Research: Jason Voorhees and Other Antagonists

Across multiple sub-genres of the horror film, there are many different types of villain. These antagonists have developed with the genre of horror as society's fears change after exposure to historical and contemporary issues. This was realised by two different media theorists, Jackie Stacy & John Cawelti. The former stated that genre changes over time according to social and historical
changes, whilst the latter theorises that the horror genre can relate to audiences as the horror of the film reflects aspects of society and their fears. Below are the villains for each sub-genre, who will be identified under Neale's theory of the three types of monster; External, Man-Made and Internal:

• Gothic horror- These villains tend to be man-made monsters or external monsters. These were the common monsters of the period of release, as scientific developments had not proven these creatures impossible, unlike today. The two most famous gothic antagonists are 'Dracula' (external monster) and 'Dr Frankenstein's monster' (man-made monster). 
• The 'Mutated Monster Mash' period- In this period of the horror genre, either gothic creatures were expanded in their power or pulp fiction characters were introduced. These characters either stemmed from 'The Occult' (hell or earthly creatures) or from outer space. Again, outer space had not been explored by the human race at this point, so society feared what could be out there. Antagonists of this sub-genre included 'Godzilla' or 'The Creature From The Black Lagoon'.
• Psychological Horror- In this sub-genre, the antagonists tend to be internal monsters, whose anger is caused by man made actions or through personal conflict. These villains became the new fear after space had been explored, and the idea of a psycho in modern suburbia frightened audiences. The best examples of these antagonists are Norman Bates (Psycho) and Jack Torrance (The Shining). 
• Paranormal Horror- In this sub-genre, the villains are rarely seen. These antagonists are usually entities (ghosts etc.) or occult characters. Due to them being either dead or mythical beings, they are classed as the external monster.
• The Slasher period- Antagonists of this period are known as 'The Slasher'. These characters are masked murderers with a signature weapon. They are classed as internal monsters as they tend to be humans who are excluded from society through cultural differences. They can also be classed as man made monsters as their anger can be caused by human action- e.g. Michael Myers was a murderous kid who was angered further by a prison sentence and by being placed in a psychiatric ward.

              

Video Analysis of Jason Voorhees

This clip is taken from the 1985 film 'Friday the 13th 5'. Jason was previously thought dead but in this clip we see a group of teenagers re-awaken him. We do however discover that this was a dream. In this scene, Voorhees is represented as the antagonist through camera, editing & sound:

• The transition of power- the teenagers originally have the power over Jason when he is in the grave. This is shown when there is low-angle, POV shot from Jason in the grave to the teenagers. Jason is then shown in the grave in a high-angle, POV shot from the teenagers. This is then contrasted when Jason rises from the grave, as he is now shown in low-angle shots. This shows him regaining power as the antagonist.
• Shot-reverse-shots between the teenagers show the fear they have of Jason even when he is seemingly dead. The cuts between the teenagers are slow before the speed up when attacked, showing how the calm has elevated into panic that they were not expecting. 
• Throughout the scene there is a soundtrack which gains volume and pace when Jason first attacks, building the panic. The constant sound of the rain and thunder are traditional iconography of the horror genre, and so give the audience the anticipation that something will occur.