Using the codes and conventions of a horror film, ‘The Descent’ (Neil Marshall 2005) and ‘Creep’ (Christopher Smith 2004) create a typical horror film by also using macro and micro features such as blood, gore, violence and narrative structure to create horrific effects towards the audience in order for them to understand how characters are represented.
In both films ‘the Descent’ and ‘Creep’, gender is a main aspect of how characters are represented within the film; for example, both protagonists are women, this shows the audience how women have been used to be represented stronger than any other stereotypical weak, reliant woman and in this case have manipulated this fact as they become who they need to be to fight or survival. Kate and Sarah at the start of both films are both portrayed to the audience as weak characters as Sarah loses her husband and daughter and therefore becomes more timid and fragile. As Sarah’s husband is the first to be killed in the film, this shows how he is important to the role because there must be a reason he died first and the reason is he has been having a secret affair; Sarah’s husband is mentioned later in the film when the affair is discovered showing that now her man is gone, she has to become more independent. In Kate’s case she is almost raped by a work colleague after cinematography is used to focus on a extreme close up of her engagement finger showing she is single and lonely and Guy has manipulated this fact and made her look inferior towards him. Guy is placed near the beginning of the narrative and is then first attacked by the deformed monster. The reason he is first attacked is because of the crime he has just committed and therefore has to pay for it. In comparison with Sarah’s husband in ‘The Descent’ Guy is once again shown later in the film as a way of Kate getting help, this shows how males are represented as being sexualised, mysterious and liars but also they become more inferior towards the women as they are only used to help them to survive and the women have more power over them.
A typical convention used in both films is a frightening place; ‘The Descent’ a cave in which they are entrapped, ‘Creep’ a London underground tube station in which she is entrapped. Both locations cut the characters away from the outside world therefore cannot seek help, this is effective as knowing they cannot get help the audience know the only person that can save them is their self so the women have therefore got to become stronger in order for them to survive. Both locations consist of the typical horror lighting which is low key to create a dark ambiance, this combines well with how the characters are presented as they have now become vulnerable towards the monster as the monsters can see them but the characters cannot see the monster. When low key lighting is used this makes both females become more scared and weak like they are not the final girl and will soon be killed.
In the descent, Sarah progresses through the narrative and becomes stronger than all the other females in the film, including the false hero Juno. At the beginning of the film after Sarah loses her husband, Sarah is on medication and suffers from paranoia due to the event. When entering the cave one of the characters says “oh my god I’m going to die” this is just an expression but is also a way of foreshadowing death and danger within the cave, this shows how the women are represented as if they are unstoppable and do not have to worry about dying. Once in the enclosed cave Sarah becomes trapped in a tunnel and begins to panic and cry this once again represents how Sarah is weak and is a stereotypical woman who needs someone to rely on. Juno encourages Sarah through the tunnel therefore showing how she is stronger than her and takes the lead role for the girls. Once the girls separate within the cave due to the crawlers now attempting to claim their prey, this is when Sarah really becomes the strongest woman as she is chased around the cave on her own. As Sarah starts to fight back against the crawlers instead of running, this shows how she now has more confidence and realises she has to kill in able to survive. Sarah appearance changes after laying in the blood bath as a way of hiding, when exiting the blood bath this shows how Sarah is no longer the friendly girl she was before but has now transformed and is represented as some kind of cannibal herself. We see Sarah at her strongest at the end of the film when the audience have finally identified her as the final girl when she leaves Juno to die. She stabs Juno in the leg to show how death means nothing to her now as she is light hearted and seeks revenge for Juno’s murder and the affair.
Juno is represented as the most masculine and strongest woman throughout the whole of the film; there is no point where Juno looks vulnerable until she is stabbed by her close friend. Starting from the beginning Juno returns from a jog, this shows the audience how she is presented as fit, healthy and sporty. Arriving at the cave Juno takes it upon herself to leave the map in the car and lead the girls to the wrong cave, this shows how Juno has her own way of things and believes her chooses are the best, this also shows how she is self centred as she doesn’t care about what the girls opinions would be of her actions. Once Juno’s plan had been discovered she says to the girls “Like we have always said, if there’s no risk, what’s the point’’ with Juno saying this it shows how she allows a little quote to determine whether they will ever see the outside world again. Juno takes the lead in the cave as she travels in front of the girls holding the flare showing her leadership. Juno is the first to start brutally killing the crawlers once again representing her as a courageous and masculine woman; she also leaves her Beth to die after stabbing her in the neck by fluke., this shows how Juno is once again self centred and heartless.
In ‘Creep’ Kate is first portrayed and represented to the audience as a lonely woman and therefore has to have her own independence. After almost being raped Kate appears to be more inferior and weak as it shows she has no protection for her but herself. This is similar to Sarah in ‘The Descent’ as after she also had a relationship issue she becomes weak and fragile. Once Guy is killed Kate becomes stronger as she seeks help. Once Kate finds Jimmy and Mandy who are represented as the most weakest and inferior within the film due to their lack of hospitality and career, Kate is portrayed to the audience as desperate when she offers them money in order for them to lead her to help. Once noticing within this time Mandy has been taken by the deformed human due to lack of security by Jimmy and once again symbolising loneliness, Kate beings to realise she needs to become stronger in order for her to survive.
Travelling with Jimmy, they begin follow the railway lines for ways of escape from the horrific location. Jimmy is then taken killed by the monster and this once again shows how the misfits of society have been killed. After being taken from the monster and placed in a cage, Kate is then represented as inferior against something that is not even human; she is also presented as some kind of animal due to the way she is treated. Once finding the courage to go against and fight the monster Kate becomes stronger than ever before and is then believed to be the final girl as she escapes the cage with George. George is represented as a leader once joining Kate, he begins to break down walls in order for them to escape and when coming across Mandy he lies to escape showing he is heartless and this is in comparison to what Juno had done in ‘The Descent’. Kate becomes emotional when finding our Mandy was alive and this is once again showing how she is weak and a typical woman. Once George is killed Kate realises she has to kill the deformed human in order for her survival. From the use of mise en scene and using a murder weapon (The spike attached to the chain) Kate finally kills the monster and the blood released from his throat shows how much aggression Kate has used to finally murder him once and for all so he doesn’t get back up again which is a typical convention when the villain never dies. Another convention used throughout the film is that when Kate runs through the corridors, the monster slowly walks showing his slickness and brings out a creepy character but somehow always manages to catch up with the victim. Kate becomes the final girl as is therefore represented as the strongest person throughout the film, but as a citizen enters the platform he throws money towards Kate believing she is homeless and therefore representing Kate as nothing.
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