As someone who lives in a country where winter is far from debilitating (Queensland, Australia), I have always found the winter in horror films to have a distinct character of its own. The cold is not something I can relate to, so I consider deeper how a person might survive such extremities. Is the falling snow a burden or a joy? Will it entrap or provide cover for release? I do think a proper gothic film uses the seasons, the setting as their own characters, and allows audiences to get a better understanding of the malice of an environment.
Thank you for your beautiful essay. It has made me sit back and consider how the seasons affect us - especially when others experience them on a more heightened level than I ever have x
Thank you for your thoughtful response, and hello from Canada! I think both questions you expressed can be true about winter. Just even this week, when it snowed here, I found myself feeling joyful and burdened by its presence. While it forces you to confront its extremity it also allows you to indulge in activities that bring you comfort. It’s being able to recognize and hold both of those truths that lends itself very well to the Gothic which is all about dualities and the blurring of boundaries.
As someone who lives in a country where winter is far from debilitating (Queensland, Australia), I have always found the winter in horror films to have a distinct character of its own. The cold is not something I can relate to, so I consider deeper how a person might survive such extremities. Is the falling snow a burden or a joy? Will it entrap or provide cover for release? I do think a proper gothic film uses the seasons, the setting as their own characters, and allows audiences to get a better understanding of the malice of an environment.
Thank you for your beautiful essay. It has made me sit back and consider how the seasons affect us - especially when others experience them on a more heightened level than I ever have x
Thank you for your thoughtful response, and hello from Canada! I think both questions you expressed can be true about winter. Just even this week, when it snowed here, I found myself feeling joyful and burdened by its presence. While it forces you to confront its extremity it also allows you to indulge in activities that bring you comfort. It’s being able to recognize and hold both of those truths that lends itself very well to the Gothic which is all about dualities and the blurring of boundaries.
Wow, yes I bet our relationships to winter are very different! Here it is more of an annoyance than a burden. Thank you again for your essay x
Great write-up. I didn’t think of climax as winter horror but the opening scene does a great job at foreshadowing the hopeless mood of the last act.