John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween has long been considered a classic and a must watch by critics and horror fans alike. It is likely that the vast majority of viewers have taken the film at face value and merely consider it to be a typical “slasher”, but some would argue that there may be deeper themes.
If a random person on the street were approached and asked whether they consider Halloween to be a feminist film the proposition would likely be met with a look of confusion. I say this because I myself had that same reaction when the question was posited, but upon reflection, I do see how a viewer could come to that conclusion.
Jamie Lee Curtis’ character in the film is an example of what Kristin Lene Hole and Dijana Jelaca, authors of Film Feminisms A Global Introduction, refer to as the “final girl” trope (coined by Carol J. Clover in 1992).
The premise of the is that in many slasher/horror films it is common to find a lone female character stand up to and defeat the (male) villain when countless others have fallen victim to them. It’s for this reason that I would consider Halloween to have enough feminist elements to be considered a feminist film in some regard.
While I don’t necessarily believe John Carpenter’s explicit intentions were to create a feminist film (I believe he was primarily focused on making a great horror film), I do think that the portrayal Laurie Strode has some empowering feminist elements.
Nicks Blog 
Nick,
I like that you acknowledge the fact that many people might be shocked to think of “Halloween” as a feminist film. I definitely sympathize because when I was first asked the question, it seemed so random and obviously false. Laurie Strode does appear to be a “Final Girl” in that she survives and overpowers Michael Myers, but her strength tends to be overshadowed most of the time. Each time she “kills” Myers, she collapses in fear and opens herself up to further attacks instead of acting rationally and either ensuring that Myers is truly dead or leaving to get help. Also, Myers’ final “defeat” (even though he ultimately escapes) comes at the hands of a man while Laurie cowers on the floor. I do see how an argument could be made to perceive “Halloween” as a feminist film, but personally I disagree.
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Hi Nick! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I don’t personally see how Halloween is a feminist film, but I see how you can think that! Despite the fact that she lives, I think the way that the other women in the film are treated is very telling. Also, Michael Meyers lives. I think the fact that the film does not pass the Bechdel Test (there is not a single conversation in the film that is between two women regarding anything other than men) also shows that the film isn’t feminist, but I love having discourse on it.
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