The cultural impact and meaning of monster movies
A monster film is recognised by its focus on one or more characters falling victim to attacks by one or more villainous monsters, often outrageously large ones, for dramatic effect. These films are flexible enough to come under more than one genre, such as horror, comedy, fantasy, or science fiction, and most derive their stories and creatures from horror folklore and literature.
Stop-motion animation, puppets, or creature suits have been used historically to depict monsters. CGI monsters have been used in many monster movies in the modern age. They can take the form of manmade actions or disasters, such as chemical waste. These monsters can also be extraterrestrial creatures who invade space shuttles or planet Earth, taking down humans using methods the victims can’t begin to understand or expect.
Many fans enjoy monster movies because of their unique presentation of an antagonist or overall conflict. In a fitting break from traditional antagonists who are just straight-up immoral and are aware of their evil acts, monsters exist due to circumstances beyond their control, and they are unaware of the consequences of their actions. This ends up creating different emotional reactions in audiences compared to regular villains, as these unknowing creatures, who are not allowed to win by the conclusion, can obtain sympathy and understanding from spectators.
If there is one country that takes the crown in ultimate monster moviemaking, it’s Japan. In Japanese cinema, these giant monsters are cited as kaiju, which has become an iconic and popular sub-genre in film. These stories are layered and complex in their presentation of the monster, who can still be a villain in their endless destruction of cities, resulting in countless deaths.
However, they can also serve thematic value by reading as a metaphor for humankind’s continuous destruction, such as if the monster was created from toxic waste or other environmental neglect. In this, the monster can be read as a punishment for humanity’s carelessness.
A further credential of the monster film is an opposing military force that stops at nothing to take down the creature before it can bring another building down to ruins. However, these attempts have to antagonise the monster and prove useless against the creature’s inhuman strength and power. Fans of the monster genre consider this a cliche.
As a result of these traits, monster films can have significant cultural undertones and meanings to them, representing societal events in the form of media entertainment. In addition to this, the monsters who take the starring role can also influence films as a whole as well as other forms of media. Here, we break down some of the most iconic.
The Xenomorph (Alien, Ridley Scott, 1979)
In this sci-fi horror classic, the crew of a spacecraft are attacked by an alien, which later invades their ship after discovering a mysterious ship on an undiscovered moon.
The Xenomorph is a terrifying villain due to its classification as a primal, predatory creature. Their one goal is to preserve their own species, no matter what gets in their way. With blades built into their physical DNA and their blood being acidic, the Xenomorph is just nightmare fuel through and through. What’s even more unsettling is the proposed theoretical reading of the film as representing sexual violence.
During a 2002 documentary interview on the film, screenwriter Dan O’Bannon described his outlook on writing Alien: “I’m going to attack the audience,” he said. “I’m going to attack them sexually”. This outlook is conveyed using extreme phallic imagery and implications. The most prominent example of this is the alien’s methods of infiltrating human bodies to breed; a face hugger mounts a victim’s face and forces a long body part down his throat to place its eggs inside the chest area.
The Werewolf (An American Werewolf in London, John Landis, 1981)
When two tourists, David and Jack, visit a local pub in Britain, they are attacked by a strange dog-like creature. Following this, David undergoes a monstrous transformation whenever the moon is full, one that creates a blood bath.
The werewolf is a terrifying threat to those who come into its path. It tears limbs and rips into flesh in the utmost primitive manner, providing some sinister carnage. The first transformation scene is iconic in filmmaking history, being the first werewolf transformation to show the painful physical changes up close. This is praised as a display of innovative makeup effects, so impressive that after watching, Michael Jackson had to have John Landis provide similar effects in the iconic Thriller short film. This music video went on to be one of the most groundbreaking of its time due to its smashing of racial barriers in music.
King Kong (King Kong, Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933)
When a film crew visits a mysterious island for a shoot, they discover a giant prehistoric ape living there. The ape, cited as Kong, becomes obsessed with a beautiful young woman called Ann, who is set to star in the film and stops at nothing to possess her as its own. Its pursuit of her leaves huge wreckage in its wake.
King Kong‘s success triggered a wave of many films focusing on giant monsters and is one of the biggest inspirations for the genre. It was the first film to feature a giant monster running amok in civilisation, showing its innovative vision for what monsters can do that has now become a staple in the genre. Kong is also rather sympathetic despite his destructive ways, something that would also become prevalent in monster movies to garner diverse interpretations.
The character Kong is one of the world’s most famous movie icons, being referenced and parodied in several other forms of media. The character has also crossed to other franchises to meet and battle other iconic movie monsters to appease fans. Kong is also the blueprint for the iconic video game character Donkey Kong, created nearly 50 years after King Kong was released.
Frankenstein’s Monster (Frankenstein, James Whale, 1931)
In James Whale’s film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic novel that invented the science-fiction genre, an obsessed scientist creates a living being from body parts, not realising it has a madman’s brain. What follows is a painful, tragic story of physical judgement and mistreatment, all due to a genius’ delusion.
Whale’s film was an instant success, which can be identified when looking at its significant impact on popular culture. The iconic visuals of a maniacal “mad” scientist with a subservient hunchbacked assistant and the film’s depiction of Frankenstein’s monster have since become synonymous with horror and Halloween. The scientist’s role is to portray the controversial idea of “playing God”, evident in his line: “In the name of God? Now I know what it feels like to BE God!” which stirred up the censorship boards due to its “blasphemous” tone.
Frankenstein’s Monster has such a unique design – different from the one in the novel – that it has influenced successor horror characters, such as the Addams family butler Lurch. The monster, alongside being a horror icon, represents the harms of initial judgement because, despite its grotesque form, it seems to be an innocent, childlike creation. It cannot even show signs of being scared of a burning flame without them being mistaken for a violent, dangerous outburst. This small miscommunication leads to the creature being locked away and tortured, but still, when it retaliates to this mistreatment, it has to be punished by scared mobs of townfolks.
Godzilla (Godzilla/ゴジラ, Ishirō Honda,1954)
As a result of the testing of American nuclear weapons, an indestructible fire-breathing monster rises from the ashes. As it leaves a display of mass destruction in its path, the government forms an alliance with a reclusive scientist to take down the monster.
Following the film’s international success, the character Godzilla has become an international pop culture icon. It has appeared in 36 films since its first appearance, including several parodies in both film and art. The monster has also influenced some other iconic pieces of film, specifically Steven Spielberg’s classic Jurassic Park, with how the T-rex is presented to audiences. Spielberg himself stated Godzilla is “the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening.”
Godzilla’s cultural impact lies within its symbol of nuclear destruction. The director Ishirō Honda associates Godzilla’s iconic design and characteristics with this thematic concept of atomic bombings: “If Godzilla had been a dinosaur or some other animal, he would have been killed by just one cannonball. But if he were equal to an atomic bomb, we wouldn’t know what to do. So, I took the characteristics of an atomic bomb and applied them to Godzilla”.
This links with the themes of the human condition and natural disasters caused by environmental neglect. Some propose Godzilla symbolises America, waking up from a slumber, almost like a Phoenix from the ashes, to take revenge on Japan.
