Citation

Payne A. Humanities (Basel) 2022; 11(1): e2.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publications Institute)

DOI

10.3390/h11010002

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Renowned for its hard-hitting exploration of gaslighting and domestic abuse, Leigh Whannell's 2020 film The Invisible Man has inevitably been linked to the #MeToo movement. Despite the film's contemporary premise, however, its narrative of male violence and female silencing is fundamentally rooted within classical literature and can be seen as an appropriation of the Cassandra myth. This article will be reviewing the continued relevance of the Cassandra myth today and the impact of her appearance within the horror movie genre. It will identify how Cassandra's narrative as a truth-speaker, who is met with disbelief, has been appropriated for both thematic and critical effect. It will also consider the gendered implication of truth-speakers in horror and the impact of representing a female Cassandra onscreen to critique gendered issues, such as female silencing, domestic abuse, and gaslighting. By applying the classical figure of Cassandra to Whannell's The Invisible Man, this article will continue by highlighting the patriarchal mechanisms which have historically dictated the reliability of female truth-speaker, thus connecting modern truth-speakers to their ancient counterparts.

Language: en

Keywords

adaptation; Cassandra; classics; feminism; film; Greek myth; horror; reception; women