THE WEREWOLF
Returning with Part II of our examination of the evolution of our classic cinema villains, we take a look at that most predatory and base of all monsters, the primal hunter, the Werewolf.
A creature of mystery and legend, the werewolf has besieged mankind since the dawn of time. There are tales of shapeshifting humans etched in the annals of even the earliest Native American tribal legends. Said to be demons of the earth and nature that prey upon the weak hearts and souls of men, possessing their bodies to perform their wicked deeds, the werewolf is one of the most dreaded monsters, their human counterparts able to walk amongst us normal and unnoticed...until the rise of the Full Moon cycle and the hunt begins. Over the centuries, the creatures' legend has seen a multitude of alterations, in both form and function. The tale of the lycanthrope has also seen its share of mutation in film, but has remained genuinely frightening ever since the first film ever hit the theaters and audiences were left with a single chilling thought...
A werewolf could be anyone, even someone you know. And you would never know the terrifying danger until it was sinking its teeth into your supple throat.
The Werewolf (1913)
The first official werewolf movie, now a lost film, based on a short story from 1898. The werewolf was a cursed creature based in Native American legend, summoned to avenge the wronged and wreak misery and despair upon the victim. The film displays them as spiteful and plays strongly on suspense. Rumor persists that the original reels were destroyed in an intentional fire to refrain from angering the Native American Gods that preside over such powerful and dangerous beasts.
SCARE FACTOR: 6.0
The Wolfman (1941)
Universal Studios solidifies the werewolf into the mainstream. The Wolfman is scary, violent, and animalistic in nature. The concept of the human-side being a tragic figure is introduced. Though a man afflicted, the beast is nearly uncontrollable, and only barely registering glints of human emotion. He is everything man becomes when his humanity is swept aside. Death is, however, the only known cure.
SCARE FACTOR: 9.0
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
The legend of the werewolf takes a turn, being connected to all humans as a prehistoric figure. The film maintains the scare factor, but makes the character younger for the new generation. While the science community did discover that all creatures on Earth are related in some way genetically, it did little to assuage the fears of the public as their imaginations ran with the possibility that the monster could lurk in anyone. The correlation between lycanthropy and genuine mental illness also furthered those fears, as the beast could be hiding behind any face, even the angelic persona of Michael Landon.
SCARE FACTOR: 8.5
The Howling (1981)
Over 30 years pass and werewolves have remained scary or even become comical in nature. However, The Howling brings them further deeper and makes them terrifying and without remorse. A showstopper in its own right, we now see the people behind the beast. They have given over to their baser instincts, now more animal than human, even during the off days of the month. They relish their power and lord over humans, justifying their brutal killings as a mere providence of natural selection. They are evil, unstoppable, and cunning like no other predator known to man.
SCARE FACTOR: 9.0
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The comic element is kept intact, but the horror factor is upped. Werewolves are cemented as violent, animalistic predators. The transformation is seen as agony. Werewolf is again tragic. To lighten the dark mood, the comedy factor was strengthened, but it did little to take the edge off. Apparently, surviving a werewolf attack is the worst possible scenario, as the victim becomes the cursed one, forced to shed his humanity for the beast. The change is brutal and leaves the victim without memory. They cannot control what they are...or what they will do to who they face whilst on the prowl. Even if it is someone they once loved.
SCARE FACTOR: 8.0
Underworld (2003)
Many werewolf films pass with little attraction. Underworld adapts and humanizes the monsters as a former slave race of aristocratic vampires. The werewolves can be the good guys. Primal in nature, but connected to the Earth, much like the original Native American tribes, the lycanthrope is regarded as slave labor, bestial and uncharismatic. Taken advantage of by the aristocratic vampires, they seek to end their suffering and return to their roots, as masters of their natural domains. Powerful, cunning, and predatory yet capable of genuine kindness and concern for their own species and even humans, werewolves can be the heroes. And what heroes they can make.
SCARE FACTOR: 6.0
New Moon (2009)
Werewolves meet the tween craze and are now heroic, sympathetic, and attractive. Being a werewolf is now cool with its powers and long life. Werewolves have become sexy. Shedding the ravenous canine image for a more domesticated dog look, the werewolves lose their humanoid ties but retain their memory and intelligence. They are beings of nature, akin to the spirits of the Earth. They are suave and attractive...and sadly more sappy and less terrifying. They are simply another shapeshifter in the mix of monsters.
SCARE FACTOR: 3.5
The Wolfman (2010)
Not to be kept down, this remake seeks to present once again that werewolves are in fact violent, blood-thirsty monsters, their human counterparts tragically cursed. Werewolves are scary again. Returning to its roots with the advent of supreme special effects, we see the werewolf back in his element. He hunts humans for both food and sport, he is brutally powerful, fast, and resilient. Incapable of fear, pity, or remorse, he is a terrifying foe. Welcome back to the fray!
SCARE FACTOR: 7.5
OFFICIAL SCARE FACTOR: 8.5 The werewolf, no matter the basis for the creature, remains a relatively terrifying creature. Virtually unkillable, able to move about the populace undetected, and those who fall prey to it generally do not survive the encounter. Save for a small dip in scare factor, the werewolf has once again solidified itself as a solid horror icon. Only the future will tell if the monster will maintain or even increase its factor with the advent of modern special effects and original storytelling.
Due to its natural primal connection to all humans, the human itself feeding upon its base impulses and desires (violence, predation, territorialism, etc.) the werewolf is everything a human is up to a point. They are us without the barriers or confines of emotion, conscience, or perceived value. They seek only to exist and do so with the same tenacious and unstoppable energy of pure animal instinct. God help all those who fall into their path.
Stay tuned for our next entry, a deep look at that original example of Man-Playing-God, the tragic science experiment gone horribly awry: Frankenstein's Monster.
-Jarod
