Clayton George Wickham - final thesis

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This is followed by a close formalist analysis of the Friday the 13 th series in order to
show how different individual aesthetic elements contribute to the creation of
perspective. Finally the thesis will show how this analysis applies within the context
of the slasher, and how the evolution and development of the franchise’s aesthetics
can be consistently traced in comparison to contemporary trends over the last three
decades.
Chapter 1 outlines various theories that inform my definition of perspective,
which is closely linked to ideas of point of view and subjectivity, building upon the
formalist criticism set out by Edward Branigan. Although these previously
established theories are useful and effective, I have deemed it necessary to develop
this idea of perspective which both encompasses many different approaches to point
of view and subjectivity, but also extends beyond this in order to identify the unique
experience and engagement that the viewer brings to a film. Hence, perspective
relates both to the experience of a fictional subject within the film as well as the
spectator, which individual theories of point of view and subjectivity largely
compartmentalise and separate. I begin by explaining my working definition of
perspective before demonstrating methods of communicating perspective in film
through a range of genres and its significant place within developments of film
language, showing how perspective is applied within film as a whole. This is
followed by a discussion of the relationship between the horror genre and aesthetics
that develop perspective using examples from cinema and literature. I then focus on
the horror genre and, in particular, the slasher sub-genre of the horror film, providing
examples of its significance within this smaller generic branch. After this, I move on
to specific aesthetic and formal devices to demonstrate how they are utilised to
create and communicate a sense of perspective within film.