An honorable achievement in atmospheric horror in spite of its flaws

Rating: 7/10 (2 September 2007)

Looking back at Halloween after a series of intermittently passable and utterly distasteful sequels, one may lose an objective sense of the methods by which it was created, and really how good it is.
Being introduced to a boy so consumed by an indescribably untainted and dangerous evil that he is able to remorselessly kill at an age meant to comprise innocence raises many questions. Firstly, how did this evil ever begin to flourish? Where did it come from and how? What gives it the strength to disallow the contaminated being to speak, but instead gives it the power to destroy his family? In future years and subsequent theatricalizations of "The Shape", the audience and the filmmakers alike sought to answer these questions. But now, twenty-nine years after the iconic killer was conceived, people still realize that some evils are not meant to be explored. They are supposed to remain mysterious.
That is what allows for the films greatness. From the commencement of the simple yet piercing and shrill noises that compose the music of this film, the mystery becomes enshrouded in shock and becomes completely enigmatic as a young woman is ruthlessly murdered by her six year old brother. The only dialogue encompassing the event is a few insignificant sentences irrelevant to the utter horror about to commence.
Over the years, the doctor doing his duty becomes compassionate and obsessed to save the people from what he believes only his own mind can conceive. There is an evil that has escaped and it aims to destroy the lives of young teenagers and over an hour and a half period he stalks them, becoming more and more evident until the unknown deaths become known and The Shape has reached his target. But as we become aware that this evil is immortal, even the good doctor, Loomis, is shocked and quizically looks out into the night. His omniscience is then consumed by the thought that the evil will never stop.
Halloween was based upon a simple atmospheric premise. There was no need for a high body count or excessive gore. While an adept horror director can use such elements to his advantage, Carpenter did the converse in not so much a brilliant way, but in an adequate way.
It would not be so bold for me to say that this movie is overrated, because it most certainly is. It takes a basic observation of what scares people to craft a thriller out of simplicity. The sharp and abrupt music in a dark setting that was simply made scary due to a lack of film quality. The atmosphere of this movie can much be attributed to a lack of quality that inadvertently made positive contributions.
The heroine does not need to be excessively developed and we get all the imagery we need to realize that she is a simple embodiment of innocence that will face torment and disaster in the face of relentless terror. While her friends may not be as likable and visibly innocent, they effectively add to the idea that benevolence and youth are of no significance to cold and thoughtless destruction.
This film can't take all the glory from the genre and it isn't unmatchable. Some sequels posed worthy executions and characters to follow in the footsteps. As the franchise progresses, we realize that the simplicity of the antagonist, conceived out of simple atmosphere and hated through empathy for his innocent victims, has allowed for so many additional entries that while being able to succeed on their own, have not mastered the same art that Carpenter created in 1978.
7/10