Sin & Temptation in Modern Gothic

During the medieval origins of Gothic art, these works existed to serve a purpose. As The Plague set the backdrop for artworks of the time, these famed depictions of Europe's decay, the state of horror, and feelings of meaninglessness towards the church and state deemed no one safe or exempt from Hell's fury. Similar to some of the first works in written horror, which ranged from campy to grotesque, these terrifying scenes formed Gothic's early ties to shock value and were meant to shame people out of their temptations to sin. Platforming the form's ability to be co-oped for various intents, the form's original apocalyptic style was eventually abandoned, as the church saw the artform's potential to reinforce confidence and glory in religious imagery.

The Gothic form has been adopted and transformed through mediums beyond its origins for centuries. The Victorian era's advancements in medicine and technology, as well a deeper exploration of class and societal constraints, led to Gothic's success in a new form. While the horror genre was initially not taken seriously, it ultimately pioneered the legacies of authors such as Mary Shelley, John Polidori, and the Bronte Sisters. Their fame also marked the introspective shift that Gothic literature had in the wake of Darwin's theory. As Natalie Neill observes in We Stare and Tremble: Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Horror Novels, "... bloodthirsty revenants were also used to express fears about atavistic regression; if human beings evolved from primitive life forms, was devolution also possible? Darwin’s science made it harder to deny that humans—no matter how outwardly civilized—had the same animal impulses as other creatures." This struggle to reconcile human advancement within the landscape of social imbalances is quite familiar to the form, as experts noted more detailed paintings leading into the Romantic era—signifying the progression of human intelligence. This coincides with Victorian society's introduction to some of the most iconic characters and tropes to exist in literature, amid England's Industrial Revolution, and offered deeper questions on themes like death, madness, and humanity's duality. Characters, such as Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff, presented an unpredictable and passionate foil to a society that was stifled by stark inequalities and purism—themes I would be more excited to see in a contemporary adaptation, if it was with anyone other than Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. However, there's no doubt in my mind that upcoming Gothic films and adaptations set to be released this year will be as successful as the previous. For a generation who isn't beating the loneliness epidemic allegations, I'm still curious what fresh perspectives we'll see on Heathcliff's carnal darkness, in a reality that is grappling with its own unfulfilled desires, social policing, and split personas. 

Long before uninspired casting choices of today, silent film brought a fresh mystique to Gothic figures—including the femme fatale and vampire. While the Gothic Revival used the medium to draw attention to the church, these aesthetics proved to be useful in other industries as well. Theda Bara was one of the film industry's first manufactured fallen stars, after her studio created a false narrative about her supernatural origins. As producers were translating these tropes to the silver screen, they took advantage of the newfound gossip industry and allowed false lore about the actress to help with ticket sales. Once the illusion wore off and was no longer useful, they let her fade into obscurity. A real Gothic tragedy, her story further demonstrates how the same tools used by the church have been recycled throughout history. While these strategies did pioneer an industry landscape that we are more than familiar with today, in the end, Bara's work was destroyed by fires and the scandal ultimately left her without a career.

Some of our temptations, as humans, can mask itself as healing, but the Devil is a master illusionist. However the Gothic genre is adopted, and regardless of whom it's used by, it never fails to express the grotesque nature of these deep desires. Sinners became an instant-class for the Southern Gothic horror fan, as it reveals how the timeless Black-American pursuit of liberation and celebration, whether this perceived freedom is real or not, can be stolen and even sold back to the same community it came from. While the Smokestack twins toy with evading a life of crime and debauchery, with the help of a juke joint that was doomed from the start, Remmick is the looming threat that promises a new kind of healing, in exchange for everyone's souls. The latest Nosferatu adaptation centers on the dissenting madness of Ellen Hutter. The effortless camera pans and floating tilts are the only thing to surrender its power to the monster freely, as we watch this distressed newlywed try hard to resist the same forces. Gothic's ability to evolve and comment on themes of power, class, and sin is a testament to its longevity and where it will continue to remain in our Pop Culture's landscape.

Ya girl is TIRED! Sources go up next week.