Cruesoe's Horror

In May this year, I brought you an article called "Zompires" (http://damienkane.blogspot.com/2008/05/zompires.html) which essentially discussed the synergy of zombies and vampires in the movies, their presence as archetypal horror figures, and the recent splurge of movies that have capitalised on this new creation of zombie-vampire. This article takes it a step further.

These movies have not only the zompire dichotomy as its fulcrum bad guy, but many also have what I call the Cruesoe Complex, where one or a handful of characters have found themselves in the unlikely situation of much of the world's population dying, being turned into monsters, or contracting a plague. Movies, such as I Am Legend, The Omega Man, Undead, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Resident Evil Trilogy and others in my previous article, all give the Cruesoe factor. Being stranded on a desert island may have its horrors, but when that island is a world (or city) populated by various types of the undead, it adds a further level of complexity to the character's development.

This development isn't complex, and is simply a survival mechanism to ensure the continuation of life, but one person against a world of unworldly creatures has an interesting twist, such as the novel I Am Legend, one of the best endings of a horror novel you'll read. Richard Matheson's character, Robert Neville, entertains the fact that it isn't the vampires that are the monsters, but himself, in their world, and he is the outsider. The Omega Man, a movie based on the novel, drives home this Cruesoe Complex of being alone and developing the character in many ways. It is interesting to watch as Neville has to overcome two years of solitude to make the ultimate sacrifice for one of these creatures. More recently, Will Smith's perfect role in I Am Legend (very loosely based on the novel!) brings a new dimension to the classic tale taking pivotal information from the novel and the movie, synergising the Cruesoe Complex and the idea of the Zompire, to become one of my favourite all-time movies. The transition from novel to The Omega Man took the form of a plague, then back to a vampiric zombie creature. Each of them held me interested in the plot and the characters.

The origins of Cruesoe can be traced back to the novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan (Alive, Son of Wake) in the early parts of the 12th century, and may have in fact inspired the Robinson Cruesoe novel (first published in 1719). It is apt that recent movies that display the traits of vampires and zombies, as Defoe was a devout Christian, but like I Am Legend, a common moral of the story has to be about cultural acceptance. Although Cruesoe ultimately accepts these differences, most movies don't, instead, try and find solutions to repair the world and murder those promoting anti social behaviour. But, does the world need repairing?

Another movie, slightly off-topic but central to this discussion, is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (and, can you believe, most recently The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman). It uses the identical definitions with the slant that instead of being alone in the world, you're alone in a crowd of 'alien' beings who are seeking the same cultural formalities as the aforementioned novel and films. Again, their social outlook is that humanity needed to be saved from themselves. Interesting. The symbology uses in all the films are near identical. Where Cruesoe holds on to hopes such as sinking ships and the prospect of companionship, so does all our other movies. For example, in I Am Legend, the sinking ship appears to be the prospect of a cure and the companionship of a dog. In 28 Days Later, it is the prospect of a fortress and the ensuing company (that sinks like the ship), the movie 28 Weeks Later is a little darker, but uses the same method as the first. Invasion of the Body snatchers is where the character must stay awake, as well as holding on to their loved ones for comfort. The sinking ship takes the form of either falling to sleep, or losing a loved one to sleep.

There are myriads of horror films that not only use an archetypal horror, or a cross-genre idea, but also the idea of being alone which in the horror genre itself, is nothing new. Combining various aspects of loneliness does have its surprises, and is deeply ingrained in our beloved genre.

Yes, the world is full of Cruesoe's horror, and with a sprinkling of sinking ships of reason and falling companions, a generous portion of anti-social behaviour coupled with yearning for companionship has made me a happy viewer!