Do you see signs within Creature From the Black Lagoon that it was aiming for a particular audience/demographic? Most movies do have market segments at least partially in mind. Who do you think would be the audience for this movie—adults, children, teenagers, men, women, or any other group? Maybe (or maybe not) horror fans, in particular? Do you think Creature would appeal to the same audience that either Rebecca or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde did in their time? Point to a particular scene or moment that informs your understanding of the likely audience for Creature?
10 thoughts on “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
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I thought this film was intended for a younger audience, specifically white teenagers. The film always had one or more characters either shirtless or showing some kind of skin. Sexualization of characters is a big theme that directors play with when creating films for such audiences so that they can allow these viewers to have some sort of intrigue. This was intentional by the director, trying to gain a new audience in “horror” films, and the attraction of the characters strengthens such intentions. Additionally, the film was fast-paced and the music/sound effects played an important role in furthering the plot. Such sound effects made me feel like I couldn’t interpret this as a horror film, thus, it wasn’t intended for horror enthusiasts who enjoy films like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde or Rebecca. These films have more complex themes that are played with while The Creature of the Black Lagoon is a film that focuses on the over-sexualization of both men and women but doesn’t explicitly do so. The scene where Kay is swimming highlights this as we see her enjoying herself and the sensations of the water.
I thought this movie catered primarily to a generally white male audience. The main characters were white males, and the film appealed to a male savior fantasy. The only female in the film, Kay Lawrence, was constantly portrayed as helpless. She had noticeably minimal character development and personality; she was used as just another prop on the set. This savior fantasy and lack of depth to the female character was on full display when the Gill-man steals Kay and brings her to the cave. Kay is scantily dressed and lays helplessly on a rock while David Reed tries to save her. The film is clearly trying to draw sexual attention to Kay while also emphasizing her vulnerability and incapability to help herself. These aspects of the scene add to this male savior fantasy which dominates the film.
I believe that “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was aiming for an adult audience demographic. Beyond the slightly violent nature of the film that might not have been suitable for children, there were underlying sexual vibes present throughout the film. The forbidden almost there affection of the Creature towards the one female character stands out to me the most, particularly the one scene where he was swimming underneath as she spun around in the water. There was definitely some low-key sexual vibes there that were perhaps aiming towards a women audience. Furthermore, I feel like the protective actions of the men to protect the one female character could have been targeted towards a male audience.
While I found the movie, The Creature From Black Lagoon, compelling as a picture, I was taken by the strong post colonial signaling and the way it catered to a white American male audience. The role features two central male characters, one representing the merciful side of science and discovery, and the other signals the need for domination and credibility, the vain side of science. The movie glamorizes a kind of macho cowboy-proto marine biology which is not in keeping with actual scientific practices. I don’t believe that movies have to adhere to scientific practices perfectly, but I found the departure from scientific integrity particularly striking in this film.
In addition to the heroic handsome white male protagonists, there is the problematic depiction of Carl’s “boys” who speak broken English, wear almost no clothes, and are obviously the first characters they kill off in the film. One should always pay particular attention to movies featuring American or European characters in some foreign and mysterious land, and look for virtue signaling or a disparity in speaking or intelligence. With respect to that, it’s hard to imagine a non-white American audience really appreciating the messaging of the film. From a feminist perspective, it is hard not to take issue with the depiction of Kay as a helpless, accident prone, screaming woman, who is hopelessly in love with the lead male, who must do ‘the right thing’ and leave her time and time again to risk his life for the mission. Again, it is hard to imagine many women appreciating the messaging about their own powerlessness, and more broadly, their role in the scientific community.
I’m not sure if Universal made this film with a specific target audience in mind, but I am sure that they made it with little consideration for how certain ethnic or gender identifying groups would receive it. I don’t think they put much consideration into pleasing Brazilians with their depiction, nor do I believe they put much effort into pleasing female scientists with their depiction. By process of elimination, you could come to a relatively logical conclusion that this film follows a long American tradition of white American exceptionalism and virtue signaling. That said, not a bad watch.
We have discussed in class that early horror movies were targeting adults who had the time and means to visit a theater, but I saw a significant shift in this movie compared to Rebecca and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The plot and dialogue of the movie seemed relatively shallow, and the parts that stood out were rather the thrilling underwater scenes, the music, and the appearance of the creature. The previous two movies we had seen had a focus on plot and character development, and while there were elements of horror in them, I found the dialogue and story itself to be just as enticing. This shift to a more thrilling and less intellectually stimulating movie could be due to a shift in target audience from adults to teens.
Jancovich’s article brought up a deeper analysis that I had not considered but I had certainly experienced while watching the movie, which is that of anger at the “normal” people for their treatment of the creature. At a certain point, I just felt bad for the creature who clearly had a crush on Kate and yet was constantly attacked and threatened. In the 50’s, the discontentment with normal society was largely a youthful movement, and this movie may have targeted some of those emotions.
I would employ an elimination method to determine the movie’s target audience. It’s clear that this can’t be a children’s movie due to the presence of violent and sexual scenes, like the couple kissing on the boat and the repetitive murders. Furthermore, adults might consider this film immature -unless they are horror fans, especially considering its science-fictional trait. They can have very pessimistic opinions based on trivial elements such as the extravagant Creature’s costume. It’s very likely that a finite group of adults might enjoy consuming such content, again this would depend on their degree of maturity and how they perceive things. Nevertheless, before delving into gender demographics, it’s worth noting that only teenagers appear to be the remaining audience on the list.
Teenagers can connect with and understand scenes involving intimacy and violence in movies without undergoing a radical shift in their mindset. As they approach adulthood, many teenagers strive to assert their independence, often by delving into horror films that are typically tailored for older audiences. The film “Creature from the Black Lagoon” offers several scenes that illustrate this concept. For example, the sequence where the two men, equipped with their submarine gear, hunt the underwater monster. This thrilling adventure contributes to the teenage experience, as their adrenaline surges in response to the suspense and excitement, always aware that the monster could appear at any moment.
Moreover, the film’s heroic elements, as seen in scenes such as the woman’s abduction by the monster and the series of intense fights, may imply an implicit appeal to a more masculine audience. The portrayal of a dashing man pursuing and safeguarding the delicate, beautiful woman reinforces the presence of traditional gender roles during that era. These roles often entailed the belief that men were physically stronger and held certain moral responsibilities such as protecting women.
I think there was a specific demographic in mind in making the film, which was most likely targeted at younger audiences. Older audiences would not find this movie appealing because of the basic, easy-to-follow plot line that doesn’t allow much interpretation or ambiguity. The repeated use of loud, intense music and jump scares created a more dramatic and fast-paced movie that would grasp the shorter attention spans of younger audiences. Although there was the use of a monster in the film, it was not targeted toward fans of horror, as there was no heaviness to the movie as often felt by more classic examples of horror. As we have discussed in class, many more layers of ambiguity and meaning were wrapped up within Rebecca and Jekyll and Hyde that aren’t apparent in Creature. The audiences of Rebecca, Jekyll, and Hyde who are looking for a movie that can have insight discussion won’t have a good experience while watching this movie.
I feel that the film was trying to appeal to younger audiences, especially children. One of the main components of the film that makes me feel so is the design of the creature. Its human-like qualities mixed with its fish-like appearance could frighten young children. I also feel that the film heavily relied on the creature’s appearance to instill its horror. Some parts of the movie I remember when thinking about this is every time the film showcases the creature or its arms; there is loud music every time the creature or a part of the creature is on screen. Although this may work in the creature’s initial introduction, it quickly becomes overdone. The only audience that would still find this constant exposure “scary” are children who are just afraid of the way the creature looks. I don’t think fans of Rebecca and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ought to watch Creature of the Black Lagoon if they’re searching for a similar experience they received through watching the two films.
I think the film Creature From the Black Lagoon was likely aimed at white teenage and young adult audiences, mostly due to the sensationalized horror aspect, racialized themes, and the fact that half of the cast is in bathing suits for almost the entire movie. In other words, this was not aimed at the same audiences as the previous films we have watched, which are less about monsters and more about the horrors committed by man. The use of suspense as well as jump scares and the Creature’s design all lead me to believe that this movie was made with the intention of scaring people (did this actually scare people?), and I think the movie’s use of the Amazon rainforest as its setting (which was likely exotic and mysterious to the 1950s average American) also emphasizes the intention to scare.
As illustrated Jancovich’s article “The Critique of Maturity: The Films of Jack Arnold”, I think the film was meant for a younger, teenage audience. I felt one of the film’s main focuses was on the marvels and possibilities of the natural world. This focus was framed through a youth-like wonder created by the beautiful landscape shots, the creation of a mysterious but beautiful underwater world, and the excitement demonstrated by the scientists. This feeling of awe was especially prominent in Kay, the female scientist. Numerous times throughout the film Kay looks off in astonishment at her surroundings, with flat light shining directly on her face (illuminating her and her eyes) while the male scientists look ahead, holding their guns. Further, the scene where the creature is swimming under Kay–but not harming her–while mimicking her swim style established a connection between Kay and the creature that the other scientists did not have. This suggested a connection between nature and femininity that contrasted male aggression and goal-oriented domination. I think the idea of masculine dominance over nature was portrayed primarily negatively, with Mark being the prime example of the harms of capitalism and Western science on nature and possibly indigenous populations. This masculine conception of science was contrasted with Kay’s amazement for and connection with the beauty of nature. In 1954, this focus on femininity and the preservation of nature in a positive light, and hegemonic masculinity in a somewhat negative light, was probably pretty controversial. Additionally, it was this generation who became young adults in the 1960s, which brought revolutionary societal changes. This suggests that they generally had a more open and liberal worldview than their parents.