texaschainsaw

This is, without a doubt, one of the most terrifying and intense films ever created. I know that phrase gets thrown around pretty easily, but I rarely use it with the complete and utter sincerity that I do here (Last House on the Left and Suspiria come to mind, but very little else). Tobe Hooper began at the top, his subsequent career had its ups and downs. Nothing can dilute the unnerving intensity though, lord knows Kim Henkel tried with his abomination - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation! Now Michael Bay is going to take a shot at it with the most hairbrained idea I've ever heard in my life, a toned down remake. Try as they will this film will always stand as a testament to the potential power of low budget, gritty exploitation.

The story is straight forward, as exploitation usually is, but well layered for the viewer who is willing to put in the effort. We are introduced to 5 kids who head through the heart of Texas in a van, looking to see if their grandfather's grave was disturbed in a recent rash grave robberies. The end up stopping at an old house that was owned by that family of two of the kids. They are soon set upon by a group of vicous cannibals in a gruesome battle for survival.

As I'm sure most everyone reading this has seen the film (probably multiple times), I won't go into a detailed plot syonpsis. Instead I would like to fill this space with ideas about the film style and the social relevance carried within. To begin with, the gritty 16mm film look gives it a disturbing documentary feel. The sweltering Texas locations are exhausting and uncomfortable. And the farmhouse...well, I'll get to the farmhouse a little later. The film opens with an ominous narration by future television star John Larroquette, setting the tone for the documentary style that is rienforced throughout. That brings me to the peculiar opening credits. They were filmed with no light except for a single camera bulb. That coupled with the briefly glimpsed graveyard desecrations and the eerie sound effects make this scene truly unforgettable. I find myself so absorbed in trying to squint at the visuals that I barely notice the sound, which is busy eating away at my subconscious (ensuring an uneasy night of sleep later on).

Moving away from the introduction and into the body of the film we have characters that are constantly attacked by cynical critics for being underdeveloped. I really think they're missing the point here, there is not one 'textbook' way to make an audience empathise with characters. Here it is done brilliantly through the situations surrounding the characters, not the characters themselves. With characters as savage and relentless as the chainsaw clan, most unsuspecting people would probably react in the same way. These characters here are on a trial by fire, there is no chance to try to understand yourself or come to some pretentious personal resolution before you're plunged into the proverbial fire. To sum it up, what happens in the story is far more important than who it is happening to. Hooper used this uncommon structure perfectly to give this film the most possible stomach churning power.

Opposite the 5 kids are the cannablistic 'chainsaw family'. They are developed slightly differently than the kids since they are such an alien culture to us (unrelated side note - I wonder if this is where Henkel came up with his retarded idea for the 4th installment?). Here Hooper avoids resorting to the good guy/bad guy convention so common in most films. Unlike most cinematic villians, these guys aren't really evil per se. They're savage and ruthless to be sure, but they see their lifestyle as a necessity. You have to eat, right? You also need furniture, right? Granted this is extremely oversimplified summary of the conept, but I hope you get the idea.

The cannibals' lifestyle is brought more to light during the unrelenting conclusion. Not only are we assaulting with some of the most savage and horrifying scenes in the history of the genre, but we also get a brief glimpse into the tensions and traditions that are present in the family. I'll begin with the horror. A girl is hung on meathook and left to die as she groans in agony (truly one of the most uncomfortable situations on could hope to find themselves in). Another guy is bludgeoned in the skull with a large mallet, this alone would seem like pretty light fare in a genre so gruesome. That's not the end of it though, Hooper lingers on the body lying on the floor as it convulses violently. Even more shocking is the sight (albeit, mercifully dark) of the boy in a wheelchair getting repeatedly hacked by a buzzing chainsaw. Worst of all though, is the gruesome ordeal endured by the key heroine of the film. She is forced, in a most uncomfortable way, to join the family for dinner. Here, through the combination of the incessant screaming and close ups on the eyes of the young girl and the presence on the decaying head of the family, the unrelenting horror is given an interesting and bizarre family feel to it. We see Leatherface get dolled up (in a womans face and scalp) for the big ocassion, emphasizing his understanding of the importance of a family dinner. The hitchhiker and the cook end up taking out frusterations on each other (as family members often do. Above all though, there is an overwhelming feeling of respect for the head of the family - the decaying grandfather. The family has such pride in him as they gleefully describe to our heroine what a hero he was in the old slaughterhouse. They hold the girl down over a bucket as they prepare grandpa to take care of her, promising that he always gets it on the first try. During this mele she escapes through a window only to be pursued in a viloent conclusion. These final events and the abrupt ending seal the deal on this terrifying experience.

There is much more to this film than can be covered in such a short review. My goal here was to perhaps offer some personal insight into my take on the film and to convey my adoration for this cinematic masterpiece. It changed the face of both meat eating and the horror genre forever, and will remain an untouchable classic. Even more amazing is that a ruthless exploitation film can make such an indelible mark in the history of the medium, a recongnition usually set aside for higher brow 'art' cinema. Hooper proves here (as did Wes Craven with Last House on the Left) that the dark underbelly of ruthless cinema can demand and warrant just as much serious critical attention as any arthouse film.

The horror film could never be the same again after 1974. The bar had been raised as to what kind of visceral psychological terror could be inflicted on an audience. The cultural effects of the movie are far reaching. The most common stereotypes in the genre these days seem to involve 'some big killer with a chainsaw'. Hooper even returned to this familiar territory over 10 years later with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, this time taking the story in a wild new direction with enough scathing social criticism to make George Romero proud! TCM2 is another mastpeice but is often underrated as audiences didn't expect a satire. The original film has been featured in or referenced in everything from Summer School to Tiny Toons - even remade as the hilarious feature length porn video The Texas Dildo Masquerade!

Pioneer Studios released a fabulous DVD for the film. The presentation looks grainy at times, but that is to be expected in a 16mm film shot in 1974. The disc features an insightful commentary track with Hooper, Director of Photography Daniel Pearl, and actor Gunnar Hansen, trailers for the film and sequels, deleted scenes, alternate footage, a blooper reel, and a still gallery. I would consider this one a must have for any horror fans.

I avoided mentioning the Ed Gein influence on the film because I feel that his inspiration on the film is minimal. I know that Hooper loosely based Leatherface on him but there are several other films that deal with the subject matter in a more biographical manner. Although I recognize the factual groundwork for the story, I still view TCM as an independant fictional masterpeice (the same could be said for Psycho).