Screening report of TCM

FS 201
29 Jan 2013

The 德州 Chain Saw Massacre and its Ideology

  As part of a horror movie, the crazy cannibalistic family can be characterized as 「the Other」 according to Robin Wood. They represent parts of repression that civilization restrains- killing and no sympathy. The family includes two human looking brothers, one pale undead looking old man, and one leatherface monster. The leatherface conducts the most violent killing in the room which seems like a slaughter house. It is similar to the story Franklin told on the road in which cattle are killed cruelly by human beings, but this time human beings are the ones to be killed. This analogy explicitly shows that it’s much normal for human beings to kill cattle without feeling guilty or feeling sympathy because people take it for granted. But if people are killed as easily as cattle, the senses and reasons typical of human beings seem not right and unacceptable. Since all animals are equal, people should consider and treat other lives mercifully and equally, not dominating other’s lives recklessly just because people are so-called masters of the world. Besides, even though the Leatherface looks more scary and violent, he is overwhelmed by his older brother and he obeys his brothers without any question. It is easy to tell the Leatherface man is a monster by his appearance, but one can hardly tell that the other two brothers are monstrous. It turns out that human beings without humanity are the scariest. In the end, the Leatherface is twirling his chainsaw, dancing alone in frustration, in the beautiful orange sunset. He may not know why he is killing, but human beings are conscious of what they are killing, like in the slaughter house. To some extent, the scariest monsters may not be the one looks like monsters, but human beings themselves. The crazy family also indicates the unfair reality. With more automatic machines equipped in the factory, people lose their jobs and become poor. It is particularly unfortunate for this family since they devote themselves to this business generation after generation. Thus they may not be born crazy and inhumane, but cruel reality makes them degenerate.

  From another point of view, TCM can also be regarded as a road movie. At the beginning, they are driving on the road of 德州, which is far away from cities and the crowds. The country music playing on the radio provides a relaxing and carefree feeling. There are a lot of wide shots of the road, the sky and nature, showing the broad vistas of the world without any human being’s contamination. The gas station is the one indispensable element for the road film, as a symbol of continuing the trip, but no gas available establishes a desperate condition for the upcoming events. It also implies the severe reality which at a time there is no gas at the station and really destroys people’s life. Also, when the strange hitchhiker picked up along the road starts to hurt himself, burn the photo, and laugh weirdly, it builds the suspense and adds to the horrific atmosphere. In the end, Sally escapes by jumping into the back of a car, laughing hysterically, while driving away from the dangerous leatherface and his crazy family, once again showing the element of road movie that the car and road are things that can help one get away from what he wants to get rid of. The road and car resemble freedom and escape, but escape doesn』t solve the problem, so maybe sometimes to face and solve it for good is the best ending.