1. Universiteit Antwerpen
Universiteit Antwerpen
Ken Lawrence
Ken Lawrence
Contemporary Film Auteurs
Contemporary Film Auteurs
Master in de Filmstudies en Beeldcultuur Prof. dr. M. Andrin
Master in de Filmstudies en Beeldcultuur Prof. dr. M. Andrin

3. Universiteit Antwerpen
Universiteit Antwerpen
Ken Lawrence
Ken Lawrence
Contemporary Film Auteurs
Contemporary Film Auteurs
Master in de Filmstudies en Beeldcultuur Prof. dr. M. Andrin
Master in de Filmstudies en Beeldcultuur Prof. dr. M. Andrin

4. Table of contents
Table of contents ........................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2
Chapter 1: Simulacrum............................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2: Deconstruction.......................................................................................................... 5
2.1.Deconstruction of identity:............................................................................................... 5
2.2.Deconstruction of language:............................................................................................. 6
Chapter 3: Reversal of roles ....................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 4: Synesthesia ............................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 5: The relativity of the narrative:................................................................................ 10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................ 11
Bibliography............................................................................................................................. 13
Filmography ............................................................................................................................. 13
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5. Introduction
Haute Tension’s release in 2003 intrigued many, baffled even more and became director
Alexandre Aja’s showcase to move his work from France to Hollywood. Although its visuals
were gritty and the story surely bloody enough for even the hardened horror and slasher film
fan, many disregarded the twist at the end of the film as entirely unnecessary.
However, I believe this particular ending is absolutely vital to the story and not merely a
‘clever’ afterthought. It is precisely because of the way Aja chose to end his film that in this
paper I can analyse the various postmodern aspects of Haute Tension.
Using the material discussed during the course ‘Contemporary Film Auteurs’, I will start with
the concept of the simulacrum. How does Alexandra Aja’s film appear to be a complete
fabrication? Why is this important for the storyline?
Secondly I will discuss the central idea of deconstruction. What can we say about the identity
of the killer? How does schizophrenia play an important role in Haute Tension? Do we find
the postmodern theme of deconstruction of language in this film?
The third part deals with the blurring of boundaries between masculinity and femininity which
we can observe in Haute Tension. How are traditional roles reversed in the film? What is the
impact of the female character’s sexual desire?
A short chapter is devoted to synesthesia. Are there instances in which Aja wants the viewer
to feel certain sensations?
In the final part I will discuss the relativity of the narrative and how its open ending is entirely
postmodern.
Throughout the text I will make parallels with the films discussed throughout the course of
‘Contemporary Film Auteurs’.
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6. Chapter 1: Simulacrum
The first aspect of postmodernism I will discuss is that of the simulacrum which points to the
artificial creation of the film and its constructed nature. Near the end of Haute Tension – in a
Night Shyamalan-type moment – it becomes clear to the viewer that almost the complete film,
has been a fabrication. In fact, one could find ample evidence that the entire film tells a story
which has been constructed by Marie. Marie’s obvious feelings towards Alexia are not
answered so she creates a fantasy in which a deranged killer enters the house, kills all of
Alexia’s relatives ( perhaps because they would not have approved of a relationship between
Marie and Alexia ) and kidnaps Alexia. Marie then becomes the hero-figure who defeats the
‘killer’ and thereby captures the heart of Alexia.
The first time I saw the film I was inclined to say that everything up to the arrival of the killer
really happened and everything afterwards – up to the discovery by the police officer of the
security camera footage – was a fabrication by Marie. However, after reviewing the film I
have the impression that, as it starts with a dream sequence, it could be possible that with the
exception of the police officer’s discovery everything was a simulacrum.
The revelation at the end puts many events in perspective. Haute Tension therefore warrants a
second viewing of the film in which the viewer pays particular attention to what, how and
why the various sequences are depicted. It is then possible to discern how Marie constructs
her fantasy. Nevertheless Haute Tension is not quite as postmodern in this aspect as for
example Dogville by Lars Von Trier. The viewer cannot mistake Dogville for reality. It is
clear that it is fully manipulated on the level of the narrative and its construction is entirely
exposed. In Haute Tension on the other hand the audience is unaware for a long time of the
fact that they are watching a simulation. Only at the end of the film does this become clear.
With regard to the simulacrum in Haute Tension there is also a clear parallel with aspects of
the work of Peter Greenaway as described by James Park. During the course we read the
following quote: “behind all of Greenaway’s work is a postmodernist sense that narrative
structures of chronological succession and logical cause and effect are false to the essentially
chaotic and problematic nature of subjective experience, and that the patterns we discern in
experience are wholly illusory”.
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7. In my opinion this could very well be applied to Alexandre Aja’s film too. Critics sometimes
argue that there are large gaps in the narrative which are not explained. They point for
example to the weird vehicle the ‘killer’ drives and the sports car Marie gets her hands on.
These critics are apparently unwilling to accept that the film does not need to explain
everything simply because what the viewer sees is a fabrication, a fantasy we become a part
of through the subjective experience of Marie.
It is interesting to note that although not as surreal as much of David Lynch’s work, Haute
Tension does share some characteristics with his work, mainly the dream-like sequences.
At the very beginning of the film the viewer sees Marie, hurt and bleeding and running away
from something. She stops a car and asks the driver for help. Then Marie wakes up and we
realize she was only having a nightmare. Later in the film, the killing-spree starts after Marie
has fallen asleep. The events after that have a nightmarish feeling to them and one of the final
sequences in the film enhances the dream-like aspects of much of the narration: as Alexia tries
to escape from Marie we see the same scene as at the beginning of the film but now Alexia is
the victim who desperately attempts to stop a car in order to escape from a maniac killer.
Even stranger is the fact that both the car and the driver are the same as in Marie’s dream.
This echoes the idea of the a-logical dream in much of Lynch’s work.
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8. Chapter 2: Deconstruction
The fact that what the viewer for a long time believes to be true is only the ‘truth’ from
Mary’s point of view has already been discussed above. In this part of the paper about
deconstruction, the main idea in postmodernism, I will discuss two aspects: deconstruction of
identity and deconstruction of language. Moreover I will show how Aja achieves
deconstruction and will offer various explanations as to its purpose.
2.1.Deconstruction of identity:
As we have discussed in the course, identity in postmodern film is built physically,
psychologically and socially. In this context it is important to examine the identity of Marie
and the killer she has created. We clearly have a case of subject fragmentation, which is
undeniably one of the main elements of Haute Tension. Schizophrenia is very important in
postmodern cinema. Torn apart subjects often structure the film and in Haute Tension this
kind of character tells us the whole story and misleads us.
Marie’s physical identity is that of a young, sleek woman with short-cropped hair. It is
difficult to say much about her social identity as we get no information about her home
situation, where she comes from and so forth. She gets along fine with her friend Alexia
whom she seems to have known for some considerable amount of time. She is invited to
spend a holiday on Alexia’s parents’ farm. Marie’s attitude shows that she is not really
interested in Alexia’s parents but she is nevertheless intrigued to see where Alexia spent her
childhood. Naturally it is Marie’s psychological identity which is the main focus of the film. It
is undeniably her sexual desire towards Alexia which triggers her fantasy-killings. Marie
appears unstable and focused completely on gaining her friend’s love. To achieve this she
creates a new identity for herself which she externalizes in the form of an ugly, dirty, white
male killer stalking Alexia’s family. The viewer does not get to know a lot about his identity
during the course of the film. He seems to be a vicious brute who has done this kind of thing
before.
I would like to draw two parallels with films we have discussed in the course, The Piano and
eXistenZ. In The Piano from Jane Campion we also have the theme of a fragmentation of
identity. This fragmentation continues until the end of the film in which two opposite
elements – life and death – come together in what is called an oxymoron. In The Piano, Ada
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9. McGrath maybe wanted to die and this feeling pervades the ending of Haute Tension too.
Another oxymoron which is present at the end of Aja’s film is that of danger and security:
although Marie has been locked up, her intention of reaching out and getting at Alexia still
seems to be lying under the surface.
In eXistenZ from David Cronenberg we can also find a demultiplication of personalities such
as the one which takes place in Haute Tension. In eXistenZ this is mainly the effect of
switching from one level of representation to another throughout the course of the game
which Allegra Geller and Ted Pikul play. Besides the parallel revolving around multiple
personalities there is another link between these films which I find worth pointing out. In
eXistenZ the story deals with a new kind of electronic game which creates a hyper-realistic
experience for the players yet still responds to the design elements of much of the games we
know today, such as for example progress in the game being subjected to asking the correct
questions to non-player characters. Throughout Haute Tension I could not rid myself of the
feeling that its structure also closely resembles that of contemporary electronic games. Marie
has not only created a fantasy for herself, but also a challenge. This challenge consists of
various levels: first she needs to hide from the killer. Secondly she needs to pursue the killer
without getting caught. Finally she needs to defeat him in a battle for life or death. If she
succeeds she will win the heart of Alexia but failure means ‘Game Over’, no chance of ever
being together with her.
When academics study the relationship between games and film they tend to focus on
audiovisual elements whereas often it is the structure, the design of games and their goal-
orientation which influences films. I think Haute Tension is a nice example of how challenges
from a variety of games seem to be incorporated into the fabric of the narration which is – just
as with electronic games – the result of a subjective fantasy which a person experiences.
After the deconstruction of identity we now turn our attention to the deconstruction of
language and its meaning.
2.2.Deconstruction of language:
In analyzing postmodern films we should pay attention to the relationship with language
expressed in the film. Traditionally man dominates language and therefore can be regarded as
holding the power. One of the common characteristics of postmodern cinema is the fact that
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10. this white, male view of the world is countered. Postmodern cinema clearly gives a voice to
female characters. These characters then provide a counterpoint to the traditional male
dominance.
This description definitely applies to Haute Tension. It cannot be a coincidence that in
Marie’s twisted fantasy the killer stalking the house is a white man. Moreover, if he does not
kill people he ties them up so they are unable to speak. As the killer turns up at the doorstep of
Alexia’s family, dialogue becomes almost entirely absent in the film. This is a sign that
language cannot help us understand the events. Marie does not speak anymore and the only
character who through speaking could tell us the exact nature of the events which are
unfolding is Alexia but she has her mouth tied shut by the killer. He tries to subdue women
from speaking and thus establishes his dominance over them. Even in the disturbing opening
sequence with the severed head we see that the killer finds gratification in preventing women
from speaking.
For Marie this killer represents everything she has to fight against: not only the dominant
white male view of society, but also the fact that he could be someone Alexia sexually prefers
to Marie. Marie then sets out to deconstruct this notion of white male dominance. She
attempts to destroy the killer, let Alexia regain her capacity to speak and thereby hopes that
she will acknowledge and answer Marie’s love for her.
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11. Chapter 3: Reversal of roles
There is a very clear reversal of roles in Haute Tension. Even before we learn the truth we are
confronted with a powerful female character, Marie, who does not give up on her friend and
dares to confront the maniac who slaughtered Alexia’s family. After the (in)famous twist at
the end of the film the Marie-character shifts from hero to killer, but that makes her equally
strong, perhaps even stronger.
Haute Tension clearly incorporates the postmodern aspect of blurring boundaries between
masculinity and femininity. In Marie’s fantasy the killer is male, but she is in fact the killer.
Moreover Aja’s film not only has a female centered narrative, but also incorporates and
underlines the sexual desire of the main female character. This is clear when we see Marie spy
on Alexia while she undresses. Later Marie masturbates, an event which triggers the main
narrative constructed around Marie’s fantasy.
When discussing the films of Jane Campion such as The Piano and Holy Smoke we saw how
she often has a narrative with a female-centered character and her sexual desire. In general her
films feature complex female characters who are more often than not masochistic and
voyeuristic. The parallel with the Marie-character in Haute Tension is crystal-clear. There are
in fact even more voyeuristic elements in the course of the film. One obvious example is the
way Marie hides in a clothes cupboard and watches Alexia’s mother being killed. This
voyeuristic sequence seems to literally refer to the famous scene in David Lynch’s Blue
Velvet.
After the brief discussion about the reversal of roles the next part deals with another element
commonly associated with postmodern cinema: synesthesia.
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12. Chapter 4: Synesthesia
Synesthesic cinema means that the viewer is expected to feel certain physical impressions
while watching the film. We discussed its prevalence in Jane Campion’s films where she
wants the viewer to feel and smell certain things.
According to me it is one of the most important elements in Haute Tension. Director
Alexandre Aja really wants us to feel the continuous tension. We are perhaps misled by the
way the events are depicted, but the fright and terror are very intensely conveyed to the
viewer. Moreover there is a lot of emphasis – mainly through the use of close-ups – on certain
objects. The killer’s scalpel is a very clear example. Close-ups of scars and wounds also add
to the synesthesic element of the film.
There are other instances where the touch is equally important. In the beginning of the film
for example as Alexia fools Marie in the cornfield the viewer can truly feel the leaves and the
wind as Marie – disorientated – tries to find her friend back. Another example is when the
killer pushes the doorbell repeatedly. Later in the film Marie takes a wooden stick with barbed
wire at the top of it and turns it around a few times in her hand. As a viewer we get the
sensation that we can feel its weight, its texture and how it seems a powerful club to attack the
killer with.
For the final part of this paper we now turn our attention to the ending of the film and the lack
of closure of the narrative.
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13. Chapter 5: The relativity of the narrative:
When analyzing the end of many postmodern films we saw how they are often characterized
by open endings. It appears that there is no logical way to end the narrative. At the end of
Haute Tension we see Alexia fleeing from Marie and stopping a car. This is the same car,
driven by the same person as the one in Marie’s dream at the beginning of the film. It is
unclear if what we are seeing is ‘real’ or is still part of Marie’s ongoing fantasy, her fabricated
version of what has happened. Furthermore the fact that it are the same car and driver as in
Marie’s dream is also not logical.
The final sequence of the film shows Marie strapped tight in a straight jacket, most likely in a
lunatic asylum. Alexia looks at her through one way glass and both the viewer as well as
Alexia feel safer now that Marie is locked up. However…Marie lashes out in the general
direction of Alexia, signaling that she has not forgotten about her and can find her whenever
she pleases. As I already said above: the ending obviously contains an oxymoron, particularly
that of danger and security.
The Piano by Jane Campion also shows the relativity of the narrative and stresses the need to
be skeptical about happy endings. We have also seen this type of relative ending in The Ring
from Hideo Nakata. The main character knows she is saved, but on the other hand realizes the
horror of the fact that the deadly film will spread throughout the world.
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14. Conclusion
The aim of this paper was to give an overview of the various elements of postmodernism
which are most apparent in the film Haute Tension. Crucial to this analysis is off course the
ending of the film which echoes that of for example The Usual Suspects: at the end the person
who tells the story is exposed as a liar. Just as we identify ourselves as viewers with Roger
‘Verbal’ Kint we do the same with the Marie-character of Haute Tension. It comes as a huge
surprise that the terrible ordeal she has gone through appears to be a psychotic fantasy she has
created.
This twist has the result of embedding the film with a postmodern touch. First of all it leads us
to question exactly which events truly transpired and what was a fabrication by Marie.
Distinguishing these parts does not appear to be so easy as there are enough arguments to
support the belief that practically the entire film is viewed from the subjective stance of
Marie. Nevertheless we have to acknowledge that the simulacrum aspect of Haute Tension is
less strong than in films such as Dogville by Lars Von Trier. The latter is impossible to
mistake for reality: from the outset its construction is fully exposed to the viewer which is not
the case with Aja’s film. In my analysis I also pointed out that a lot of parts in Haute Tension
feel like the a-logical dreams or the nightmarish sequences of David Lynch’s work.
When discussing the central idea in postmodernism – deconstruction – I talked about subject
fragmentation and the relationship with language. Marie’s schizophrenia and her
psychological identity are the basis of the film. Her fragmentation of identity comes to an end
during the final sequence of the film, which also bears all the marks of being an oxymoron,
more specifically one that unites the opposites of danger and security.
Some interesting analogies could be made with the film eXistenZ by David Cronenberg, not
only on the level of the demultiplication of personalities which takes place in both films, but
also with regard to the structure of Haute Tension. It seems as if Marie has created a challenge
for herself consisting of various obstacles ( levels ) she has to overcome, not quite unlike the
structure of many contemporary electronic games. For Marie the reward for being the hero-
character is gaining the love of Alexia.
Deconstruction of language can also easily be detected in Haute Tension. The white, male
killer which Marie fabricates has a total disregard for women. He prevents them from using
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15. the language and thus this character matches the traditional view of male power. Throughout
the film Marie will try to undermine his dominance by proving to be a worthy opponent.
As the killer is nothing more than a fabrication by Marie we have an obvious blurring of
boundaries between masculinity and femininity. This is enhanced by the sexual desire of
Marie which she canalizes into a masochistic and violent fantasy which allows her to conquer
the heart of Alexia. Voyeurism plays a central part too: Marie watches Alexia showering, tries
to remain hidden from the killer while he makes his way through the house and while hiding
in the closet is witness to the murder of Alexia’s mother. It seems as if by making it into a
voyeuristic dream she attempts to create a distance between what she is in fact doing and the
role she wants to play in the resolution of her fantasy. At the end of the film Alexia has
become the voyeur. She can observe the locked-up Marie without arousing suspicion yet
Marie senses her presence.
One could argue that in the genre of the slasher film it is not uncommon that directors attempt
to convey horrific feelings towards the viewer. Alexandre Aja achieves this synesthesia
through the use of close-ups of for example the killer’s scalpel. Characters also often touch
things throughout the film.
The last postmodern element I have discussed is the relativity of the narrative. As Haute
Tension shows there is no logical way to end the story. Alexia flees from Marie and stops a
car. This is the same car as in Marie’s dream at the beginning of the film. Moreover
postmodern films show clear skepticism towards happy endings. The way Marie, though tied
‘safely’ in a straight jacket, grasps for Alexia is a nice example of how the nightmare might
not be over yet.
As a final note I would like to point out how a Hollywood film released in the same year as
Haute Tension also flirted with the idea of a maniac killer misleading the audience into
believing that the events depicted truly transpired. I am talking about Identity from James
Mangold with John Cusack and Ray Liotta. In Identity it is also a twist at the end which forces
the viewer to reconsider previous elements in light of the new information. Nevertheless in
most other aspects it remains a traditional film whereas Haute Tension is obviously a genre
film with a clear postmodern touch.
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16. Bibliography
Andrin, M., 2006, Contemporary Film Auteurs – Course
Filmography
Blue Velvet ( David Lynch, 1986 )
Dogville ( Lars von Trier, 2003 )
eXistenZ ( David Cronenberg, 1999 )
Haute Tension ( Alexandre Aja, 2003 )
Holy Smoke ( Jane Campion, 1999 )
Identity ( James Mangold, 2003 )
The Piano ( Jane Campion, 1993 )
The Ring ( Hideo Nakata, 1998 )
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