Recently, I got the itch to rewatch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). It had been a while and I was hankering for something a bit older. But, what I really wanted to do was reevaluate the film. I watched it when I really didn't understand what the movie was saying, and I felt like I hadn't given it a fair shake. So, to correct the course, I popped it on. And what I came away with was mostly the same, yet I noticed some details stood out more. And it made me appreciate Sally (Played by Marilyn Burns) more as a character.
With this appreciation, I was also reminded of how bad the character had been utilized in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). A movie that I had watched on release at like 2 in the morning. Like, I wasn't a fan of the character then, yet even I could tell that something was wrong. Sally was this mix of Jamie Lee Curtis's Laurie Strode from Halloween (2018) and Dennis Hopper's Lieutenant Lefty from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2. Two characters that matched their respective movies well. But the biggest difference was their Main Character status, whereas Sally was in the movie for like five minutes. Absolutely baffling amounts of fumbling going on here.
But to get back on track, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was an extremely well-made movie for the budget. And it's important to note that not only was it on all fronts, but that Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper crafted some damn good characters and story. The standouts for me were Sally, The Hitchhiker (Played by Edwin Neal), The Cook (Played by Jim Siedow), and Leatherface (Played by Gunnar Hansen). Each character has a distinct personality that gets brought to life through their actor. So, to start I am going to go over these characters, and give my piece on them.
Kicking things off with Sally Hardesty. The woman who was tortured so hard she started to laugh hysterically. And if you told me that Marilyn Burns really felt that way when filming the end sequence, then I'd believe you. Getting run through the wringer in the that Texas Heat while having to scream constantly looked dreadful. If you showed someone the dinner scene and told them it was found footage, they might believe you. And it seems some people did when the movie came out, as the first film was well-known for boycott campaigns. To be fair, a lot of Horror Movies were drawing ire, but the original TCM has always had that legacy. But we all know that those boycotters never watched a single minute. Alas, that does not quite cover how good the Sally character was.
When I initially watched the film, I got very annoyed at her screaming. It's like the entire Third Act. And on reevaluation, I still hate it, but I would be in hysterics too if my brother got chopped up in front of me, and then got forced to eat dinner with a bunch of maniacs. Sally also reminded of how the women in Giallos act. A genre that I say is largely about "Torturing Women". A stark difference between Slasher which goes for physical over psychic damage more times than not. It's interesting to have a character who was introduced as a run-of-the-mill protagonist feel so real and compelling.
To keep the ball rolling, I am moving onto The Hitchhiker. My favorite awful human being in this film. He looked gross, was unhinged, and deserved to eat a Semi-Truck to the face. One detail that I really liked on my rewatch was about his job loss. The change in slaughter methods at the Slaughterhouse meant that he lost his source of income. He loved killing the Cows in a Barbaric way without caring about how the animal felt. It was about going through the motions, and feeling the satisfaction behind dealing the final blows. Something that couldn't be done with the "Air Gun" mentioned by Franklin (Played by Paul A. Partain). It was this small bit of information that gave background and inclination as to how The Hitchhiker might act. A way to set the scene, and give an idea of what he may do later.
To me, The Hitchhiker feels all too real. He seems off, but not in a theatrical way. He's human. And he doesn't hide himself behind the same mask that The Cook or Leatherface wears. The Hitchhiker is an honest family-focused lunatic. He's selfish, and has an inferiority complex. Why does The Cook have so much authority if he's not willing to hunt for food like him and Leatherface? There's not much depth to the psychology of the character, but he's fascinating nonetheless.
And that brings us to The Cook. A coward who only has as much power as the weapon in his hand. It's this aspect that makes The Cook work so well. When you meet him he's a little odd, but not menacing. And it makes sense because the group of five could easily take him down. However, when Sally returns to his gas station, he knows that now is the time to strike. When a vulnerable woman is all alone with no weapon to defend herself while Leatherface lurks nearby. This also makes him the most human. His cowardice and nefarious nature fit the mold of every spineless man. You can see the lack of fight in his eyes, so any resistance becomes inherently bad. I've seen this dude, you the reader have seen someone like him. These bastards are only as dangerous as you allow them to be.
Ultimately, The Cook exemplifies an average type of man. Like The Hitchhiker, there is no bombastic nature, or larger than life personality. This is just a regular man that you may come across in your own life. You can only see the true face of this person behind closed doors when they are comfortable. Otherwise, they are nothing more than their title. He is an old man working at a gas station by day and a cook for his family by night. Putting food on the table through job and craft. So, it's funny to see much of the prep work fall to Leatherface, but someone's gotta be the Woman of the House I guess.
And that brings us to my final fav in Leatherface. I think Gunnar Hansen's depiction goes a long way. Leatherface is a more vulnerable Jason Voorhees. They function similarly as these backwater killers, but Jason is more consistent in killing and less prone to emotional struggles. But that's a good thing for Bubba. It makes the character feel less like a shape. So, you have this multi-dimensional character without having to jump through hoops to get there. Like with dinner prep or luring Kirk (Played by William Vail) with pig calls. It shows the day-to-day in one scene and how Leatherface chooses to deal with new issues in another. It's this aspect that makes me excited for the home release of the documentary Chain Reactions. It covers this film and it's influence across the world, but the quote from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas calling the initial interactions "Home Invasions" from Leatherface's perspective, keeps circulating in my mind.
Like, she's right. Leatherface has no reason to go out and kill anyone. He's just doing whatever he does during the day before Kirk comes by. I would be quite upset if someone just barged into my house too. It's one of those things where I chalk it up to the time period and "White People Shit". One of the most unbelievable things in Horror is when you have a person of color act like this. Like, you couldn't pay me to walk into anyone's house unannounced like that, are you stupid? So, how different are we in comparison to Leatherface? Very different, yet I feel like it is worth mentioning the reasonability behind his initial interactions with people barging in on him. I really wish that Leatherface was as likeable in the later films. He's just been morphed into a Jason Voorhees Clone with less substance.
But now, I want to talk about some other tidbits I like. The first being the atmosphere. Still the strongest part for me. This movie doesn't waste anytime in making you feel uncomfortable. While I do have some issues with how much the movie drags. I think the tension and agonization exhibited are still some of the best. And I feel like the lower budget helps to contribute towards this. The heat, the griminess, the lack of help. All of this festers and brews into a truly horrid cocktail, and I love it.
The other little tidbit was the cinematography by Daniel Pearl. That shot of Pam's (Played by Teri McMinn) back has always been in my mind when thinking about this film because of what transpires later. I can visualize the meat hook going in due to seeing her back just minutes prior. But it's not just the back, it's also the walk-up to the house during that bright summery day. It's just so striking to me. In a similar vein, the shots of Sally's eyes as she struggles during dinner. They're so green, and I don't think I've ever seen any eye that clearly in my life. But what also stood out was the movement. Marilyn Burns could've just stared blankly and been done with it. Yet the crew went this extra mile, and Daniel Pearl captured something brilliant.
There's just so many details that rock in this movie, I just wish so much wasn't dedicated to Franklin having a bad day. It's where I think the movie loses steam for me. But it does offer a unique perspective. Like, how many Horror Movies follow a person in a wheelchair? I can think of two off the top of my head, and they're both Chucky Films. There's a benefit to Franklin in terms of representation, I just wish he wasn't such a dweeb. This sentiment carries to the friends. Jerry (played by Allen Danziger) and Kirk who lack any interesting characteristics, and Pam who was underutilized. She sets up the astrology aspect, but then gets fridged. I think she could've been given an escape attempt, or been a dinner guest to terrorize Sally even more. It worked in the TCM Part 2, it would've worked here too.
All in all. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) holds up extremely well. It makes me wish that the films that came after had as much of the talent behind them as this one. Even movies that have been inspired by TCM have been solid in their approach (i.e. House of 1000 Corpses, X). So, a modern interpretation of TCM is possible, it just has to get put into the right hands. Fuck it, ask Rob Zombie to do it again. I just think that the House built by Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper, and Gunnar Hansen deserves to flourish again.
And remember to Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Venezuela and to Free Lebanon from the onslaught of their oppressors. Never stop talking about them. They think that we don't care, but we see everything. Never forget that. They are trying to suppress our voices because they matter, remember that. There may have been a ceasefire in Gaza, but Palestine still needs to be completely free.
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