John Carpenter’s The
Thing (1982) introduces a new civilization based in a desolate area (it
definitely isn’t Eden). The use of extreme long shots outside the base
illustrates the total isolation in which these men live—it’s a white abyss. The
first person to interact with, to intrude upon, this small sector of
civilization is greeted with reciprocal hostility. Because he is viewed as a
threat, he is instantly killed. This leads to questions of the ethics of those
in this newfangled civilization. Accusations of murder occur in the film, but
they’re met with indifference. Has the environment altered the way in which
this new civilization approaches ethics? It appears as if the civilization
resorts to primal behavior as a means of survival. In “Cinema’s Darkest Vision:
Looking into the Void in John Carpenter’s The
Thing (1982)”, Heather Addison claims the film “deconstructs human
existence, reducing it to an irresolvable uncertainty.” She continues by
claiming The Thing provides discourse
concerning Reagan-era masculinity and fears within a patriarchal society.
However, this argument, while convincing (there are plenty of points I agree with), gives me bouts of déjà vu. I will approach The Thing with a feminist lens, but I
will be using Donna Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto” for my argument (I’m aware
that it will be difficult to apply this essay to a group of hypermasculine men,
but some people…or things…want to watch the world burn).
In her essay, Haraway claims that the cyborg, a hybrid of
human and machine, erases binaries (e.g. humans and nature, male and female,
etc.), which were created through social constructs. Throughout the film, the
men interact with various technologies within the base, and these technologies
are utilized on a daily basis. Radios, helicopters, television, computers, and the
other technologies required for work on the base influence the activities of
the men. However, MacReady and his handling of the flamethrower convey a visual
representation of a human-machine hybrid. Through his consistent use of and
reliance on the flamethrower, MacReady has an intimate connection with the
object—they become one. The binary of gender has been eradicated on the base,
due mostly in part to the absence of female characters. The woman on the poster
seen on the base has become an artifact of a previous civilization, one that
emphasized binaries. Despite the shelter needed for the civilization to thrive,
the divide between human and nature has been blurred. MacReady’s appearance
reflects his surroundings when he is locked outside the base. His hair is
covered in white snowflakes, and his skin tone has changed to a cool hue. He
embodies the elements of the Antarctic. Dead, charred bodies become a part of
the landscape. The texture and color of their remains personify the rocky
cliffs the camera captures while following helicopters. The victims of the
Thing also present evidence of binary erasure between human and animal, because
it attacks and embodies both types of lifeforms.
Other than being viewed as a threat to the lives of the men
on the base, the Thing is also a threat to the non-binary system that has been
created on the base. The Thing appears to be intersex: it has a “castrating
vagina” and phallic tentacles—it could itself be viewed as a manifestation of
the sexually non-binary. However, it still threatens the cyborg civilization
because it assumes the appearance other lifeforms, taking what was cyborg and
making it wholly itself. The threat imposed by this creature results in
paranoia and unrest amongst the men. Its existence creates a binary between the
men-cum-cyborgs and itself, a binary that is quite literally destructive to
this new civilization.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this analysis and thought you made some really solid points. The flamethrower was really striking to me, as well. Thinking of the "thing" as an almost purely reproductive being, both in its spreading of itself and reproducing of shapes, then the flamethrower almost seems to be the human equivalent of that in this film. MacReady and the gang spray it pretty willy nilly, though its use is more to maintain current life rather than create more. I also really liked your point concerning MacReady's arctic appearance, as I hadn't considered the thematic implications of that change in aesthetic. Nice post!