Leatherface

Leatherface more than just a masked fictional and cinema villain

“The film you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths in particular Sally Hardestry and her invalid brother Franklin. It’s all the more tragic that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives..” 

Voice Over, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)

Leatherface - The history of masks in art and ceremonies 

The masked villain as a main antagonist in fiction and generally in art is old but it was re introduced in American Independent Horror Cinema by Tobe Hopper in the milestone film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1973).  The Mask is not only an object to increase the value of a plot structure or an object to maximize the importance of a fictional or cinema character. In my opinion the mask in cinema is more than an object is a global symbol of unknown, a warning of danger and a sign of death.

The use of masks is also in rituals and ceremonies, is a very ancient human practice across the world. Also, masks were used in drama and psychotherapy. Masks used for their expressive power as a feature of masked performance both ritually and in a large number of theater traditions.

Masks play a key part within theater traditions and especially in non – western theater. They also continue to be ritual; force within contemporary theater. Masks used also in Ancient Greece and Rome. In contemporary theater masks and puppets incorporated into European theater by avant – garde artists from the turn of the ninetieth century.

Leatherface -  the background
 

Tobe Hooper the director, producer and co- writer of the film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was inspired by a chainsaw and he created one of the most successful horror film franchises ever. The film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is based on a true crime case of Wisconsin grave ripper, body snatcher and cannibal Ed Gein. Before “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Ed Geith case inspired the creation of Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho and two decades after the release of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” the same real crime case inspired the creation of another unforgettable villain Jame Gumb in the film The Silence of the Lambs.      

             

Leatherface – The fictional character

The original character Leatherface was introduced by Tobe Hooper in 1974 legendary independent Horror film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. The character is presented as a fat, ugly and antisocial man who works at the meat factory of the family. He kills cows for a living and also young teenagers.

At the initial film Leatherface appears as a killing machine who is under the complete control of his family he looks that he afraid the other members of his family and especially the elders.

 to be continued 

You can watch the trailer of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974) and see the initail Leatherface character    

Elias Stoikos

Relative Articles 

Norman Bates

Jason Voorhees

Gunnar Hansen

Texas Chainsaw 3D

Resources 

Leatherface - Wikipedia

Leatherface - IMDB

Leatherface - Wikia

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

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