How does the director use microelements to present genders in MAMA?
2013 movie Mama presents gender in a modern, unconventional manner, which challenges the norms of gender in horror. Director Andres Muschetti uses microelements to represent gender in a diferent light in this flm. In most horror the women are portrayed as weak and dependent on the males for safety, Andres Muschetti challenges this convention by representing females as strong, independent and liberated. Mama challenges the conventions of horror in relation feminism, due to the unconventional female characters the director has chosen to use in this flm. The main character Annabelle (girlfriend of the sisters Victoria and lilys uncle)breaks the stereotype and convention, which is upheld in horrors, that females are weak and dependent on men in order for them to survive/for their safety. Annabelles character subverts this, as her clothing is not the typical feminine dress wear, instead, this character wears black gothic clothing and heavy black eye makeup, which removes any sense of innocence or vulnerability. In addition to this there is a scene in the movie where this character is relieved not to be pregnant, indicating that she has neither maternal instinct nor the desire to have children. This is diferent to the typical woman who is quite maternal and broody. The use of props like cigarettes helps portray her bad female impression. Furthermore, Andres Muschetti challenges the convention of femininity in horrors, by making Annabelle an independent liberated woman. Due to her boyfriend (the two sisters uncle) being involved in an accident that leaves him in a coma, Annabelle has to step up as the dominant fgure, who is head of the house, in charge. However, due to her stepping up as a carer to the two girls, she does develop an emotional and maternal attachment to the girls that she did not originally have. Additionally this flm re-presents feminism, as the threat in this flm (MAMA) is a female threat; this contrasts with the majority of horrors (especially in a supernatural sub-genre movie) whose threat is male. This creates, yet again, an image that women are strong and not fearful. The director also challenges the conventions in horror of young females. This is due to him presenting the children as wild and in a position of power. The two girls are not are not oppressed by any male (which could be their father or a father fgure). Throughout the flm they have a high level of control.