What is it that gives the film its power 20 years later?
It retains its power to frighten, not because of its violence, of which there is surprisingly little; ironic since at the time it was highly criticized as a movie that desensitized audiences to violence and murder. Rather than slap the viewer with explicit violence, the murders are shown in darkness and shadow and there is very little, if any blood to be seen. This decision is not only artistically superior to directly showing the audience every gory detail; it’s the smarter route to take when trying to scare a large group of people. The imagination can fill in the blanks of a scene in a way that is most frightening to each individual viewer. Eschewing gratuitous gore, the film’s ability to chill the audience comes from a combination of elements; most notably its mysterious, doppelganger antagonist, the use of real suspense and skillful direction techniques on the part of Mr. Carpenter.
Michael Myers, more than human.
Most horror movie fans know that the killer’s name in Halloween is Michael Myers. It’s true that the film’s prologue shows Michael as a boy, killing his promiscuous older sister and his parents coming home to find him in a fugue state on the front lawn still holding the murder weapon. By the end of the movie however, he has become something more than just a “man in a mask” and transcends the psychotic serial killer to become something altogether outside the realm of reality. In fact when the final credits roll his character is billed simply as “The Shape.”
Yet Michael Myers never becomes garish or supernatural. He is not a reincarnated corpse, a deformed mutant or some other equally unbelievable thing. He is just a man after all. Or is he? One of the movie’s greatest accomplishments is that it let the viewer make up their own mind and either point of view can be supported by the film. He looks like a normal man but seems unstoppable, relentless and ultimately, possibly invincible.
The psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, in a scene filmed for the television version of the film and included in the extended edition DVD, explains to a psychiatric hospital board in no uncertain terms that Michael Myers is evil incarnate. It’s a brilliant scene masterfully directed and once viewed one cannot watch the movie without it. It further establishes the idea of Michael Myers as the bogeyman, “The Shape,” and coming early in the film’s running time, sets the tone early on, lending more weight to everything that comes afterwards.
The bomb under the table.
Film critic Roger Ebert often quotes the great master Alfred Hitchcock who once said, “If two people are sitting at a table and a bomb under the table explodes, that’s action. If the audience knows there is a bomb under the table and characters keep eating, unaware, that is suspense.” This theory couldn’t be truer and Halloween is a classic example of its proof. The film builds layer upon layer of suspense before anything truly shocking actually happens. In fact, younger viewers, bludgeoned by modern blockbusters may find the movie too slow and too tame to hold their interest.
They would be missing out on movie that is actually suspenseful and makes the viewer wait for the payoff. The audience is constantly aware of Myer’s presence (real danger) while the character’s he stalks are not. The tension that winds tighter and tighter waiting for him to strike becomes almost unbearable. This is a hundred times more frightening than when he actually kills.
The actresses, including a young Jamie Lee Curtis, are perfectly directed to play their parts as if they are blissfully ignorant to the danger that lurks in the shadows. Even in often imitated scenes such as when a noise is heard outside and a character goes outside to investigate. A lesser movie would telegraph the fear by having the character creep around slowly, already nervous; but not Halloween. These characters have no reason to even consider the possibility that some dark evil would interrupt their idyllic, suburban holiday.
The late, great character actor Donald Pleasence does a superb job as Dr. Loomis, the psychiatrist who knows exactly what Myers is capable of. After Myers escapes from the hospital, Loomis provides suspense on the opposite end of the spectrum from the potential victims. He knows the danger is there, yet can not find it and is helpless to stop it. In Hitchcock’s scenario he would be the one man with knowledge of the bomb but which table in the restaurant the bomb is under.
The technical side, directing scary.
The third piece of the puzzle is the film’s direction itself. This movie made Carpenter a household name and with good reason. Carpenter’s work is a large part of the movie’s success. His steady-cam work would lends an eerie vibe to even the most normal scene. His use of long, wide shots make the audience unwilling participants in the voyeurism. Contrary to some criticisms of the time, it does not make one sympathize with the killer. The viewer is made nervous to be in such proximity to the viewpoint of the antagonist.
Carpenter also makes splendid use of the foreground, creating startles by having Myers suddenly loom into frame. The camera pans across, following the the unsuspecting characters as they go about their business. Then it is revealed that Myers is nearby, watching them. Waiting. Notice too, in Hitchcock’s example it is a real bomb that provides the suspense, not a fake bomb or red herring. Too many horror movies to follow Halloween have used a similar formula only to have a cat jump out of a closet or a bird fly out of a bush. These cheap tactics are used to pad a films running time and offer no substance as they don’t even relate to whatever the movie is supposed to be about. In Halloween the source of the fear is always Michale Myers. The viewer is keenly aware that of his constant presence. And this keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
Halloween is the rare horror movie that gets better with repeated viewings. Long after you have memorized every line of dialog and know every scene by heart, the movie is still immensely enjoyable to view. Its concepts and craftsmanship still have the ability to send chills down the spine. When the last sounds of Myers breathing and the final frames of his old house close, the viewer is left with a feeling of complete dread and despair that “The Shape” is still out there, able to take form. The viewer is also left with a feeling of admiration for quality film-making rarely seen today.
