History, Horror, and Hollywood
This Halloween season, it's not just thrills and chills, it the history that sets the mood and advances the story.
By Alan Herrmann
MOVIE CRITIC
History can be a rich canvas for the art of horror filmmaking. Many great horror stories have historical settings based on the specific time periods in which they were written. For example, Frankenstein, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were penned in the 19th century and reflect the eras in which they took place.
With the advent of film, several horror stories, particularly those created during Hollywood’s Golden Age (1930s - 1940s), tended to reflect the time period in which the films were actually made. For example, Dracula (1931) begins in Transylvania where the old-world trappings certainly seem like the 19th century with carriages, peasant cottages, and folk costumes. Once the Count reaches London, however, it’s obvious by the hairstyles, gowns, men’s suits, and automobiles that we are firmly in the 1930s. This trend was challenged in the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century when several films returned to historical roots for authenticity.
The Witch (2015) – This exceptional piece of filmmaking is a slow building, strongly atmospheric, and deeply disturbing film from Robert Egger. The film centers around a Puritan family outcast from the Plymouth colony that finds itself face to face with the forces of witchcraft. With its prominent use of natural lighting, unnerving music created by odd folk instruments, and outstanding performances, The Witch is a uniquely frightening film.
Egger captures 17th-century New England with remarkable accuracy. From detailed building reconstructions, to clothing the actors appear to actually live in—not just don as a costume—to the authentic dialogue and accents, The Witch proves to be one of the best of historical horror.
Sleepy Hollow (1999) – From the creative minds of author Washington Irving and filmmaker Tim Burton comes a movie that blends horror-fantasy with late colonial New York history. Burton pumps up the supernatural element of the original story to create more terror, while also changing the familiar gangling, pointy-noised schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, into a New York City constable.
The nervous and fragile detective is sent north to the Dutch town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a string of murders where the victims are missing their heads. In order to create the historical look of a small eighteenth century Dutch settlement, Burton built his village in the Leavesden Film Studios in England, reconstructing much of the colonial architecture he had seen in New York’s Hudson Valley while inserting his own whimsical, gothic influence.
The Terror (2018) - This miniseries from the bestselling novel of the same name by Dan Simmons is, for the most part, a true story of a lost Arctic expedition in the 1840s. The British Naval expedition had been assigned to navigate the Northwest Passage by way of the Arctic Archipelago. The title has a double meaning. It refers to the terror of the horrific events that take place, but it also happens to be the name of one of the two ships from the expedition. Although historical, much of the story is speculative and crosses over into themes of madness, starvation, cannibalism, and murder—all intertwined with a mythical creature of the Arctic region. Exterior shots of the Arctic were actually shot in Pag, Croatia, a vast, barren setting. Interior shots were filmed on a soundstage in Hungary.
Details of the production, including Royal Navy uniforms, tools, and weapons were all authentic, and the ships were beautifully replicated through a combination of traditional carpentry and computer-generated technology.
These films, in addition to being hugely entertaining, can also serve to build awareness of historical events for those who, for whatever reason, may not be inclined to pick up a historical horror novel. The filmmakers’ commitment to historical accuracy and their skills in horror storytelling can also build bridges between the history and horror genres and introduce new perspectives to viewers on both sides of the equation.
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