Analysis of a horror character - Leatherface

Leatherface is the main antagonist in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre films and was inspired by real life murderer Ed Gein. His name is Leatherface due to the fact he wears a mask of skin which has been sewn together using the skin of his many victims. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973) was released

with various problems over censorship (it was banned in Britain until 1999) but it still made over 30 million at the box office.

Leatherface's main role in the film involves the torture and killing of his many victims, he waits in his basement until the time is right and lunges from his hiding place to attack his prey where he drags them back to suffer is obsession.

Throughout the film Leatherface is seen is many shots more are ‘frantic’ and he is presented as a particularly rash and scatty individual in the way he attacks the friends that explore his home. The lighting Leatherface is seen under is frequently very low key connoting that he is dangerous. None of the shots in this film show Leatherface having much power, which is unusual for the killer in most horror films. Other characters in the film such as Drayton Swayer, display much more power particularly mentally and is very creepy and deceiving.   

The miss-en-scene in this film shows Leatherface in a suit and shirt I think this connotes the he liked to present himself in a classic way and ironically took care in his appearance. I think that this is also shown in the fact that he wore the Leatherface, this is because he cared so much about his appearance that he felt the need to make an entire new face and kill many people in the process. It also shows him challenging the mainstream "good looking people" by wearing the same posh clothes as them but by killing them off.

The lighting throughout this film is very low key connoting that something bad will happen especially in the house where Leatherface lives it is very dark and this tells you that something bad will happen. The props used in this film such as the jars of body parts kept by Leatherface show that he was very crazy and that he liked to keep certain parts of his victims. Another prop used on one scene was the room of chickens with all the feathers I think this showed a cluttered house with lots of hording again connoting that Leatherface liked to ‘keep’ lots of things.

Overall I think that this character is one of the many inspired by infamous killer Ed Gein and in my opinion the best. I like the way that this character was portrayed and also the style of the film all round.