This paper will analyze how George A. Romero’s Martin (1978) deconstructs the typical patriarchal “Van Helsing” character—a common figure in vampire narratives—to represent how hegemonic masculinity was challenged throughout the 1970s. Throughout the history of horror fiction, vampires have represented “the Other” that threatens the dominant ideological structure of Western society. Conventional vampire narratives traditionally conclude with the vampiric Other being eradicated by a (typically male) “Van Helsing” character as a means of asserting patriarchal masculine authority. However, this theme was challenged in horror cinema throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
With the rise of postmodernism during the counterculture movement, many 1970s horror texts revised the genre’s traditional conventions. One of the many texts that demonstrates this notion is the pseudo vampire film Martin. While past horror scholars like Robin Wood and Tony Williams have analyzed Martin in relation to its themes of sexuality and socioeconomic class, less attention has been given to the text’s portrayal of masculine anxieties that emerged throughout this decade. Through progressive movements like second-wave feminism, LGBT rights, and affirmative action, the 1970s saw many challenges to the white, heterosexual patriarchal structure that dominates Western culture. This era represents one of the many historical examples of “masculinity in crisis.”
In Martin, the decade’s masculine anxieties are manifested in the character Tateh Cuda (Lincoln Maazel), a patriarch who attempts to eradicate Martin’s (John Amplas) supposed vampirism with the aid of Christianity. Yet unlike the conventional “Van Helsing” character, Cudah’s actions are largely unsuccessful which indicates his loss of masculine authority. Furthermore, Cudah’s patriarchal status is threatened by his nephew’s metaphorical homosexuality and his granddaughter, Christina’s (Christine Forrest), emerging sense of independence. Ultimately, Martin uses Cuda’s character as a deconstruction of the traditional “Van Helsing” figure in order to indicate how hegemonic masculinity was challenged throughout this decade.
About the presenterCain Edward Miller
Cain Miller is a Lecturer in Film Studies at Texas A&M University. He holds an M.A. in Popular Film and Media Studies from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. in Media Arts from the University of North Texas. His research primarily focuses on gender studies with particular emphasis placed on the portrayals of masculinity in film and media. He specializes in the horror genre, cult films, and exploitation cinema.