Film || 5 Reasons Scream (1996) is Postmodern

fig 1.

A post slasher era hit, Scream (1996) rehashes the genre with new and unique perspectives which quickly developed a cult following in the same mantle as others of its kind. Kevin Williamson, the writer behind Scream, was heavily inspired by the serial killer Daniel Rolling also known as 'The Gainesville Ripper', who was infamous in the 1990s for breaking into the houses of young college students and killing them in gory fashions. 

Compared to other similar endeavours, Scream could be considered avant garde for its new approach on the slasher genre, presenting spoof as if it was self aware, and even more aware of its viewing audience. A sequence at the beginning of the film is a good example of how it plays with the exceptions of the audience by casting Drew Barrymore as the stalked woman who gets killed. This approach is comparable to comedy because it uses timing to underline key events or jokes. 

It was irrefutably nostalgic for fans of the classic genre and movies, plus in included more updated content for a better experience for new audiences. By directly referencing the classics it caters to the older audience while also developing its own interesting plot. By doing this it has attempted to bring a suitable plot to the broader demographic for R rated films.

Scream appropriates the older films to advance its own plot, as previously mentioned on the opening sequence, Ghostface, the villain torments his victims using slasher film trivia. But on top of this, it also draws upon the expectations of the filmgoer by having spoof elements in its makeup, making it more unpredictable as a whole. Horror is a jarring, thrilling or sometimes melancholy experience that requires a personal connection to the viewer.

In the same way it is nostalgic to an end, it also employs Wes Craven who also directed A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills have Eyes in order to recreate the vision of an older film. He was requested by the writer Kevin Williamson because it wanted an authentic touch on the final piece.

fig 2.

It is a parody of cheesy elements of the slasher genre, turning on its head through recognising the audiences expectations, but different from a spoof at some times due to its lack of dedicated comedy that may have been redirected to Scary Movie (2000), the satirical spin off which inherited the original working title. The reason for this is that comedy and horror are very similar in execution, both being somewhat representative of real life unlike other genres, and their characteristics can often be interchangeable.

In a way it is ironic because before this film came out, slasher was dead in the water, but also in retrospect it sparked a whole different view of the genre with the introduction of comedic value. For many, viewers and professionals alike it revitalised the horror genre for the better, Bob Weinstein, the executive producer for Scream, after seeing the first sequence edited found it to exceed expectations.

The ideology of the film was represented through the gaze of a consumer that wrote the show. By combining his then knowledge of screenwriting with real world events, Kevin Williamson capitalised on world events to produce a script based on personal experiences. It only goes to show how culture feeds into cinema, inspiration by individuals leading to a historical statement onscreen.

Most certainly the genre was represented in a whole new light without the need for overused cliche. Clearly the whole area was in need of a retrofit whilst retaining that initial thrill that it was known for. To contribute to cinema in this way shows the need for necessity, to reframe the former fanatical value to suit the future is a method to highlight original thought.

fig 3.

In knowledge of this information,  Scream is postmodern because;

1. It is mainly based of the expectations of an existing genre.

2. The script relies on the existence of older films.

3. Usage of Drew Barrymore in the first sequence is reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) in Wes Craven's view.

4. The main villain 'Ghostface' is based off a classic Halloween mask imitating an original Edvard Munch painting called The Scream.

5. The viewpoint of this product was altered to appeal to a consumer base due to extreme violence.

fig 4.

Sherrie Levine is an 'appropriation artist' and founding member of 'The Pictures Generation' known for her ability to lift other artists, specifically males, work as her own platform for expression. Analysis of this work raises important inquiries into individual expression or originality in the art world, it asks, 'what does it mean to be an artist?'. To this woman, it is not the skills that shapes the creatives voice, but the actions; through understanding this motive we can come to terms with postmodernism.

Figures
fig 1. Craven, W. (1996). Scream. [film still]
fig 2. Wayans, K. I. (2000). Scary Movie. [poster]
fig 3. Munch, E.  (1893). The Scream. [oil, tempera, pastel and crayon on cardboard] Oslo: National Gallery
fig 4. Levine, S. (1991). After Marcel Duchamp. [cast bronze and artists wooden base] Vancouver: Vancouver Art Gallery