantom of the opera took the lead in creating a certain air to the world of horror cinema and provided an extraordinary characterisation, made in the silent era gave the audioence the opportunity to build what was happening in their own, accompanied by music. This movie not given much funding was practical in every way as even the male lead did all his own make up including his own glass eye and nose wiring and Chaney even had a mould of his own face created to practise his designs upon. 1927 - Came the development of sound within film and at the forefront of this movement was Universal Studios, the Phantom is said to still haunt here! This came about the same time where the economic depression changed the way films were produced as actors demanded huge payments therefore small casts were employed and they therefore were then restricted to only work for their contracted studio.
1929 - This was the year of the release of Dracula. It came about the peak time of the great depression and the wallstreet crash which meant a down scale of production. However this was the first film to contain sound, diagetic sound and non diagetic despite the budget cuts. Bela Lugosi, the male lead, an actor shunned previous to the film for such a strong accent makes a convincing Dracula leading the first of 'The Talkies'.
The key influences of the production of horror was the inconography of the genre as it was not just horror costume and props that made the films succeed in artistic direction and skill but also a main feature was lighting and shadowing which brought along with it the term 'low key lighting' in turn giving directors and producers and extra depth to the film whether that may be highlighting the goodness of our hero or adding mistery or fear to the villain or monster. The shadows made you (the audience) feel small and vulnerable while the monster stood over you and looked powerful and harmful.
Film makers of the genre were under a lot of pressure to excite audiences and thrill them with new and more gory plots. However, bodies such as the HAYS office, which was the censorship body of that time, threatened to shut such daring studios down due to such controversial scenes. For example the scene in Frankenstein whereby he picks up the little girl and throws her in the river supposedly killing her, for this era such things should not be thought let alone placed on screen. This caused outrage and the film was made to be re-released with that specific scene cut. It was for a whole 50 years that the scene was cut and even now some people still find it disturbing to watch.
James Whale an important face in creating the new movement of daring horror and also the director of the Frankenstein franchise. With his ever growing large fanbase Whale created an equally successful sequel. 1931 - Technological advances almost aiding the economic difficulty of the time were extremely important in the artistic development of film makers as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde released the transformation scene was achieved so well due to a rotating filter on the camera allowing the transformation to be completed in one shot and the filter revealed a selection of different layers of make up. Fredrich March as a result won an Academy Award for best actor for his performance.
1935 saw the creative voice of individuals, directors such as Whale, was pushing for his style and this new genre especially within the remakes of Frankenstein. This being a time whereby global audiences were all gagging to see more shocking and daring material within horror as they were becoming bored of what was being produced. Whale creating The Bride of Frankenstein was safe to say a film that pushed all wanted boundaries. By the late 1930's sequels became a trend, with the follow of he The Son of Frankenstein, however this was the last of the franchise as Whale knew when to call it, as he didn't want it to become a gimmicky film that pardoys would be made of. He wanted the film to be respected and known for years.
In terms of pushing boundaries 'Freaks' was released! Which unfortunately bombed after a month in cinema due to its extremist storyline. However this movement just about pushed out heavy censorship, and it plays a huge part in how censorship was lifted.
In 1948 Dracular was made once again. Then in 1960 Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho was released. This was a huge movement in cinema, not only that it gave permission for other films to break to mould of the genre. Involved in the golden age of the cinema. Moving on into 1968, 'Night of The Living Dead' came about the concern of atomic power Martin Luther King being shot which could be linked to main male who happened ot be black being shot at the end of the film and therefore the film could signify the american population against eachother due to civil rights protests, riots and war. The film made independently tested the limits of screen horror and was made on the film makers evenings and weekends. Therefore genre was then moved on by real life character (people in the news) real life killers leasing to an original idea (Ed Gein). Inspired by Psycho Texas Chainsaw Massacre directed by Tobe Huber, with leather face - former slaughter house worker. Film involving the theme that its where its not what you see bu what you hear.
1973 came the turn of William Friedkin's 'The Exorcist' which featured a mothers struggle to cure her demonically possessed daughter with the help of two priests. Due to it's story and the fact priests were made to be the hero's of the story. The film has now come on to be one of the most powerful and famous horror films of it's time. Even now in the 21st century it still manages to thrill audiences. Religion then became a huge part in films and the main storyline.
Throughout the years boundaries were pushed further and further each director and script writer trying to come up with a bigger and better plots. David Kronenberg defiantly managed to do so by creating the most contraversial material of the time as he mixed theme's such as sex and body horror, for example the 1975 picture starring Barbara Steele 'Shivers'. Inspired by Psycho the 'Slasher' genre was born.
As you can tell even by small budgeted films being released to the huge budgets, they all in some way have had an impact in world cinema today and have made it to what we know.
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