What is the significance of showing Michael’s face at all at the climax of the movie? Wouldn’t it have been scarier to keep Michael masked the entire film?
shareProbably to show that he needs it. When Laurie rips it off him, it looks like he can't handle being without a mask. He easily could've ignored it and kept going after Laurie. I guess to show it's a part of him now.
It's his "safe space" lol
I think it was meant to be Laurie’s way of trying to get him to stop/ removing the evil.
shareI’m with you, I think it would’ve been better to keep him masked. I saw an interview once with Carpenter where he talked about that shot of Michael and how it was meant to show just a normal looking person. I get what he was going for; evil can be anywhere and look normal.
On a side note, I was only 13 when this came out and my older brother took me to see it. Believe me when I say it was an experience! The theater was filled with screams, especially in the last 15-20 minutes. It was new and fresh, much like JAWS had been three years earlier. Terrifying and perfect for its time.
I was about 10-11 when it came out I remember our moms talking about it ... my friend's mom said she heard it had boobs. My mom said well he's got to see some sometime. LOL. My mom had no idea, if she did she wouldn't have let me go. The experience was similar to yours: people screaming, a lot of them walked out, my friend pulled her coat over her head and hid under the seat. When the guy swings out of the closet, I found myself standing up and screaming. For a second I was embarrassed until I looked around and noticed I wasn't the only one.
shareSidha108, in a way, yes. However, there is an equal fright from suddenly seeing Michael's cold, cruelly determined face and his disoriented eyes that seem to be from outer space. It displays that the killer has no ethical cognizance of his actions and is unstoppable. He barely looks human. Recall that during his first appearance, twenty-one-year-old Michael does not yet have the mask. Since that scene and the final one take place in the presence of Dr. Loomis, there might be symbolism for how the psychiatrist is the sole person who not only knows how his patient operates but can make the latter feel vulnerable.
shareNever showing his face would probably be too cliche.
shareI'm glad they showed his face. It's the only time we ever get a glimpse of this monster.
shareHe kind of looked like a mentally disabled person who got drunk. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just an observation.
shareYou may be too young to have known this, but he was Joannie's brother (from "Happy Days"), so. . .
shareWhat is that supposed to mean?
shareIt's an obscure joke intended only to amuse the poster.
Tony Moran, who played unmasked Michael in that six-second shot, was the brother of Erin Moran, who played Joannie in "Happy Days". Erin Moran had a long history of addiction and mental instability before she died. Hence the connection to your comment.
Not sure how it could be cliche when Halloween pretty much defined the genre.
share