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Text 5 - The Texaschainsaw

The document provides background information on the 1974 horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It discusses how the film was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein and was made on a low budget by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. It analyzes key scenes and characters, particularly the iconic villain Leatherface. It also notes that while the film was a financial success, legal issues meant the cast received little payment. The document examines both the strengths of the film's realistic style and psychological horror, and some of its weaknesses such as its extreme disturbing content.

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71 views

Text 5 - The Texaschainsaw

The document provides background information on the 1974 horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It discusses how the film was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein and was made on a low budget by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel. It analyzes key scenes and characters, particularly the iconic villain Leatherface. It also notes that while the film was a financial success, legal issues meant the cast received little payment. The document examines both the strengths of the film's realistic style and psychological horror, and some of its weaknesses such as its extreme disturbing content.

Uploaded by

api-19865899
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Media Studies

A2 Genre Study
HISTORIC TEXT 5
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (197
Directed by Tobe Hooper
What led to the creation of
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”?
• Tobe Hooper was just out of film
school. His only previous
experience behind the camera was
an acclaimed short film entitled
“Eggshells”.
• Along with Kim Henkel, Hooper
wanted to make a realistic piece
which they could use to get more
film work.
• Due to budgetary constraints, the
two decided to make a horror movie.
• When shopping in a hardware store,
Hooper was pushed up against a
rack of chainsaws. It was that
moment which gave him the basic
plot.
• Hooper and Henkel used the true
story of serial killer Ed Gein to flesh
out their plot into a full script.
Who was Ed Gein? How has he
influenced the horror genre?
 Ed Gein was the first American serial killer, and the earliest example of
true human horror
 Gein was a loner who lived with his Mother on a farm in Wisconsin until
her death in 1945.
 Refusing to accept she was dead, he dug up her corpse and brought it
back to their house.
 Gein proceeded to dig up other bodies and take parts from them. He
made a female bodysuit from human skin in order to “find out what it was
like to be a woman”. He also decorated his home with human remains.
 In 1957, Bernice Worden went missing from her shop. A till receipt for
Gein was found at the scene. When the police visited his farm they found
Worden’s gutted body on a meat hook in the outhouse.
 During his trial, Gein claimed that his Mother had been giving him orders
to dig up corpses and to murder women with “inappropriate morals”.
 Gein’s story has inspired a variety of films such as “Psycho” (1960),
“Deranged” (1974), “Silence of the Lambs” (1990), “Ed Gein” (2000), and
of course “Texas Chainsaw”.
Intertextuality: was “The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre” a new departure for the horror
genre?
 “Chainsaw” follows on from
“Night of the Living Dead”
(1968), as it does not offer to
explain why the protagonists
behave the way they do.
 Like “The Exorcist” (1973) and
“The Wicker Man” (1974),
human beings are the creators
of the horror, not legends or
beasts like in “Dracula” (1931).
 It is similar to movies like “Straw
Dogs” (1971) and “Deliverance”
(1972), which deal with normal
people reacting to threats from
the wilderness of America.
 “Chainsaw” does differ from all
previous genre entries in the
way it uses its low budget to
create a unique documentary
style as a way of making the
piece seem more realistic.
Iconography: the image and portrayal
of the villain “Leatherface”

 Leatherface is portrayed as a simple and mentally


unstable villain.
 His family bully him relentlessly, and he clearly
follows their orders.
 The skin mask worn by the character implies a
hatred of himself, to the point where he even wears
makeup during the dinner sequence.
 The terror created by Leatherface comes from his
physical appearance and strength; he NEVER speaks
a line of dialogue. He is the antithesis to a character
like Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs”
(1990).
 His appearance and costume is truly unique. He is a
classic example of filmic iconography.
Representation: The role of women
in “Texas Chainsaw”
Women in “Chainsaw” seem to be more in
control and equal to the men.
The character of Sally shows a very strong
woman who deals incredibly well with the
psychological terror she endures.
In a predominantly male film, the fact that the
survivor is a woman suggests that gender roles
within the horror genre have changed
dramatically.
 During the dinner sequence, Sally spends a
large amount of the time in hysterics before
managing to escape.
 The character of Pam is merely window
dressing, and rather one-dimensional.
Analysing the syntax: key scenes from
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”
Four influential sequences exist in the
1974
text “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.
These are:

1. The opening segment with the Hitchhiker.


2. The murders of Kirk And Pam.
3. Leatherface attacking Franklin and chasing Sally.
4. The dinner scene and Sally’s escape.
Watch these scenes again and deconstruct them, considering the following:

Mise-en-scène, Cinematography,
Representation,
Audience, Narrative, Editing, Sound,
What is the story behind the
distribution of “Texas Chainsaw”?

After completion, the film was bought by a new company


called Bryanston Pictures.
It was a massive success, making roughly $100 million.
Most of the cast had worked under a contract which
promised them a percentage of the takings. They expected
a reasonable reward due to the popularity of “Chainsaw”.
Bryanston was owned by the Mafia. As a result, they kept
most of the money for themselves. The cast ended up
receiving little more than $50 each.
Strengths & weaknesses of “The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre”

1. “Texas Chainsaw” has a dark 1. “Texas Chainsaw” is an easy film


and disturbing atmosphere. to admire but a very difficult film
to like or enjoy.
2. The violence on-screen is kept
to a minimum; the film relies on 2. The attempts by Hooper to
psychological horror. lighten the darkness with
humour do not tend to work.
3. Sally Hardesty is one of the
first strong female characters 3. The ending of “Chainsaw” is a
in the genre. particularly gruelling experience,
with the threat of violence
4. “Chainsaw” has a realistic incredibly unpleasant.
documentary style.
4. The movie is an aural and visual
5. The film started the “slasher” assault which can still offend
trend within the genre. and disturb many people.
Practical Exercise: what is the story of
“Texas Chainsaw”?
In order to enhance your understanding of this text, you are going to watch
the documentary on the making of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”.
Entitled “The Shocking Truth”, it contains key details about the making of the
film and its impact.

Working individually, you are going to watch the 60 minute programme and complete
the worksheet that you will be given.

The worksheet has 8 boxes which contain a heading linked to a specific section
within the documentary. Your task is to fill in the sheet by listening carefully, and
then writing down as much as possible in the relevant box.

The boxes are intended to be in the order that they are discussed in the programme.
However, there may be exceptions to this rule at some points, so be prepared!

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