Horror Conventions - Characters

Genre Conventions - Characters

The characters are one of the most important factors of the film. If they are not believable the film becomes unpopular to watch and everything seems fake. Many films have the same type of characters within them and this is one of the main movie theory's. This theory is Propps character theory- where Vladimir Propp a Russian film critic found 7 types of characters in films.

Propp character types

1. The Hero- A character that seeks something or is on a quest, the hero is usually the person who saves the day.
2. The Villain-  A character who opposes the hero and actively blocks the hero's quest
3. The Doner- A character provides an object which can aid the hero
4. The Dispatcher- A character who sends the hero on his quest
5. The False Hero- A character who disrupts the hero's success by making false claims
6. The Helper- A character who aids the hero  
7. The Princess- A character who is the reward for the hero and the object of the villains plots
8. The Princess's father- A character who acts to reward the hero for his effort

These character types can be applied to most films however as the films come more into the 'new age' the character types are changing and what was once classed as minority character's in films for example women and people of ethnic backgrounds are becoming the mains.

A character type that can be applied to almost every horror film is Carol Clovers final girl.

Carol Clovers final girl theory

The final girl is the last character to survive in a horror film this is usually the pure and innocent girl who nobody suspects to survive. The final girl is usually the person who slays the monster and walks away from the situation safe.

In the evil dead:

          The Final Girl                          The Hero                                                               The Villain

Characters in horror films sometimes differ from the characters in another genre, for example Action. This is because horror story's need certain characters to make the film work. These characters are:

• The main character

This character is the one that the story is based around. They usually are the cause of the haunting however it can be the character that saves the others from the antagonist. Most of the movie is based around this character and more often than not this is a female lead. The main normally senses the 'ghost' before anybody else and are not often believed.

Example- House of wax = Carly

• The Hero 

This is usually a male character with a strong build- instead of being the literal 'hero' he is the brave person that goes after the evil and results in him having a tragic death, in some horrors giving is life up to save the others. This role, much like the main character is becoming more popular in a female role as this makes the film more unpredictable.

Example - House of Wax = Nick

• The non-believer

This is a character who is typically overconfident, cocky and at ease usually confirming that they are the first to be killed. This character is the sense of security and once they are killed the audience is put into a state of hopelessness connoting that their worst fears have been confirmed. Their death is normally a turning point in the film as it triggers a chain of other unfortunate events.

Example - House of Wax = Wade

• The final girl

This character doesn't have to be the main character and at the start of the film is usually the quiet innocent girl who doesn't have a strong character or much of a strong personality in the beginning. At the end of the film the character develops into the strongest and quick thinking character who gets out alive. This character is the 'pure girl' who doesn't drink, smoke or have sex in the film. The final girl evolves into a resourceful and intelligent person. In more modern films this character can also be the main.

Example - House of Wax = Carly

• The hysterical

This is the character who breaks down into hysterics and is always killed. This usually girl character, normally refuses to move after seeing the death of a friend and has a break down sometimes gaining the attention of the antagonist. This is essential to a horror film as her on edge, panics and hysterical tendencies reflect onto the audience.

Example- House of Wax = Paige

• The couple

These characters start of being away from the group when the first person is killed and don't know what's happening until its too late. These characters get the audience worked up and frustrated at how oblivious to the situation they are in and this helps build the tension. In older films these characters are used to show the bad morals between teenagers however in newer films the couples gain the sympathy vote and their deaths are tragic. This makes the audience frustrated with the course of the film and sad about the outcome.

Example - House of Wax = Paige and Blake

• The antagonist

This is the character that strikes fear among the audience. If they are human they often wear a mask or have a disturbing feature to their face. They are used in jump scares and are the factor in which the film is based around. They do not act normal when injured and get back up unharmed and this connotes the  idea of them being inhuman. If they are a demon/ghost they are used so that it plays on humans darkest fears and makes you believe that those things are real.

Example - House of Wax = Bo / Vincent