A Nightmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Heather Langankamp, John Saxon, Ronnie Blakely, Robert Englund and Johnny Depp. The film centres around for teenagers who are living in the same streets that are visited in their dreams by Freddie Krueger (Robert Englund) a dead child murder who is severely burnt and wields a glove with knives for fingers that seeks revenge on the parents that killed him by killing the children in their dreams which causes them to die in real life. A Nightmare on Elm Street is a lot more than just your typical slasher film, however. The film is an exploration upon the traumatic experiences of adolescence, social anxiety and the threat of sexuality whilst also being an analysis of and rejection of religion and faith. The film comments on the sins of the past from troubled parents as the individuals throughout the film wander through life showcasing a feminist allegorical film through the lens of youthful empowerment.

In the opening sequence to a nightmare I am straight film shows Freddy Krueger fashioning his iconic weapon of a glove with nice fingers. The setting in which he is doing this seems reminiscent to help which is further showcased by the funder effects as he tests his weapon out showcasing that throughout the film Freddy Krueger is reminiscent of an almost biblical. Nature. The industrial boiler room setting in which Freddie roams throughout the nightmare sequences is reminiscent of hell which is further shown by the demonic choir music in the scene as if Tina the girl in this opening scene is trapped in hell. This is further showcased by the symbolic image of the lamb wandering her round her nightmare further showcasing the biblical elements to the story with possible satanic imagery.

On waking up from her dream Tina believes that nightmare she just had was not real until her mum points out the cuts in her nightie. Throughout the film a key theme seems to be the parent’s refusal to confront the horrors of the past, they refused to accept their sins and have therefore allowed their children to die for the punishment of the crimes. These religious themes continue throughout the film as Tina grabs her crucifix to protect herself. Within the film Freddy is likened to the devil playing on the characters subconscious fears and paranoia is which are manifested in their own personal interpretation of the boogie man. As well as being a child murderer it is implied that Freddie was also a child molester and a rapist, this links into the characters being teenagers reinforcing the stranger danger like sexual fear from the subconscious other which is a common theme throughout the slasher genre.

Later, in the film Tina shouts “oh God” during sex thereby taking the Lord’s name in vain as within the film God is eliminated. This idea of punishing sexually active teenagers is a common trend in the slasher films of the 80s commenting on the parental fear of over the teenage sexuality and sexual liberation at the time which many traditionalist parents saw as a threat to the traditional family values of the past that they themselves were brought up on. During this same scene Nancy is cross. The wall showcasing a rejection of religion and an absence of God. However, when Freddie tries to go through the wall to get to Nancy, she puts the cross back up subconsciously believing that God will save her. In teens nightmare Freddie comes towards her with his arms stretched out in an almost Christ-like image. When Tina says, “oh God” Freddie raises up his gloves saying, “this is God”. The film showcases a rejection of religion as a means to help the characters within the film as within the movie’s glove and by extension Freddie act as God which is further showcased by Freddie Kevin Tina highlighting God’s absence within the narrative. It is revealed after Tina’s death that she had a troubled life. Freddie’s attacks and murders are ultimately symbolic of the traumatic experiences of adolescence and the scars of the characters past as they navigate the way to adulthood and sexual maturity. With the reveal that Tina’s mum left the family it further showcases Freddie as symbolic of the children paying for the sins of their parents past as he enacts a biblical like revenge.

Fractured family dynamics are at the heart of the nightmare on Elm Street is through Freddie the teenagers pay for the sins of the parents past as he enacts a biblical like judgement. This is further showcased where Nancy’s father uses her to get Tina’s ex-boyfriend Rod who he believes murdered her further showcasing the parents as damaged sinful individuals. A key theme within the nightmare on Elm Street films is expressed by the teacher in Nancy’s class as she says “what is seen is not always what is real according to Shakespeare there was something operating in nature perhaps inside human nature itself that was rotten a canker as he put it now of course hamlets response to this and to his mother lies was to continually probe and dig just like the grave diggers always trying to get them to service the same is true in a different way to Julia Caesar in the most high and prime  sate of Rome a little air the mightiest Julius fell the grave stood trendless and the sheet stood dead did squeak and jibber in the roman streets as stars make trails of fire and dunes of blood disasters in the sun and the moist air”. The showcases Freddie as the subconscious sin of human nature electing judgement and death upon the individuals that cross his path in a biblical like way has Freddie Krueger is seen as a personification of the devil.

Outside of the classroom in the hallway the ghostly vision of Tina appears to Nancy, covered in a bloody body bag looking similar to the Virgin Mary or a St further showcasing the destruction of religion. In this scene a callback also occurs with Tina’s arm as it comes out of the body bag like in a previous scene where Tina’s arm fell out of the body bag is it was carted away by the police on the television. Her body being great away by seemingly invisible. Showcases the power of Freddie and his ability to play God with in the film showcasing the destruction of the notion of faith. In the boiler room Freddie transformed himself as symbolic of the horror of the unconscious mind. Within these boiler room scenes Freddie acts like a god as the notice on the door indicates he is the boiler room maintenance operator and the creator of his own hell. Freddie chases Nance corners her. His suggestive body language further showcasing the trauma of adolescence and the fear of sexuality common within the slasher film. Nancy manages to accept the power of her own subconscious mind and wakes herself up from a nightmare by burning her arm on a boiler tube further showcasing that she has power over her own mind. However, the burn still being there when she wakes up the film showcases that the power of the subconscious is an adolescent fear that is very much a real threat within the subtext of the film.

When Nancy visits Todd in prison he confirms that Tina was killed by Freddie, this further showcases a key subtext withing a nightmare on Elm Street and slasher films in general being the fear of sex and rape within adolescence. Within the film the traumatic pasts of these characters will now come to bear fruit as the abuse of their parent figures within the film in the form of neglects creates a manifestation of their fears in the form of Freddie Krueger. With Nancy singing the Freddie nursery rhyme in the bath the film further showcases how he had infiltrated the characters subconscious. Freddie’s hand coming out of the bath towards her is an overtly sexual image further showcasing the fear of sex and the idea of sexuality being punishable by death in the 80s slasher films. However, a nightmare on Elm Street subverts the typical notion of sex within slasher films by containing very little sex and nudity and more alluring to its. Nancy being dragged underwater by Freddie invokes rape like imagery, showcasing a fear of traumatic experiences as she pays for the parent’s past. With Nancy being saved by her mother it shows that Freddie has no power over the ones I have forgotten him as their subconscious fear of him is what keeps him alive.

With Nancy statement that she looks 20 years old it further shows that the children are doomed to follow in the footsteps of their parents making the same mistakes. Nancy falls asleep again with Glenn and her boyfriend keeping watch. Now in the dream world Nancy ventures out of her house in pursuit of Freddie. Instead of hiding in denial like her parents Nancy decides to face her fears head on, as she tracks him to outside of a police station where she sees Freddie go into rods cell, showcasing how Freddie invades the subconscious of his victims. Nancy then encounters Tina addressed reminiscent to that of the Virgin Mary surrounded by snakes a common visual metaphor for sin as a centipede crawls out of her mouth. The film twists and perverts God religion showcasing that they have no power within the film. The fact that God did not save Tina shows that a nightmare on Elm Street almost makes a mockery of the supposed power of faith rejection in favour of a power that comes from yourself. If Freddie then she sees Nancy through her house as within the film her fears are manifested in the form of Freddie Krueger. Nancy Pro claims that her dreams aren’t real as Freddie jumps out of the mirror to attacker. This relates to the traumatic experiences of adolescence and social anxiety as well as acting as a antireligious metaphor is meant to states that Freddie is not real but he jumped out of the mirror anyway to attacker, therefore showcasing that her belief does not save her and that her suppose of belief in what is happening is not real is a life.

Nancy and Glenn then goes to the prison to spy on Rod sleeping. During this scene the bedsheets tie around Rod causing him to hang and I. This showcases Freddie and his murderers as symbolic of the traumatic experiences of adolescence as Freddie takes out his revenge on their parents scenes in a almost biblical way. This is further shown with mods funeral showcasing the absence of God within a nightmare on Elm Street.

Nancy’s mother then takes her to a sleep institute. Within the film the parents are damned and there sins are punished through the children. This distrust in parents is shown when Nancy dreams in the Institute showcasing that dreams are a mystery just like Freddie Krueger himself. Nancy starts screaming and the data showcases that a dreams of our real as Freddie invades her subconscious in order to effect reality. This is further indicated with Nancy grabbing his hat and bring it through into the real world as the two worlds collide and reality blur’s. If this scene further showcases the theme of adolescent trauma within the film and how the deep-rooted psychological effects of the past bear fruit in the form of Freddie Krueger. Within the film Freddie Krueger acts like a Freudian subconscious id, Freddie is symbolic of humanities unconscious primordial fears as his desire to kill is driven by instinct impulse and a desire and gratification from his acts. Krueger’s acts also encapsulates a biblical judgement as the children are being punished for the parents scenes.

Nancy confronts her mother who is hiding from the past symbolising the traumatic experiences of adolescence and social anxieties. Nancy’s mum does not want to remember the past as the sins of her and the fellow adults are being biblically punished through their children as these individuals are dammed, which is further showcased by them having negative character traits such as being alcoholics and neglectful. As Nancy Glenn talk about taking away an energy source for foreshadowing later in the film.

With Nancy’s mum putting bars in the windows of the house showcasing act in her own way she does care for her; she explains what happened to Freddie Krueger. Freddie Krueger was a child murderer who killed at least 20 kids in their neighbourhoods these were kids that all the parents new. Krueger was set free due to a mistake in the paperwork that was supposed to prosecute him, leading to the parents tracking him down during all the bands in the boiler room where he used to take the kids, they then poured gasoline around the building and set it on fire burning in my life. This story combined with Nancy’s mum taking Freddie’s knives symbolises that how they acted in the past makes the adult dammed people and why their sins are punished through their children. It is due to this that they repress the past as a metaphor for the social anxieties of adolescence. This is clearly shown with Nancy’s mum drinking from her hidden supplier of poker as the adults within the film are damaged people and pay for their sins with Freddie killing their children as he enacts his revenge through religious judgement.

Following this Glenn’s parents do not allow Nancy to talk with him showcasing the social anxiety of these individuals who refuse to face up to their own evils as there are problems and fears are manifested by Krueger. Nancy then picks up the phone which has been ripped out of its cord which turns into Freddie’s mouth as he says, if “I’m your boyfriend now Nancy”. If this further illustrates the threatening sexual child molester element to Freddie Krueger’s character. Freddie then pulls Glenn inside his bed as the whole he pulls him into erupting a fountain of blood. Within the film Freddie plays both societal fears as well as the teenage fears of adolescence, he is a child murderer enacting a biblical vengeance on the sins of their parents if there are hiding from their past. If the parents do not want to believe they charge trauma as they wish to forget the past, they are biblically dammed haunted by their sins in which the children set to wade through and face for them.

With Nancy setting booby traps the scene highlights a key theme throughout the film being not to rely on authority fears such as the parents but instead face your fears yourself. This is further exemplified with the talks at Nancy and her mum have showcasing the trauma of adolescence in the sins of the parent’s past. If as Nancy recites the Lord’s prayer the film showcases the need for religion as a protector is destroyed as Krueger comes after Nancy anyway. Nancy then pinches down into the cellar which becomes the boiler room, a place symbolic of her fears as she is metaphorically entering power to fight with the devil a theme that is reinforced with the sound of souls in this scene. Nancy Finds Way, Krueger sleeps as his bed is littered with mementos of his previous victims including rods switchblade Sarah’s cross showcasing that religion does not frighten him. These items along with the bloodied headphones of Glenn further show that Freddie Krueger is a villain steeped in the traits of real-life serial killers.

Krueger then chases after Nancy who jumps from the boiler room to outside her house showcasing the nonsensical logic of dreams. Ultimately Nancy manages to drag Krueger back into reality where she manages to fight back. In the real world Freddie is powerless because he cannot feed in Nancy’s fear, this further showcases a rejection of religion as she faces her troubles herself. She confronts the traumatic experiences, thereby refusing to follow in the sins of her parents. Nancy then burns Freddie alive paralleling how he originally died. Freddie however goes into Nancy’s mother’s room where he kills her again showcasing his godlike power. However, due to his evil nature he has no power over Nancy’s mum who in her death descends into a blue light as if she is being lowered into the ground at a funeral in a call back to the funeral scene earlier in the film as if he is entering heaven.

Freddie then rises from the matches to attack Nancy but Nancy’s lack of faith in Freddie is what ultimately kills him. Nancy does not call on God’s due to the absence of religion throughout the film but rather overcomes the traumatic experiences of adolescence and the scars have passed through her own mental psychology and using this as an energy source is hinted at earlier on in the film subverting the horror genre as instead of stabbing the killer to death she uses psychology to defeat him relating back to the energy source discussion witch happened earlier on in the film. Despite the slasher film being a genre that is criticised for having sexist under times A Nightmare on Elm Street and by extension the slasher film genre does arguably to an extent have empowering and almost feminist undertones due to the fact that the final girl at the end becomes stronger throughout the film and manages to overpower and kill the male villain.

At the end of the film the film seems to indicate that the nightmare is over with all the characters coming back to life. However, the ending shows Krueger possessing Glenn’s car and drives off to their supposed deaths as Nancy’s mum is dragged away by Freddy as his hand smashes through the front door window and drags her inside to her supposing death. The film subverts the classic final girl in the showing that subconscious traumas, fears, sexual horror and the sins of the past will always be there no matter how much people want them to go away which is further shown by the children’s rhyme further illustrating the fear of the devil in the form of Freddie Krueger and that that fear will always be there.

A nightmare on Elm Street is a film about dealing with fear beats the traumatic experiences of adolescence, social anxiety all the threat of sexuality. The film rejects the notion that these problems can be solved through religion and faith and instead showcases the idea of fighting these evils by yourself. The film showcases that people have the ability to call themselves out of the sins of the past as created by troubled parental figures and instead fashioned a story of wandering through the trials and tribulations of life but getting out the other side which is reinforced with undertones of a feminist glory and the ideology of youthful empowerment.Although the film indicates that these fears will always be there nightmare on Elm Street demonstrates that people still must fight to overcome this however to move on and change for the better.