Exploring claustrophobia in cinema
Whenever we think about horror films, we subconsciously imagine things like ghosts, monsters, vampires, zombies or werewolves. The correlation is logical, as horror stories have been known to incorporate these elements for centuries. To me, however, true horror has always been reflected in stories that we can relate to, stories that are terrifying but at the same time plausible.
Many filmmakers have grasped the idea of plausible horror stories, opening doors to numerous subgenres to explore. For nearly two years, we have faced one form of horror in our real lives with the advent of the global pandemic. It is the horror of being locked indoors for an undefined period of time.
Psychologists refer to a terrifying experience of this sort as 'claustrophobia'. While I have spent a large chunk of my time during the pandemic at home binging on films, the types of films that I can relate to now more so than ever are horror films centered around the feeling of claustrophobia, which can distinctly be identified as the films where the protagonist is either physically or mentally trapped in an unpleasant environment through the majority of the film's runtime.
A well made horror film of this subgenre can take the on screen anxiety felt by the protagonist and bring it off the screen permeating itself throughout the viewing experience of the audience.
This article explores three excellent examples of claustrophobia. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' is a 1960s claustrophobic thriller/horror film which established an archetype for many great books and films across generations to come.
The movie stars two legendary actors Bette Davis and Joan Crawford who play siblings with hints of deep-rooted rivalry between them. After an unfortunate accident leaves Blanche Hudson (played by Crawford) confined to a wheelchair, she is forcefully kept isolated by her sister Baby Jane Hudson (played by Davis), who has always been jealous of Blance's success in the film industry. According to many documentaries, interviews and other historical accounts, these two veteran actresses hated each other in real life.
Their off-screen rivalry makes the interplay between the characters on screen feel very realistic. Any good piece of cinema is bound to bring out certain emotions from the audience, and this is where the film outshines most other stories of this subgenre.
The entire story, with its intricate twists and turns brings out a multitude of emotional reactions from the viewers. If you watch this movie at a stretch, the little over two hours of runtime will give you feelings of empathy, anxiety, hatred, and ethical dilemma alongside its primary trigger point, i.e. claustrophobia.
What the director Robert Aldrich was able to do in the early 1960s with a modest budget is remarkable, as it ticks all the right boxes of a suspense-filled experience. Misery (1990) 'Misery', which is adapted from a novel by Stephen King, is an epitome of a good claustrophobic horror.
The film is directed by Rob Reiner at the peak of his career as a filmmaker. The film tells the story of romance novelist Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) who has just come off completing his long term pot-boiling novel series.
These popular series of books of his revolved around a girl named Misery Chastain. In the opening of the film, Sheldon is seen to have just completed typing the manuscript to his new standalone novel, at the serene and secluded Colorado Lodge.
On his way back to the publishers, he ends up being caught in a blizzard and crashing his car in a remote, snow covered mountainous area. This is where he is rescued by a woman named Annie Wilkes (played by Kathy Bates) who introduces herself as Sheldon's "number one fan". Annie starts out as a friendly and hospitable character with the noble intention of nursing Paul back to health.
However, as the story progresses we are introduced to a darker and more sinister side of her, especially after she learns that Paul killed off her favorite character Misery Chastain in the newly published final installment of the novel series. Annie holds him captive in her cabin keeping him sick by various means and forcing him to write a follow up novel in order to reincarnate the Misery character.
Although James Caan gives off a wonderful performance, the highlight of this film is Kathy Bates' academy award winning portrayal of Annie Wilkes. Through the role she impeccably portrays Annie as a person of psychopathic tendencies in the form of an obsessed fan.
The vivid portrayal of the multiple personality disorder of Bates' character can be seen through her transitions from an amiable smile to a rather Mephistophelian grin. Ardent fans of Alfred Hitchcock may notice various aspects of the direction and cinematography of the film emitting an eerie vibe, similar to that of Hitchcock's films.
Overall, this film has the likes of being on the top 10 list of many horror/thriller fans and it is perhaps one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel put to film. Run (2020) Perhaps the most emotionally exhausting film on my list is the amazing film 'Run', which was directed by Aneesh Chaganty.
What makes the storyline more difficult to digest is the fact that the victim in captivity in this film is being kept isolated by her own mother. Chloe, who has been confined to a wheelchair for as far back as she could remember becomes suspicious of her mother who never lets her communicate with the outside world.
The character of the mother in this film is played by Sarah Paulson, who is known for taking up antagonistic roles, which the audiences love to hate. Paulson's portrayal of the mother in this film with her borderline psychopathic obsession of keeping her daughter secluded from connecting to any person or institution beyond the confinement of their house is a testimony to the fact that she is a veteran in playing roles of this sort.
The desperation and helplessness of the character Chloe throughout the film feels painful and realistic. This has much to do with the fact that the actress Kiera Allen, who plays the role of Chloe, uses a wheelchair as she suffers from a paralysis in real life.
Hence, it is undeniable that she plays this particular character with extreme finesse and realism. The plot of the film clearly draws inspiration from its long list of predecessors, including films like 'Misery' which I also covered in this article.
The film clearly learns from all of the past claustrophobic horrors/thrillers of this sort and incorporates all of the best elements in terms of its choices of storytelling, direction and cinematography.
The author is a freelancer and avid cinephile.
Follow his page: https://www.facebook.com/thegeekdiaryofficial/
email: tkabir616@gmail.com