Grotesque - Film Theory Communications & Media Essay (Essay Sample)

Examine the representation of the ‘grotesque’ in cinema, with appropriate reference to Bakhtin and other relevant theory
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Examine the representation of the ‘grotesque’ in cinema, with appropriate reference to Bakhtin and other relevant theory
Mikhail Bakhtin was a literary critic and philosopher from the 20th century. In 1965 a book of his was published, titled “Rabelais and His World”. This book analysed the literary works of the Renaissance by defining two key concepts; the Carnival and the Grotesque. The definition of the Grotesque is less of a solid definition and more of a collection of qualities. The Grotesque is used in art and literature as a term for the exaggeration and distortion of boundaries. The Grotesque sits somewhere between reality and fantasy & funny and frightening. This essay will look at two films that are very different in regards to genre and audience and analyse how the Grotesque is represented in both films in similar ways showing that the films may be more alike than first thought.
The films that will be looked at within this essay are The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The Nightmare Before Christmas is an animated musical created by Tim Burton. The film follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town who gets lost and finds himself in the neighbouring Christmas Town and becomes fascinated with the concept of Christmas and attempts to recreate it. A Nightmare on Elm Street is a slasher film directed by Wes Craven that follows the story of four teenagers who are stalked and killed in their dreams by a killer with a burnt face and bladed glove called Freddy Krueger. This essay will examine the characters of Jack Skellington and Freddy Krueger in regards to the Grotesque and the ways in which the films represent this idea.