THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE

Applying and Identifying the micro-elements in Horror film plots

SUB-GENRE AND CONVENTIONSThere are several sub genres that can be identified in the film, such as sci-fi, body parts and

mutilation. There are also some common conventions used in characters and themes in the film. The characters conventions met are a villain “doctor”, who has elements of the psychopath character in him. He is mutilating his victims in a horrific way and creating something which is far from real life, meaning we see it as his strange fantasy and lets us assume he is mentally deranged. The fact he is wearing a doctors coat creates a strange juxtaposition and makes him seem even weirder as the connotations of a doctors coat is helping people whereas he is using it in a sick way. Another main convention of characters in the film are the 2 young American girls who are tourists in Germany. Young girls are typically common victims in horror films, and these girls are tourists which makes them even more vulnerable as they are in a unfamiliar country. There are also some instances of the male gaze, which is almost always seen in horror films with young women in. There is also a sense of sex and power, with the men being in the higher power and the women in the lower power. For instance, they are on their hands and knees and close to the ground when they are attached to each other, when the villain is higher and has the power over them. Secondly, the 3rd person in the “centipede” is a man, who is chosen as the first link of the centipede which is the best place to be, as you are fed while the people at the back have their mouths attached to the person in front. This shows the women are seen as having less worth than men as they are chosen to be at the back. There is also the last girl standing, the girl in the middle of the centipede, as she is the one left alive at then end of the film.

ICONOGRAPHYThere is a lot of important iconography in this film, which adds to the theme and horror for the

audience of the film. The villain, Dr. Heiter, wears a doctors coat which is part of the iconography in the film, as it shows a juxtaposition against what the normal iconography of a doctors coat is, e.g. saving lives, important role, heroic person, with the contrast of the context in which he is wearing it, which is with intention to mutilate and create inhumane experiments. This creates a binary opposite between the iconography of the doctors coat in real life compared to in this film. The effect of this is more of a disgust and horror from the audience because of the use of the coat, and the fact of his actions linked to being a “doctor”. It also shows the power he has over his victims, as he is wearing a costume which is linked with a role to do with saving people and he uses it for control and self interest. Bandages also add to the clinical, doctor theme, which are wrapped around the patients knees and heads, as they are in a crawling position while they are attached to each other. Again, this created a binary opposite with the fact that bandages are used to heal and help people when they are wounded, however in this film it is just to help the fact they are attached to each other inhumanely.The fact the three people are attached to each other “mouth to anus” and the title, The Human Centipede, also creates a sort of iconography of a creature created by three humans. This gives them a derogatory sense, making them into something less important than they are because they are being forced and mutilated into a horrifying shape and connecting them to create something new.The location is a convention as well as an iconography, which again adds to the binary opposite theory and the juxtaposition in the film, as it is a makeshift hospital themed room and laboratory. This creates an uneasy feeling and shows the difference between the connotations of these.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE AND FILM THEORY

There are a number of theories that can be applied to The Human Centipede. Firstly, Levi Strauss' theory of binary opposites; the idea of two themes as opposite forces in the film. For this theory we can say the idea of the iconography creating a binary opposite of what we recognise and the context of it in the film (the doctor, hospital, surgery elements). This creates a link between good v evil. Another theorist, Noel Carroll suggest films are left open ended to allow a sequel to be produced. This creates enigma and suspense and will make the audience see the sequel if it is produced, because we want to see what happens. In this case, it is achieved by the last girl standing, and there is a Human Centipede 2. Laura Mulvey's feminist theory of the male gaze can be applied to the two females in the film, as they break down and come to the man's house looking for help. They are vulnerable and seen as less powerful than men, as well as being on their hands and knees for the centipede. When they come to the house, they are wet from the rain and have low cut tops and their hair down, emphasized the sexual idea behind them.