Cabin In The Woods

                                              The Cabin In The Woods 2012

1.) what are Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to Cabin In The woods?

Jeremy Tunstalls 4 character types are: Domestic, Marital, consumer and sexual.

• Domestic- The most domestic character is Dana because of the way she looks after people and just her personality in general. 
• Consumer- Jules because shes the typical stereotype of a late teenage female.
• Marital- Dana because shes the most sensible. She doesn't wear clothes that reveal lots of skin and shes quite shy.
• Sexual- Jules because of the way she behaves. We see this the most in the scene where shes dared to 'make-out' with the wolf. And also the sex scene in the woods with her boyfriend. She also wears revealing clothes.

2.) How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory?

Dana is the perfect representation of a final girl. Her name is quite androgynous and not particularly feminine. She's very much the opposite of Jules. Dana doesn't wear clothes that reveal to much skin whereas Jules appears near enough naked when ever we see her. Dana is also a book worm. In the first scene, we see her in her bedroom packing for the trip, and Jules takes out Dana's books to which Dana replies 'What am I meant to do when I get bored?'. She also has no trousers on and the underwear that she's wearing isn't very feminine and sexy. She also isn't scared to fight and kill in order to survive. We see her get beat up and put through some very tough situations but she always comes out fighting. Despite the fact that Dana applies to Clovers final girl theory, Dana isn't a virgin which is a key element of the theory.  


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

Jules undergoes both mental and physical changes during the film. We find out that she dyed her hair form brunette to blonde, which applies her to one of Propp's 8 character types. Making her The dumb blonde that always die. This is the main physical change we see of her. We later find out that the underground facility, put some sort of drug in her hair dye that causes her not to think properly. Which maybe why shes 'makes-out' with the wolf... Shes also changed mentally when her and her poster boy boyfriend, Curt are in the woods, and the facility release pheromones through the moss on the ground to make them more sexual towards each other which sets up her very violent and brutal death.

4.) Is Mulvey's Male Gaze theory exemplified in the film and if so, how? Think about framing, camera angles and POV shots.

 Mulvey's male gaze theory is exemplified in the film and is mostly dominated by Jules. Jules is revered to in the film as 'The whore' and we also get this impression through cinematography. When ever we see Jules on camera its often through a close up or tilt of her body. In the scene where Jules is dared to kiss the wolf, we see her walk seductively towards the wolf in a cat walk model kind of menner and the camera tilts up from her legs to her head, following her as she walks. Also, the scene where she is seductively dancing infront of the fire, the camera is at a low angle so its as if the audience is looking up to her like shes in power.


5.) In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?

This happens in the scene where Dana is about to get undressed infront of the mirror but is unaware that the mirror is see through from Holdens room. Holden is able to see Dana but she isnt able to see him. He stands there for a bit looking at her to see if she can see him too but Dana goes close to the mirror to look at her teeth which lets us know that she cant him and then goes to unbotton her shirt. Holden then feels uncomfortable and goes to Dana's room to tell her about the mirror. He also offers to change rooms with her to make her feel more comfortable. This lets us know that Holden is gentleman like and respects Dana. If this is Curt, he would have stayed and watched her get undressed because he's made out to be a jock and also in the first ever scene where Dana had no trousers on and Curts has a full conversation with her like that and then right at the end tells her that shes got no trousers on.
Also after Dana and Holden swap rooms, he puropsly gets changed infront of the mirror knowing that Dana can see him. This is an example of scopophilia.

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


In the film, women are represented as objects. The male scientists in the underground facility make Jules look and behave like a 'slut'. They change the way she looks to make her a dumb blonde to make her more apealing and they control the way she acts by using pheremones. They get joy and pleasure out of watching her act like this.
Dana is not represented as a sexual object. In some ways shes quite tom-boyish and unlike Jule's, when Dana is in trouble she wont cry for help but actually do what she has to, to survive even if that means killing.