Cabin in the Woods- Representation of women

What were Jeremy Tunstall’s 4 character roles for women and do they apply to The Cabin in the Woods?

Tunstall said that women’s roles were to be domestic, sexual, be a consumer and be marital.  Cabin in the woods does not follow his theory as neither of the girls follow the role he claims they should.  Looking at Dana, we can see that she wasn’t seen as being domestic, she wasn’t sexual, she didn’t come across as a consumer and wasn’t marital.  Then looking at Jules, although she was sexual and a consumer she wasn’t domestic and marital therefore, neither girl follows his theory.



 How is Dana typical of Clovers ‘final girl’ theory?

Dana is very similar to the codes and conventions of a typical final girl.  Jules’ feminist characteristics emphasis Dana’s lack of them which really highlights that she fits Clover’s role.  Dana is very androgynous, she comes across as virginal and fights back against the evil within the film.  She comes across as a very ‘good’ character as she doesn’t get drunk, high and is cautious of doing anything that might have negative effects-  seen when going down to the basement.  However, when she is faced with evil, she knows how to fight back- seen when she is escaping the campervan in the water.   She doesn’t wear provocative clothes and dresses androgynous, she also get on with male characters as friends rather than a sex objective to be flirted with and seduced.

Jules undergoes mental and physical transformations during the film, what are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

At the beginning of the film, we learn that she has dyed her hair from brown to blonde.  The scientists claim they did this and it has made her appear as the ‘dumb’ blonde.  Her mental change is the side effect of the hair dye, this makes her think less and do what people tell her to (shown in the dare game when she ‘makes out’ with the wolf.  This makes her become the typical dumb, blonde whore which is usually the first to be killed.

Is Mulvey’s male gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Thank about framing, camera angles and POV shots.

This is mostly emphasised with Jules as she seen as a sex symbol and more sexually attractive.  The camera angle used of her are usually focused on her chest and leg areas. Low camera angles and low key lighting makes her appear as seductive as well as the fact that she shows much more skin than any of the other characters.  The male gaze is used mostly when Curt is admiring in her, this is used particularly when they are having sex with a POV shot from Curt. 

In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regard to representation of characters?

We are made to be voyeurs because we can see the scientists in the lab and we know they are controlling the environment around them and the group of teenagers themselves.  They are unaware of this however, which makes the audience voyeurs.  This reveals that the scientists hold a lot of power and are being represented as controlling, important and powerful.  Marty does realise he is being watched knocking the lamp.  This shows that Marty is seen as character aware of his surrounding with an imaginative mind.  We also are slight voyeurs as we spectate Dana through the eyes of Holden (point of view shots) when he takes the picture down and reveals are one way window.  This reveals that Holden is a very honest person to tell Dana what he can see, as well as Dana being very vulnerable to others watching her. (This is the same as the scientists watching her).

Summarise the way women are represented in The Cabin in the Woods.  Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual makes and/or do they fulfil another role/purpose?

In the film, we are presents two very different women who both have different images and personalities.  Jules is objectified and does provide satisfaction for heterosexual men.  Within the film, we see Jules dance provocatively, make out with a wolf sexually, dressing with little clothing and we also see her half naked.  On the other hand, Dana is represented very differently as she is a typical ‘Final girl’ as she fights back, survives until the end, virginal (or close to) and comes across as androgynous.  There is also a third girl in the film, there is a woman in the lab who seems to disagree with what the scientists are doing but continues to go along with this.  This shows that women are represented as a non-dominant gender and will submit to what men want- they are the bosses.