For this task I will be looking at how women are represented in horror films, women are usually seen as a weak character in horror films, unable to fight or escape from the killer. But there are two theories that support and oppose this. The 'male gaze' theory and the 'final girl' theory.
The final girl theory was created in 1992 by Carol Clover. The theory consists of a female character that survives the massacre in horror films particularly slaughter films. The character is usually the last person out of the cast that is alive and would confront the killer and lives to tell the tale. Usually a female character in Horror films would often be seen a the weaker character who can't defend or look after herself and is usually the first to die. But in the final girl theory the female is stronger willed and tends to dress quite masculine.
Wendy Christensen portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead from Final Destination is a great example of the final girl, she is innocent and sensible, does not wear cloths that show any flesh off and does not participate in any sexual acts during the film. Wendy figures out what is happening and why her and all her friends are dying. Wendy had vision at the beginning of the film, seeing her and her friends going on a roller coaster ride and the coaster coming lose, and they all die. She causes a scene and her and her friends are taken off the roller coaster, cheating death. Wendy is the last one to survive out of the group making her the final girl. She figures out what's going on and then tries to prevent it from happening. Without realise her and the next friends to die (Julie and Kevin) are all on the same train, she figures out that they are about to die and tries to stop the train, but it's too late. The train crashes leaving the friends to die tragically. She is the only one alive. Until, she finds herself stuck on a train track with a trapped leg, she cannot move and sees the next train coming. She dies in the end but she still follows the role of the final girl.
The final girl theory was created in 1992 by Carol Clover. The theory consists of a female character that survives the massacre in horror films particularly slaughter films. The character is usually the last person out of the cast that is alive and would confront the killer and lives to tell the tale. Usually a female character in Horror films would often be seen a the weaker character who can't defend or look after herself and is usually the first to die. But in the final girl theory the female is stronger willed and tends to dress quite masculine.
Wendy Christensen portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead from Final Destination is a great example of the final girl, she is innocent and sensible, does not wear cloths that show any flesh off and does not participate in any sexual acts during the film. Wendy figures out what is happening and why her and all her friends are dying. Wendy had vision at the beginning of the film, seeing her and her friends going on a roller coaster ride and the coaster coming lose, and they all die. She causes a scene and her and her friends are taken off the roller coaster, cheating death. Wendy is the last one to survive out of the group making her the final girl. She figures out what's going on and then tries to prevent it from happening. Without realise her and the next friends to die (Julie and Kevin) are all on the same train, she figures out that they are about to die and tries to stop the train, but it's too late. The train crashes leaving the friends to die tragically. She is the only one alive. Until, she finds herself stuck on a train track with a trapped leg, she cannot move and sees the next train coming. She dies in the end but she still follows the role of the final girl. 
Here is the last scene. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sxvSqv7LEQ
Unlike two other girls in this film, Crystal Lowe portraying Ashlyn Halperin and Chelan Simmons portraying Ashley Freund who are in the 'male gaze' theory. These two girls dress to impress the males and grab the male audience attention in their tanning scene. As you can see from the pictures above and below there is a major difference in the style of clothing the girls are wearing, both girls below are wearing pink and yellow, typical girly colours and also they are both wearing short skirts to give the males something to look at. In the picture above Wendy is wearing blue and red, more masculine colours, they also seem to be covering her whole body, not revealing any flesh. She also seems to be holding a camera consciously making her seem innocent and shy. The scene where Ashley and Ashlyn die support the male gaze theory, they are both in the tanning bed wearing nothing but bikini bottoms. A shelf from above one of the tanning beds comes loose and fall, trapping the girls in the tanning beds. Previously one of the girls brought a drink in the room, placing it above the control box that controls the heat of the tanning beds, dripping on to the control box the tanning beds start to increase the heat, until they burn alive.
Here is the scene of Ashlyn and Ashley supporting the male gaze theory, and their deaths. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaz73KCiKaM
The 'male gaze' theory was brought up by Laura Mulvey in 1975. Mulvey noticed that in some cases women were used to grab male attention and sell the film or advert. The women would wear tightly fit revealing clothes, or in some situations hardly any clothing what so ever. The camera tends to focus on the woman's curves and figure in scenes of the male gaze women. In adverts made to sell products this theory also comes into action, women are used more an object or prop to help grab the male audiences attention and convince them to buy whatever is up for sale.
Other examples of the 'final girl' theory would be Shelley Duvall who is portraying Wendy Torrance in The Shining. She escapes and survives her husbands madness and slaughter also with her son Danny. Although she is the only female in the hotel at the time and for the majority of the time, she still follows the theory. She wears masculine based clothing that always cover her whole body, she is generally a quiet and shy character as we find out during the film. She protects herself and her son, using a bat and knife. In the scene I have posted below this picture Wendy has confronted the horror character and stand up for herself, she hits Jack around the head with a bat, and Jack falls from the top of the stairs to the bottom knocking him unconscious. Wendy and her son escape leaving Jack outside stuck in a maze, Jack freezes to death.
Here is the scene of Wendy supporting the Final girl theory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n47U-v3v1-Q
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