The Scottish cannibals who inspired a classic 1970s horror movie
Cannibalism has been such a vital theme in horror cinema that it is often classified under its own subgenre. Ranging from cult classics like the 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust to modern movies such as Luca Guadagnino’s recent feature Bones and All, there are countless examples of interesting cannibal horror flicks. However, not all of them have their basis in reality, like Wes Craven’s 1977 project The Hills Have Eyes.
The anthropological significance of cannibalistic practises have been analysed by many prominent scholars like Claude Lévi-Strauss, but when viewed through the unique lens of horror cinema, they take on quite a different form. That’s exactly what happened in The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven’s campy interpretation of the extensive mythology surrounding Scotland’s Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean and his clan of murderous cannibals.
According to a report that surfaced in a publication called The Newgate Calendar, Bean was a real man who existed in the 16th century and attracted negative attention after leaving home with a woman who was labelled a witch by the locals. Together, they found a cave where they allegedly slaughtered and ate over a thousand victims. Not just that, their clan kept increasing in number as they had multiple children and grandchildren, the latter of whom were reportedly consequences of incest.
“Originally, it came from an article I saw in the New York library about the Sawney Bean Family,” Craven explained the origins in an interview. “In the 1700s in Scotland, I believe, there was an area that had a road running through it from Scotland, and people thought it was haunted because people kept disappearing from that road. The story came out when a couple was attacked by these wild-looking people, and one got away. He knew someone in the court, and they sent out an expedition, which resulted in finding a cave along the English Channel.”
While commenting on the fundamental hypocrisy of modern civilisation, Craven noted that he was attracted to the ironic exploration of modernity. The filmmaker added: “A dog actually found it. A whole gaggle of these people. Naked, wild and feral. And the [authorities] did the most excruciating things to them. I responded to the irony of it, of people who should be nice and civilised doing horrible things. And horrible people having a nice side to them, too.”
Despite the conflicting accounts of this old and famous legend, the myth has survived the test of time and has become a part of popular culture through movies such as The Hills Have Eyes. Drawing from the harrowing story about Bean’s descent into cannibalism as well as other iconic works like Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Craven’s cult classic demonstrates the fragility of modern civilisation’s moral high ground in a suprisingly humourous way.
Watch the trailer below.
