Abstract
Eyes express fear, a wide-eyed look of horror or shock. Conversely, closed eyes may be the result of a refusal to view horror that confronts, hoping that the moment will pass. This chapter looks at the films Opera (1987) and Final Destination 5 (2011), in which the eye is forcibly held open. The rearranged body, with eyes appearing where there should be none, is discussed using the film Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). The threat of eye loss is addressed using E.T.A. Hoffmann’s short story ‘The Sandman’, and its analysis by Sigmund Freud, which is extended using Neil Gaiman’s novel Coraline (2002) and its film adaptation, and Dean R. Koontz’s novel Dragon Tears (1993). The eyepatch is considered using the films The Anniversary (1968) and Scanners (1981).
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Conrich, I., Sedgwick, L. (2017). Eyes. In: Gothic Dissections in Film and Literature. Palgrave Gothic. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-30358-5_4
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