Review of Halloween

Conferred as a byword for the seasonal holiday it exploits as a thematic subtext and in-film catalyst, John Carpenter's "Halloween" is also fundamentally synonymous with popularising the slasher subgenre. Despite its basic concept, scope and budget, "Halloween" redefined the maxim and enacted conventions of the modern horror film paradigm, deriving a nascent dynamic whereby the figurehead of the story becomes inextricably linked with the heroine touted as a victim only to become his foe; the pursuit between the two and ensuing human collateral is relentless and inexplicable, instigating a mythology and generating a continuity franchise that appeals to new generations of horror fans.

As is typical for the genre, a remote, condensed narrative, an independent ethos and sparse production values is employed in order to resonate with and satisfying the mainstream audience on a primal level, channelling the suburbanite's subconscious fear of falling to prey to an incarnate, indestructible, implacable evil. Contrary to popular belief, the template of the slasher film formula manifested far earlier within the Grand Guignol and Giallo subgenres. "Halloween" deftly employs the violence and sexuality dichotomy; featuring first-person camera shots first showcased in prototypical slasher precursors "Black Christmas", "Eyes Without A Face", "Psycho" and "Peeping Tom", the execution of this technique distinguishes a disturbing sense of complicity and anticipation. Herein, the aforementioned evil is mute, therefore inscrutable, impenetrable and unstoppable, whereas in "Psycho" and "Peeping Tom", the focal character faces justice and is generally more sympathetic and rooted in reality.

"Halloween" exists within the suspenseful, dread-laden vacuum of Haddonfield, and its driving force is a simple but ingenious plot device: a killer who cannot be detected (because he only kills at Halloween, hiding in plain sight as a masked part of the proceedings). So remarkably effective was the foreboding presence of a motiveless killer terrorising a suburban town that it spawned a national boogeyman in Michael Myers/The Shape, a William Shatner mask (therefore heavy breathing - another tactic to provoke anxiety and build tension) and blue boiler suit-wearing personification of evil (he never dies) stabbed repeatedly by his final would-be victim, a frustrated, repressed girl who fears and therefore believes in him - not the sexually voracious and preoccupied type he previously dispatched - lending credence to the notion that the film is not an allegory or a moral statement, even though such themes are unarguably present, but an insight into the behaviour of a psychopath who stalks and kills on Halloween so as to revisit and relive the initial, defining characteristic in his methodology: the grisly murder of his older sister, who for him represents and embodies all aimless, nonchalant teenagers. Michael Myers blankly and silently surveys the area until the hour of his first murder is reached and therefore the conditions of his first murder are met; it is through this activity we observe the lives of his later victims. It is through this mundane, casual atmosphere, as with the opening scene demonstrating Michael's escape, that a haunting mood punctuated by The Shape's sudden appearances and disappearances and context are generated; the hunting behaviour of our antagonist develops into homicidal intent, juxtaposing the carefree mentality of the residents of Haddonfield and the sense of doom pervading every facet of the surroundings.

Carpenter's allusions to 1960s European and US horror cinema are present from the outset, and his foreground and background visuals are strikingly effectual, but such an exercise in atmospheric thrills with minimal character development, frequent audience identification with the villain and influencing a subgenre that descended into misogyny and gratuitous violence has drawn criticism rather than reverence, as is the case with Alfred Hitchcock's more explicitly violent post-1950 output ("Psycho" and "Frenzy"). However, the film is now considered an unmitigated classic of the genre and enjoys a reputation as such, even with modern audiences, but not so with a minority of seasoned, conservative and liberal critics. Perhaps many misinterpreted Carpenter's intentions - he understands the genre, and can therefore capitalise on it beyond the superficial - but reappraisal of his work has allowed for revision of said negative opinions; the film captures the energy of independent cinema in its singular vision, i.e. a haunted house movie extrapolated within a town, and in Carpenter's adept manipulation of the audience instead of focusing on the more derivative, psychosexual aspects, the use of psychological horror and scares build towards an onslaught of murders relatively restrained by today's standards. At its core, combined with appropriate musical cues from the keyboard score, the exuding dread and classic components of the genre, "Halloween" is a powerful, menacing indie movie that has become a staple of horror cinema, a cogently written, stylishly shot and visceral experience in slow-building terror. Existing purely through inspiration and purpose, it is entirely deserving of its acclaim and worthy of repeat viewings.