Hellraiser is a 1987 British supranatural body horror film written and directed by Clive Barker based on his novel The Hellbound Heart and staring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, and Doug Bradley. The film centres around a mystical puzzle box that summons cenobites extra-dimensional sadomasochistic begins who cannot differ between pain and pleasure. Hellraiser is an exportation of sadomasochism the centres around exploring themes relating to the sins of the past as how these sins expose the hidden darkness, desires and pleasures that lie in humanity.
The film starts in morocco were Frank a hedonist buys a puzzle box. The seller states “take it its yours it always was” this links into the themes of people having hidden dark desires. This is further shown when in a ritualistic looking setting he solves the puzzle box and hooks come out of nowhere and pierce his skin as again the film showcases that people all have hidden deep desires that are exposed which demonstrates the themes of sadomasochism in the film. The film then transitions to what looks like a dump as hooks and chains are shown dangling from the ceiling which chunks of flesh attached to them. In hell the cenobites go through an assortment of flesh piecing it back together and use the puzzle box which is a gateway to hell. This shows the themes of sadomasochism in the film and the line between pleasure and pain are obliterated. This sadism is used to expose that humanity has a hidden darkness that lives inside all people are slaves to their desires that links to their primal pleasures.
The film then fast-forwards to Franks brother Larry who moves into his old house to rebuild his relationship with his second wife Julia. They are in a loveless marriage as Julia doesn’t love him. Larry is a typical nice guy whist Julia is a masochist who had an affair/secret relationship with Frank a sadist which is shown with Julia going over Franks explicit photos. This again links into the themes of sadomasochism as the film shows people burling the line between pain and pleasure. This also links into the themes of sins from the past as the film exposes peoples hidden darkness of their past as their true pleasures and humanity’s pleasures are perverted. The delivery guy asks for beer and Julia says there’s some in the fridge and Larry goes to get it. They say Kirsty and Julia look like one another and kind of like her before Larry states her mother is dead. This shows the themes of the past as the film demonstrates the loss of the mother and Julia being a manipulating controlling presence. The film also shows the hidden darkness with Julia being a sexuality devious fem fatal like character. This is further highlighted with Julia finding a photo of her and Frank which triggers a flashback of Frank wanting to come into the house as Julia answers the door wen they met. This is the start of they’re sadomasochistic love affair as they have a sin of the past in wanting to engage in their hidden dark desires and pleasures that lurk within humanity.
Julia is a femme fatale like character in the film as she hides her hidden desires from her family. This again shows sadism and the sins of the past as she wishes for her dark relationship with Frank. This affair elements again shows her hidden dark desires that give her pleasure. This is further illustrated in a flashback to Frank and Julia discussing her marriage to Larry as Frank is angry. Julia doesn’t love Larry and has hidden desires and so does she. This is further shown with them having sadomasochistic sex as they give into the hedonic pleasures as their affair shows their past sins and the hidden dark desires and pleasures that lurk within them. Larry in moving the mattress cuts himself on a nail causing blood to seep through the floorboards which resurrects Frank at only his heart was alive into a ghoul like creature. This demonstrates the sins of the past as people’s dark pasts are coming back to haunt them. at dinner they are with some friends and Julia is board. She doesn’t love Charles and his nice guy persona. This demonstrates the sins of the past with Julia’s affair and her hidden desires for a relationship of pain and pleasure with Frank. When she uses herself, she kisses all the guys except Frank as again she sexuality wants more danger. This again is shown with one of the guests asking Frank “does it Hurt” which is about is cut but is symbolically about Julia not loving him due to his nice guy persona. Julia finds Frank in a ghoulish form as he asks her to help him restore his body via more blood so the toe of them can run away together as Julia is still obsessed with him as shown via the flashback of their affair as she agrees to help him. this again shows the sadism of the film as the relationship is one built on the hidden desires and pleasures of humanity. This also shows their past evils as their affair shows the evil desire that lurks within everyone. Kirsty has a dream where she is in her house as she sees feathers flying everywhere where a body is covered up by a white sheet which is bloody, and bleeding out covered in blood as a baby is heard screaming as when she lifts the cover its her dad. This shows a premonition of the death of people and shows the film having a hidden darkness to it drenched in evil.
Julia becomes a fem fatal like character who seduces other men and mortality wounds them for frank to drain their life and intern regrates his body. He then touches her and says things like “come to daddy” and “we both want this don’t we”. This demonstrates the sins of the past as she wants her darn desires of her past and finds a pleasure in the pain and suffering is both giving and receiving. Frank is regenerating and needs more blood to heal fully. They must both go away soon as the cenobites are after them as they have a weird, twisted form of love. This further shows the sins of the past in their hidden love affair with each other and a hidden darkness as they commit murder in the name of love. Frank explains to Julia that his puzzle box opens the doors to hell to experience extreme pleasure and pain at the hands of the cenobites. This links to the themes of sadism in the film as humanity has hidden desires and pleasures, they want to experience. He does not want to be the demonic creature’s plaything anymore and wants to live as human and Julia agrees to help him. These extremes of pain and pleasure are further shown when Julia isn’t affected by Larry watching boxing anymore. Julia doesn’t want Larry to go upstairs and be killed by Frank which shows that she does love him or at least care for him to some extent. However, she doesn’t love Larry, but she does care for him to some extent. This demonstrates the sin of the past as Julia’s past is catching up to her as she doesn’t know how to control it. This also demonstrates her hidden darkness in that she wants a give in to her own evil but skill cares to some extent.
Frank and Julia talk about killing Larry as she doesn’t love him, but she doesn’t want to kill him as she odes care about him to some extent. Julia lures about man back to the house as Kirsty sees this femme fatale element to her character. The murder goes wrong however Frank manages to kill him and use his flesh. Kirsty then goes to the house where he finds Frank who says phrases like “come to daddy” and “you’ve grown up your beautiful”. She then attacks him and throws the box away as Frank needs it and takes it as she run off. This demonstrates the sins of the past with Frank being an evil presence that dominates people’s lives. The hidden darkness desires and pleasure of humanity are shown with Frank being an embodiment of evil. As Kristy escapes with the box, she walks along the road and sees nuns walk past as she is dealing with an otherworldly demonic presence as she is controlled with her past with Frank. This demonstrates the sins of the past as an evil people must face as well as religious element with Frank being like a demon. The film the shows a red flower as she faints and awakens in hospital showcasing her innocence is being destroyed. In the hospital she solves the puzzle box out of curiosity and unwillingly summons the coenobites. From this she opens a gateway into hell which is shown as an endless corridor of grey brick with babies screaming and crying as she encounters a monster called an engineer which she narrowly escapes. This shows a hidden darkness with reality fuelled of sin that destroys people. The coenobites are then summoned by Kirsty via the puzzle box. The lead cenobite pinhead explains that there are explorers from another dimension, both angels and demons as they have been perceived as both. They state that they will take Kirsty to hell to experience pleasure and pain. This shows that the film is about sadomasochism and how the divide between pain and pleasure is destroyed.
Kirsty strikes a deal with the cenobites to take him back to hell instead of her. Larry then returns home as Julia tricks him as Frank kills him ad takes his skin as Julia smiles happily and they have sex. This links to the themes of sadomasochism of the film as they get pleasure from the death of the innocent. This also demonstrates the idea of the sins of the past as they both give into their hidden dark desires and pleasures within their violent sadomasochism. Frank tries out his new body tricking Kirsty into thinking Frank is dead, Kirsty is then shown Larry’s corpse as the cenobites appear wanting the man who did this. Kirsty tries to escape but is held by Julia and Frank who when he reveals himself to her and his sexual advances are rejected, he tries to kill her to complete his rejuvenation. This shows the sadomasochism of the film with the sexual undertones of the film. The sins of the past are shown with him being a pervert in him revealing himself and his dark evil dark desires all of which shows the dark pleasures of humanity. Frank accidently stabs Julia and drains her with no remorse. This shows sadomasochism as Frank enjoys the death of people he seemingly cared about. The film also shows the sins of the past coming back to haunt them with their deaths his hidden desires are to engage is suffering of people. Frank chases Kirsty into the attic where she discovers Larry’s corpse as Frank confesses to killing Larry. This shows the sadomasochism as the people in the film get pleasure out of the film’s violence. Frank shows the sins of the past as he is an evil being destroys Kirsty’s life. Franks’ evil shows the hidden dark, desires and pleasures that hide within everyone.
Upon hearing is confession the cenobites appear and chain him up his final worlds being “Jesus wept” as the chains then tear him to peace’s. This shows the sadomasochist violence of the film as the pleasure and pain destroys Frank. This shows that the sins of the past ultimately destroy him as it shows that humanities hidden dark desires and pleasures leads to destruction. The cenobites then double cross Kirsty and attempt to take her as she grabs the puzzle box from Julia’s dead hands whose face has been ripped open by the cenobites chains and who was tied up and banishes them by solving the puzzle box as the house collapses. This shows sadism as they want to destroy her boundaries and pain and pleasure like they have destroying her boundaries. This also shows the idea of the sins of the past in that Kirsty will now be taken by cenobites to experience pain and pleasure. The cenobites shows the hidden dark desires and pleasures of humanity as they wish to destroy the boundaries into an enteral synthesis of agony and bliss. Kirsty and her boyfriend who arrives just intime when they house collapses escapes. At the end of the film the house burns down along with a picture of Frank and Kirsty puts the box on the fire. However, the homeless man come along and picks it up transforming into a dragon and feign off as the box ends up with the same merchant who offered the box to Frank who offers it to another customer. This shows the sadomasochism of the film as a constant cycle of pain and pleasure that will never end. This also shows that everybody has darkness in their past that will ultimately be exposed. As well as this, the film shows that all of humanity has the same hidden darkness, desires, and pleasures and that everyone is destroyed by their evil ways eventuality.
Hellraiser is a film about the sadistic element of humanity in how people are in a constant desire for pain and pleasure. It shows how people all carry sins of the past that they cannot run away from and they the have a hidden darkness within them. The film highlights the dangers of losing yourself in these desires and pleasures ultimately destroying your humanity.