Return of the Witch

During the decades of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,
American movie audiences witnessed a cultural
phenomenon. With increased frequency and vehemence,
Hollywood screenwriters and directors depicted female
film characters as dangerously mentally ill and
violent to the point that films featuring such
characters became their own distinct genre. Whereas
the earlier Hollywood anti-heroine was still feminine
and dependent while being evil and calculating, the
new image that emerged in the latter part of the
century had lost all dignity and become so
monstrously pathological that the intent could only
be to evoke not only fear in audiences, but shame for
women.This cinematic trend was in part a reaction to
the modern feminist movement and the increasing power
and independence of working women. Moreover, these
films were a reflection of a troubled society
confounded by rapid change, upheaval, and loosening
moral standards.These characters serve to both reveal
cultural tension, and act as scapegoats to relieve
it, much like the 17th century witch of Puritan New
England.

Autorentext

Carol Meaney Halperin, Ph.D., was born in Austin, Texas. Sheholds a Bachelor's degree in History and a Master's Degree inCounseling Psychology, both from the University of Notre Dame. She completed her doctorate in American Studies at the Universityof Texas in 2002.

Klappentext

During the decades of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,American movie audiences witnessed a culturalphenomenon. With increased frequency and vehemence,Hollywood screenwriters and directors depicted femalefilm characters as dangerously mentally ill andviolent to the point that films featuring suchcharacters became their own distinct genre. Whereasthe earlier Hollywood anti-heroine was still feminineand dependent while being evil and calculating, thenew image that emerged in the latter part of thecentury had lost all dignity and become somonstrously pathological that the intent could onlybe to evoke not only fear in audiences, but shame forwomen.This cinematic trend was in part a reaction tothe modern feminist movement and the increasing powerand independence of working women. Moreover, thesefilms were a reflection of a troubled societyconfounded by rapid change, upheaval, and looseningmoral standards.These characters serve to both revealcultural tension, and act as scapegoats to relieveit, much like the 17th century witch of Puritan NewEngland.