Raw is a 2017 French horror film directed by Julia Ducournau that explores a young woman’s coming of age story as she goes off to college. This is no typical coming of age story however, as the main character, Justine, who is a strict vegetarian, gets her first taste of meat and slowly transforms into a flesh-hungry cannibal. The intense, gory moments of the consumption of human flesh in this movie are juxtaposed with Justine’s exploration into her own sexuality, which mirrors and makes commentary on the negative perceptions of women’s sexuality that are held by society.
Throughout the entirety of the film, the gender and sexuality trope is used in many different ways. As previously discussed, the most obvious way is through Justine’s hunger for sex. This is often shown through the female gaze, especially in the scene where Justine is watching her gay roommate, Adrien, play sports. In this scene, the camera angle switches back and forth between Justine’s intense, carnal gaze and Adrien’s shirtless physique. Here, the typical male gaze that is used in horror is flipped and the viewer is forced to view Adrien as a piece of meat, similar to Justine’s literal interpretation of him. Additionally, the character of Adrien itself is also used to further the sexuality trope. Adrien is known to be homosexual, however he still sleeps with Justine, which seems to comment on the fluidity of sexuality. Feminist ideals are also shown once again as the sisterhood between Justine and Alexia is seen throughout the film. Alexia, the sister, is shown to help Justine’s transformation both into a cannibal and into a sexual being when she helps her get her first bikini wax. Not only is Justine becoming more aware of her body, she also gets her first taste of human flesh when Alexia’s finger gets cut off in the process. In the aftermath of this scene, Alexia looks at her sister in complete shock and silence, while a lone tear trickles down her face, as she is not only horrified by the fact that she just lost a limb, but she has just reached the shocking conclusion that her beloved sister will now face the same fate as her.
Based on the avant-garde nature of the film and the topics which it explored, the intended audience seems to be young feminists and art-horror fans. The film seems to be successful for its intended audience, as it highlights many issues that plague young women today, especially the acceptance of women as sexual beings. The symbolism prevalent throughout the movie is shown visually through the inclusion of animals and makes this film successful for the art horror genre. Like most other art horror films, this film focuses more on the symbolism and aesthetic appeal rather than having a solid plot and character development. One particular example of how both of these themes are used is shown by the stray wolf or doglike creature that appears at numerous points throughout the film. One of the first times that this animal is seen is at a party that Justine goes to when she is first acclimating to college life, and is used both as a symbol and as an aesthetic component to the film.
The films liberal discussion of sexuality, particularly through Justine and Adrien, may be controversial for some as female sexuality is not talked about as often in the media as male sexuality. For instance, in most Hollywood films, women are an object to be looked at while men are the onlookers. The flipping of stereotypical gender roles in this movie goes against the status quo and contributes to the overall message of the film. Perhaps the most controversial element of the film however is the inclusion of cannibalism. Cannibalism has long been considered one of the greatest taboos in many societies, and is often met with initial disgust. The director of this film utilizes characters who are cannibals, however she does not make cannibalism the main point of the film. Instead, cannibalism is used as a device to explain other thoughts that she wants to convey. This effectively gets the audiences attention, as those who would not normally be inclined to watch a coming of age story may be enticed or shocked by the fact that the main character is a cannibal, and would be intrigued to watch the film.
If I had to rate this film on a scale of 1-10, I would rate it a solid 8 out of 10. I enjoyed the symbolism throughout the movie, and I thought it was an interesting way to make a cannibal movie. This film was a refreshing take on the horror genre, and I would like to see more films comment on social issues the way that this one did. Additionally, this film was also visually pleasing and had interesting cinematography.
Casey Tang is an undergraduate Pre-Pharmacy student at the University of Texas at Austin, where she studies Biology. When she is not cramming for her exams, she can be found watching fashion videos on YouTube and taking photos outdoors.
Rhetoric of Horror 