The Gothic aesthetic and the Gothic subculture

In his essay "Unsolved Mysteries: Gothic Tales from Frankenstein to the Hair-Eating Doll," Christoph Grunenberg discusses the resurgence of, what he calls, a "Gothic" sensibility in contemporary art and culture. According to Grunenberg, such a Gothic sensibility is comprised of "the desire to be entertained, challenged, shocked and to indulge the most intense extremes of delight and terror" (Grunenberg, p. 211). This resurgence extends from high art to pop culture and can hardly be denied given all the examples he presents. Sex, crime, murder and the supernatural have become some of the most popular categories in mainstream entertainment creating an often grotesque aesthetic with examples ranging from the films of David Cronenberg and David Lynch, to television shows like the X-Files, to the pop-culture obsession with serial killers and murderers.
This Gothic resurgence stems from "a true fin de siecle spirit of cultural pessimism and spiritual malaise [that] permeates society today" (Grunenberg, p. 208). Ironically, as cultural pessimism is strengthened, so is the conservative need to erase such a state of immorality by trying to create a uniform society of common ideals and beliefs. Even more ironically, history has proven that the more restrictive these conservative means, the greater the fascination with the unknown or the "Gothic."
I bring up these points made by Grunenberg to distinguish between the commercialization of a Gothic sensibility or aesthetic, and the commercialization of the Gothic subculture. This is a distinction that Grunenberg does not make, although he does mention the Gothic subculture, claiming it predates the Gothic revival by ten years but has become mass marketable with the Gothic revival. Just how much of the subculture has been assimilated by mainstream culture is unclear, since Grunenberg discusses only the Gothic sensibility which can cover aesthetic movements like expressionism, dadaism and surrealism that are only remotely related to the Gothic subculture as it exists today. He does give a few examples of aspects of the subculture itself that have been assimilated into mainstream culture such as Gothic fashions (black clothes, white makeup, etc.) making its way into, for example, the world of runway modeling. It is, however, unclear just how mainstream the world of runway modeling is and (albeit with some exceptions) we have yet to see a wide range of Gothic fashions make their way into major clothing outlets. If anything, the terribly inaccurate portrayal of the Gothic subculture following the school shootings at Columbine show that the subculture has yet to be assimilated to the point where what it represents is generally understood.
So it seems that some aspects of the Gothic subculture have been assimilated, perhaps diluting their original emphasis, but because the subculture is such a heterogeneous, ever-expanding world and its individual members so set on self-definition it seems to be more alive (or to be truly Goth I should say undead) than many of its sibling and ancestral subcultures (like punk).

The Gothic Literary Tradition

I made the distinction between a Goth aesthetic and the Goth subculture in order to focus more directly on the subculture. I will discuss how the Gothic subculture appropriates aspects of literary and filmic narrative fiction in order to create a social self-image. The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, written by Horace Walpole in 1764, is generally considered the first English Gothic novel. Though the "Gothic" in its title was meant to signify "medieval," "rude" and "barbarous" the work did have a few defining thematic and stylistic factors that were to be used among early Gothic novels. Such factors included (and can still be seen in modern Gothic expression) a fascination with antiquarianism and the sensational and subversive nature of the content matter. (Stuprich, p. 64) The haunted castle was also crucial to the early Gothic novel. The castle commonly represented history and family tradition and its haunted nature represented the repressed and hidden evils committed by one's forefathers or oneself, evils to which secret passages leading to burial vaults and lined with flickering candles and fluttering bats provide us passage to. "In short, the Gothic novel evokes the weight of the past" (Stuprich, p. 66). The Gothic story also suggests that reality may be broader and more tangled than we tend to think. Often this is achieved through supernatural elements or through ambiguity over whether what one is experiencing is a dream or reality.
The Gothic literary tradition has always been suspicious of religion, often casting monks or priests as the ghoulish villains, but the American Gothic tradition stems directly from a Puritan background and the paradoxes of religion; "the loving, paternal God and His son Jesus are nonetheless willful tyrants; "good" is inextricably bound up with the capacity to punish" (Stuprich, p. 94). Of the American Gothic writers, Edgar Allan Poe is by far the most recognized and accepted within the Gothic subculture. In a resurgence of interest in the past and a common fascination with the morbid and forbidden, the Gothic subculture began to take intense interest in Gothic literature and the films that followed in that tradition. The interest even affected stylistic choices for portions of the subculture, which began incorporating 18th century-like clothing into the Gothic subculture. Another interesting connection between literary tradition and subculture is the important role of women. The Gothic subculture is much more feminized than most other subcultures and has a strong female contingent. Likewise, Gothic literature has had a strong association with women as readers and writers (Ann Radcliff, Mary Shelly and Joyce Carol Oates to name a few). The second wave of European Gothic novels is also popular among the Gothic subculture, particularly Bram Stoker's Dracula, which removed the Gothic tradition from historical settings and placed the tale in contemporary times. Dracula was published in 1897, roughly the same time that cinema was being explored as a new medium. Is it any wonder then that so many films based on Dracula have been made?

Goth films in the literary tradition

"The genre of Gothic horror film has existed almost as long as the cinema itself, and it has always fascinated people. As the definition above suggests, the word can be loosely used to define any horror story with suitable settings, but such themes as disturbing dreams, desperate, undying love and melancholic romanticisation of death are also usually important in Gothic cinema" (Nayha).
Many of the aspects of Gothic literature discussed above inevitably influenced cinema, both in style and in story, as we can see from Universal Pictures' adaptations of classic Gothic novels like Frankenstein and Dracula. Such films were influenced not only by Gothic novels, but by German expressionist films of the silent era as well.

The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1919) ignored the Gothic tradition of historical settings, instead employing surreal and expressionist sets while still focusing on common Goth thematic elements like dreams, madness, love and evil. Caligari's style has since influenced filmmakers as diverse as James Whale, Kenneth Anger and Tim Burton (who just so happens to be currently working on a Caligari remake) . Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922) was also a major influence on latter Gothic and horror films, especially latter vampire films since it was the first film adaptation of the novel Dracula.
In the 1930s, the horror film began to gain popularity in America as films like Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931) and Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935) became critical and commercial hits. Influenced heavily by German expressionism in terms of visual design and lighting, these films (and their German ancestors) were extremely important in defining the Gothic subculture in its early days due largely to the subculture's emphasis on adopting things from the past and largely on the (glam-inspired) importance of camp. In fact, Frankenstein's sequel The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935) introduced a high-camp humor element to the Gothic horror film that would go on to influence a genre of films called "black comedies" like An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981). The impact of old horror films on the Gothic subculture can be seen in the Bauhaus song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" about the actor famous for his role as Dracula in the 1931 film. Although it was originally written as a joke, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" has been adopted as something of a Goth anthem.
The success of Universal's horror films spawned legions of imitators, including modern versions of their source materials such as Bram Stoker's Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992) and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (Kenneth Brannagh, 1994). Dracula (and vampires in general) has had an enormous influence on film, inspiring countless films like Great Britain's legendary Hammer Films, which remade classic horror tales in the 60's and 70's. The Gothic subculture has also embraced more modern vampire films like Interview With The Vampire (Neil Jordan, 1994), which is based on Anne Rice's extremely popular vampire novels. The Gothic subculture has always had a strong interest in vampires to the point where one of the few films to emerge from the subculture (as opposed to merely accepted by it) was the vampire movie The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983), featuring David Bowie and a performance by Bauhaus. However, the vampire subculture has become an entity in-and-of itself and is in many ways distinct from the Gothic subculture.
Gothic film is often a very loose definition considering the genre's close relation to horror films. Although both genres deal with similar themes of death, repressed urges and experimentation with/violation of body surfaces, films with a Gothic sensibility usually share similar stylistic elements with early Gothic novels. Whether or not they should be considered Gothic, films like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986) and Brian de Palma's Carrie (1976) play an important role in removing the hidden terrors from remote, historical castles and placing them in our everyday lives…in our motels, in our homes and even in our selves. However, although horror films in general are popular within the Gothic subculture, in order for them to be really important they need some aspect of the subculture in them, whether it is the appearance of Bauhaus in The Hunger or the hero's look in The Crow (Alex Proyas, 1994).

Fantasy & Escape

"According to French director Francois Truffaut, the history of cinema follows two lines of descent, one deriving from Lumiere and basically realistic, and the other deriving from Melies and involving the creation of fantasy" (Nowell-Smith, p. 312).
As I stated in the history of Goth section, the Gothic subculture has always had a large degree of escapism in contrast to punk's political messages. One of the major impacts of glitter rock culture on the Gothic subculture was the ideal of escape from the real world. In The Oxford History of World Cinema, Vivian Sobchak divides films that involve the creation of fantasy into three categories, all of which have some importance to the Gothic subculture; horror (which we already discussed), science fiction (which we'll look at in the next section) and fantasy adventure. From this point of view it is not difficult to see the Gothic subculture's fascination with fantasy films, although many films that Sobchak considers fantasy do not factor in the subculture. Firstly, to contain Gothic sensibilities they must deal with some of Goth's common thematic issues. Secondly, like horror films, in order to be part of the Gothic subculture they must embrace some elements of the subculture. A good example of this is Labyrinth, which (like The Hunger) co-stars David Bowie as the Goblin King.
Also very popular in the Gothic subculture are the fantasy worlds of Tim Burton who's Edward Scissorhands (1990) has strong ties to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Frankenstein. We feel sympathy towards the character of Edward (Johnny Deep) much as we do for Frankenstein's monster, and as Edward is shunned from society he must find a place for himself outside of society, just as many Goths believe they must do. The look of Edward (a white face, wild black hair and Gothic black outfit) only strengthens the connections Goths have with him.

Another Burton film, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), is a stop-motion animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy about Jack, the king of the land of Halloween, and his newfound infatuation with Christmas. Films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Labyrinth and the Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal (1982) provide an almost childlike, and sometimes-humorous contrast to the genres of Gothic horror or Gothic sci-fi. Although there still exists some dark subject matter in such films, it is dealt with in a manner that suggests a longing of lost innocence that underlies the Gothic fascination with the morbid. "Fantasy narratives are driven by the act of wishing…wish fulfillment [is] both its interim problem and its happy solution" (Nowell-Smith, p. 315). In many ways, the Gothic fascination with fantasy suggests a wish or desire for a lost age of innocence.
The Gothic fascination with fantasy transcends film alone, and has strong representation in the comic book series The Sandman. Written by Neil Gaiman, The Sandman stories focus on a family of godlike beings called the Endless and their interactions with humanity. Gaiman's stories are drawn from many sources including folklore, fairy tales and Shakespeare. Unlike the wish-filled fantasy films mentioned above, The Sandman tends to be more intellectual and adult-orientated. The Sandman creates a new mythology (or reminds us of old ones) in a modern world where mythology is lacking. Although The Sandman has become one of the most praised and popular comic series of all time, it has particular importance in the Gothic subculture, especially the character of Death, sister of Dream (a.k.a The Sandman). Death is portrayed as a young woman with spiky black hiar, black clothes and an ahnk (a symbol for life in an example of irony) around her neck. In short, Gaiman has taken the Gothic notion of romanticizing death one step further by actually making her a cute (and fun!) Goth female. Since The Sandman other comic books have become very important in the Gothic subculture. Most of these, like Oh My Goth! and Johnny, The Homicidal Maniac, actually poke fun at the subculture but a few titles like Gloom Cookie follow the Gothic tradition of an interest in fantasy.

Distopian Futures

What separates Gothic sci-fi films from films like Star Wars is that Gothic sci-fi's tend to represent distopian futures. Arising from what Grunenberg describes as a time of cultural pessimism and spiritual malaise, it is no wonder that many modern films with Gothic sensibilities depict distopian futures. "Entertainment has replaced religion and ideology as the primary source of moral guidance and for representations of evil" (Grunenberg, p. 201). The confines of the Gothic castle have expanded to the Gothic city and the repressed evils of mad monks have become the Orwellian nightmare of Big Brother. Films from Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1929) to Blade Runner (Ridely Scott, 1982) present their viewers with a future to be feared, but the main component that separates Gothic distopian future films is their look, rejecting sterile and antiseptic environments and accepting "the eternal night of desolate megalopolises" (Grunenberg, p. 198). In short, the future becomes a mess of influences. It is at once organic yet technological, as in the juxtapositions of human and machine in Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gilliam, 1996). It references the past yet is like nothing we've ever seen before, for example Gotham City in Batman (Tim Burton, 1989). Monsters have changed along with their surroundings and are no longer contained in clean boxes with blinking lights like HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968). Instead Gothic monsters are new-age Frankenstein's, seemingly part organic and part technological like the creature in Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979).
Once again, a film must have other Goth aspects for it to play an important role within the Gothic subculture…it must contain elements of the subculture. For example, distopian futures like The Crow, Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998) or Batman make direct references to subculture through the wardrobes and appearance of the main heroes or villains. Other films, like The City of Lost Children (Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1995) mix horror, sci-fi and fantasy into hybrid forms and receive recognition within the subculture that way. We can see now why The Crow remains one of the most popular films within the Gothic subculture. It contains Gothic style (in the subculture sense) as its hero wears whiteface makeup and black clothes. It is thematically Gothic (in the literary sense) as it deals with themes of love and revenge beyond death. It is a hybrid of horror, fantasy and distopian future sci-fi, and finally returns to the stylistic roots of German expressionism as represented in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

We have seen how work can have a Gothic sensibility and how such work connects to the Gothic subculture. Although the work that can be placed under the term "Gothic" ranges vastly in many aspects, it is connected by a number of sensibilities including "a particularly modern preoccupation with boundaries and their collapse…[and] multiple interpretations and a plurality of locations of cultural resistance" (Grunenberg, p. 89). We have also seen how essential the idea of self-definition through assimilation of past styles is to the Gothic subculture. The genres of fantastic films (horror, sci-fi and fantasy) are also "concerned with the limits of knowledge and with the imaginative making, unmaking, and remaking of worlds and human identities" (Nowell-Smith, p. 316).