Tales of Terror in Québec Popular Cinema: The Rise of the French Language Horror Film since 2000

Abstract

Before the 2000s, the horror film was virtually non-existent in Canada's Francophone film industry. Over the past decade, however, the situation has changed drastically. The recent emergence of a crop of successful French-language horror films, including Éric Tessier's Sur le seuil (2003) and 5150 Rue des Ormes (2009), Philippe Gagnon's Le Poil de la bête (2010), Daniel Roby's La Peau blanche (2004), Daniel Grou-Podz's Les 7 jours du talion (2010), Robin Aubert's Saints- Martyrs-des-Damnés (2005), Pascal Laugier's Martyrs (2008) and Jean Beaudin's Le Collectionneur (2002), manifests a multiplicity of important transformations in Québec cinema in particular, and Québec society in general. This article suggests that the Québec horror film bears witness simultaneously to: (1) the productive diversification of the industry in the province; (2) the rise of filmic adaptations of popular literature as a viable practice; (3) the development of a critical perspective towards the traditional themes of Québec culture; and (4) the creative potential of co-production. These aspects position the cinematic tale of terror as one of the most informative objects of analysis in contemporary Québec film studies.

Keywords:

• Horror Film
• popular Quebec culture
• Francophone Canadian cinema
• co-production

Notes

1. While genre purists might argue that some of these films are “tales of terror,” featuring human villains such as the serial killer of Le Collectionneur, rather than pure “horror films,” showcasing supernatural monsters such as the werewolves of Le Poil de la bête, we see no value in making such a distinction here. What matters is that all these films seek to disturb, shock and scare their audiences. This in our view is enough to categorize them under the rubric of “horror.” For a “purist” perspective on horror see Carroll (1990).

2. See http://www.telefilm.ca/files/fonds_prog /cfff_production_guidelines_french_language_market.pdf (accessed on July 2, 2012).

3. Matt Hays, “Prez points to funder's role in Quebec film renaissance,” Playback, 21 November 2005. Online version: http://playbackonline.ca/2005/11/21/chaput-20051121/.

4. The tension between monstrosity and normality has often been seen as the fundamental characteristic of horror. See Wood (1979) and Lenne (1985).

5. “Je me retrouve sur un petit chemin de campagne, sous un ciel couvert … la nervosité me gagne de plus en plus. … Je passe devant un magasin général, quelques petites maisons colorées, des piétons plutôt agés qui me regardent d'un air méfiant. … Je m'arrête et sors de mon véhicule. Le calme est total. L’église est entièrement isolée. … Une angoisse terrible me paralyse soudain. … Et j'envisage alors très sérieusement de tourner les talons et de partir. Fuir … retourner à Montréal et prendre ma retraite. Point final. Tanpis pour Roy, tant pis pour les explications.” (authors’ translation)

6. “je tourne la tête vers l’église. Elle se dresse contre le ciel noir, imposante … elle me semble terrible et menaçante. J'ai l'impression que des secrets immondes s'y trouvent camouflés et que, si j'ouvrais la porte, un flot de sang et de cadavres déferlerait jusqu’à mes pieds. … Le père Lemay (le curé du village) a raison, la vérité complète demeure dans l'ombre. … Et même si je pouvais atteindre cette vérité, serais-je capable de la recevoir?” (authors’ translation)

7. See for instance, Lessard (2003).

8. See for instance, Lessard (2003) and Bilodeau (2003).

9. For comments on the chiasm between Montreal and the regions around reasonable accommodations, see for instance, Marie Ève Mathieu (2007), Kathleen Lévesque (2007), Sébastien Rodrigue (2007).

10. The heated debates in the op-ed pages of La Presse and Le Devoir manifest the tension between students, the government and the population stuck between the two. See for instance, “La crise étudiante: des citoyens divisés,” La Presse, April 27, 2012.

11. Anonymous, “L'année 2010 au cinéma,” La Voix de l'est, December 31, 2010, 22.

12. Term coined by film critic David Edelstein in New York Magazine in reference to Hostel, from “gore” and “porno.”

13. For an insightful and thorough analysis of the film, see Gree (2011).

14. The film's premise is reminiscent of René Girard's work on violence and the sacrificial scapegoat (Girard 1972). In a nutshell, “Girard contends that human culture is founded on violence done to an innocent victim” (Hardin 1992, 108). As such, Martyrs offers a reflection on the fundamental human belief in the transcendental power of violence.

15. Shortly after Riel's execution, on November 16, 1885, the Montreal newspaper La Presse published a 96-page special issue entitled Louis Riel, martyr du Nord-Ouest: sa vie, son procès, sa mort.

16. See Lawrence Martin's comments on Bouchard's “martyr complex” (Martin 1998, 284).