Sixth Lecture

What is Tamara de Szegheo Lang's perspective on the term "woman" in the context of witches in film?

When I talk about women, I am talking about the figure of the woman and not necessarily about the live realities of women. Like the figure of the witch, the figure of the woman is also about cultural myths and ideas. Women are not defined by biology (the presence of a uterus, vagina, breasts, etc.) and people with those body parts are not necessarily women. BUT historically, culturally, and socially, these two factors (woman and biology including uterus/vagina/breasts/etc) have been equated and this has been a part of the subjugation of women as well as trans people

According to Sharon Russell, what is the relationship between women and witches?

Women and witches: both words have mythic associations and many times both partake of the same myth. Women have been persecuted as witches because they were women, and women now use the term witch as a means of revenge against persecution. But beyond myth lies reality, and the concept of the witch is a negative myth derived from a false interpretation of reality.

According to Sharon Russell, if the image of the witch in films is a product of myth, what must be done?

If the image of the witch in films is a product of a myth, this myth must be explored.

What societal anxieties were associated with witchcraft in 1992 according to the lecture?

WITCHCRAFT = FEMINIST = LESBIAN = ANTI-FAMILY = CHILDLESSNESS = ANTI-CAPITALIST.

What is the significance of the developing waves of feminism in relation to witch films?

It is no coincidence we see plenty of witch films being produced alongside the developing waves of feminism. The lecture notes the 1st wave (beginning of the 20th century), 2nd wave (1960s-1970s), 3rd wave (1990s), and 4th wave (NOW! Backlashes).

What is Barbara Creed's concept of the "monstrous-feminine"?

In horror, women are not only victims but also monsters. Monster is defined by her (essentialized) sex, usually in relation to reproduction, birth, and motherhood OR menstruation. Creed argues that scholars have often focused on women as victims or assumed women monsters function the same as male monsters, but she posits that the monstrous-feminine is distinct.

According to Creed, what defines the "monstrous-feminine" in horror?

The monster is defined by her (essentialized) sex, usually in relation to reproduction, birth, and motherhood OR menstruation. This often reflects more about male fears than women’s desire and threatens the symbolic order.

What is a core idea of the "monstrous-feminine" according to Creed?

"All human societies have a conception of the monstrous-feminine, of what it is about woman that is shocking, terrifying, horrific, abject" (Creed 3). Examples include the threat of castration and the vagina dentata, puberty and menstruation, and the archaic mother.

According to Kramer and Sprenger's "Malleus Maleficarum," what acts were some witches accused of?

Some witches were accused of collecting male organs in great numbers and putting them in a bird’s nest or a box.

What are some characteristics associated with the trope of the "wicked witch"?

A woman who is very old & ‘ugly’ OR wears makeup and is sexual. She is often unmarried (spinster/widow) and has or wants power. Historically, during the European witch trials, she was accused of hideous crimes like cannibalism, murder, castration, and causing natural disasters. Other common tropes include living in poverty or wealth, wearing black (and a black hat), hating/eating children, and liking animals, especially cats. This figure does not fit within ideals of femininity.

What are some sources where the trope of the "wicked witch" originates?

Fairytales & Folklore, Literature, Films, Disney, and the Malleus Maleficarum

What is "hysteria" as described in the lecture?

A medical and/or psychological disorder thought to be a ‘wandering womb’. It was considered to affect people with uteruses (or assumed to have uteruses), particularly women who were activists, artists, and writers. Its history dates from ancient Egyptian and Greek societies until 1980 (in DSM). Treatments included marriage and penetrative sex, gynecological massage, vibrators, and “rest cure”.

How does the lecture connect witches to sexuality?

The lecture discusses sexual agency and sexual vulnerability in relation to witches. It also notes the horror of ageing (the crone) and the horror of youth (first menstruation, puberty, sexual awakening leading to awakening of power), using the example of Carrie. Additionally, it connects witches to lesbianism as a form of independence from men

According to Sharon Russell, how do filmic representations of witches differ from their portrayal in literature and folklore regarding male control?

Witches in literature and folklore generally operate independently. It is only in their filmic representations that male control enters as a central theme

How has the figure of the witch been historically viewed as a threat?

The witch, a male creation, has historically been seen as a threat to men and male domination

According to Sharon Russell, what is important to distinguish when understanding the use of the "witch" figure?

It is important to distinguish between a male use of a masculine myth and a female attempt to transform it

According to Creed, is the monstrous-feminine inherently "feminist" or "liberated"?

No, Creed states, "I am not arguing that simply because the monstrous-feminine is constructed as an active rather than passive figure that this image is ‘feminist’ or ‘liberated’" (Creed, 8).

According to Luca Guadagnino, director of Suspiria (2018), what is the historical context of considering women as witches?

Historically, witches are witches because people decide they are witches. Usually, this is a group of women that decides to be together, and a certain patriarchal voice doesn’t like that; they don’t like their independence.

According to David Kajganich, screenwriter of Suspiria (2018), what is the relationship between the fear of witches and female empowerment?

The fear of witches really was a fear of female empowerment. The feminist movement and this fear of the occult had points where they crossed paths historically because the patriarchy takes its fear of the empowerment of women and creates a mythology for it, often related to the occult

According to Micheal O’Sullivan's review of Suspiria (2018) in the Washington Post, what is a disturbing undercurrent in the film?

There’s also a disturbing, if unintended, undercurrent of misogyny, epitomized not only by the theme of witchcraft (a manifestation of men’s fear of women’s power, if ever there was one), but in the film’s frequent nudity and violent objectification of women’s bodies.

What was the historical context of West Berlin in the 1970s, when the original and 2018 versions of Suspiria are set?

The Holocaust and World War II were not the distant past. The Berlin Wall (1961-1989) was still standing, separating communist (Soviet Union) from capitalist (American/British/French). It was also the time of “Germany Autumn” and the Red Army Faction and the height of second-wave feminism, including feminist separatism.

What are the key aspects of Feminist/Lesbian Separatism mentioned in the lecture?

Critique of institutions of heterosexuality and patriarchy. Imagining a different world away from men. Creating community to this effect

How does the film Suspiria (specifically the original according to Aja Romano) utilize color?

Suspiria uses color as a part of its plot in a way that films almost never do, let alone so effectively. Director Argento insisted on using the same three-strip color process as The Wizard of Oz (1939) to create the most vibrant color palette possible, even though the technique was antiquated by the late 70s. The lecture also mentions "RED HALLS" and "GYM AS WOMB" in relation to color.

Define "the abject" according to Julia Kristeva (as cited in Creed).

"That which does not ‘respect borders, positions, rules’, that which ‘disturbs identity, system order’” (Kristeva in Creed 10). It is that which is expelled from the body and is no longer part of us, challenging our bodily integrity or surfaces, and seen as impure, disgusting, or revolting (e.g., urine, feces, blood, spit, our own corpse).

How is the fear of "women's" anatomy discussed in the lecture?

While wombs and menstruation do not define women, the lecture notes "women’s anatomy as a source of fear". The Tanz Akademie in Suspiria is interpreted as a woman's body, a space of entrapment and the return of the abject.

What is a social aspect of "the abject"?

Socially, people can become abject if they challenge the social whole (or norms, or order) and so must be driven out. However, we are also drawn to that which disgusts us, which might be why we like horror films that deal in the abject.

Describe the "archaic mother" in psychoanalytic terms presented in the lecture.

Tied to early life, pre-language. Seen as a nurturer who does not shame you for your bodily functions. Your life is very much part of hers.

Describe the "symbolic father" in psychoanalytic terms presented in the lecture.

Relevant in later life, with language. Acts as a disciplinarian and imparts shame. One must enter this realm to be an individual.