It played on black comedy and goreish elements.

 
 
Irony / Puns / Cannibal Comedy / Body Horror / Wry humor /  Double Entendre /
Consumption
 
Word Limit :800 +
 
1)    explain the styles of humor you used in your projects and why and how they
exemplify dark humor and not just “haha funny.”
 
2)    Have at least 2-3 paragraphs that outline the different modes of humor and what they
are directed at (the object of the comedy/butt of the joke e.g. capitalism, the digital
age).
 
3)    Reference at least two of the readings on the syllabus to support your arguments. 
 
Parenthetical references are encouraged, and a works cited is required. I
expect all citations to be formatted properly using MLA
 
 
The mix of cannibalism with humor is unusual, yet it has the potential to work spectacularly
if performed properly. Cannibalism has a long history in cinema, and although it certainly
comes under the category of horror, some of the production has been rather humorous. As a
matter of fact Priscilla L. Walton describes in the Cannibal Culture, “viewers no longer had
to look to darkest Africa or the jungles of Borneo for flesh-eaters because cannibals,  just like
“us”, were stalking primetime TV” (15). The root of cannibalism is redefined to bridge the
gap between “us” and “them.” 
 
Directed by Julia Ducournau, Raw became recognized as the French cannibalism film,
though it is far more than that. After being grown vegetarian, Justine, a first-year veterinary
student, develops a troublesome case of cannibalism after a repulsive hazing event. The story
has emphasized gruesome details and cannibalistic scenarios. However, the film is also an
uncanny, heartbreaking, and at most times a darkly humorous coming-of-age narrative that
depicts the chaotic process of post-adolescent growth as a horror show. It is about sibling
rivalry, the battle to fit in socially when one cannot seem to fit in their own body, and how
one's world changes when they learn that their parents are imperfect as well. 
 
Consuming human flesh is the major metaphor of Ducournau's film, in which a young lady
learns about identity, need, and love. According to Richard King in his book The (Mis)uses of
Cannibalism in Contemporary Cultural Critique, “cannibalism ironically incorporates,
appropriates, and otherwise cannibalizes other ideologies, experiences, and identities” (121).
Drawing inspiration from Raw, Goû Cannibale satiric menu was made consisting of several
underlying dark humor elements. Ranging from irony, puns, cannibal comedy, body horror,
wry humor, and even double entendre. The main goal of Goû Cannibale menu was to
integrate awkward dark humor with grotesque body horror through using human flesh to
offer cannibalistic gross dishes. To set up the mood, a restaurant page is created including a
blood donation booth called save lives. This idea is profoundly ironic as the real purpose of
blood donation is to help those in need and prolong their lifespan, but in such case, it is to be
used as an ingredient to please people and advocate for the consuming and recycling of
blood. The first section includes four appetizers with two of them being Eartres and Escargots
Trotters. One inspired by the French dish Huitres and the other from Escargots, with both
falling under the umbrella of cannibalistic comedy because it symbolizes the exploitation of
human beings. This is done by substituting ears instead of oysters and adding trotters (foot)
into snail shells. As for the two soups, one is inspired by French chestnut soup and renamed
as Chest(not) Soup. It underlines the ironic aspects of puns where a word could sound alike,
yet still has an underlying meaning. Next are the two salads, which include the Chopped
Salad referenced from French Chopped Salad. It serves as a double entendre where the terms
are the same but is open to two different interpretations. One of them is the vegetarian salad,
while the other is a gruesome salad with fingernails, toenails, and diced hair. When coming to
the thought process, it is from the humorous scene when Alexia chooses to give Justine a
Brazilian wax job. Afterwards is the Entrée section which has the Tête de bébé taken from
Tête de veau. Here, the innocent baby is subjected to contemptuous and dismissive laughter,
which is a ridiculous element. Coming to the sweetest part, the Éyeclair is stemmed from
Éclair dessert. Body horror is a factor intended to psychologically redefine the notion of what
a dessert should be. It is done using the eyes' creamy sclera and gauged eyeballs as the filling.
For the drinks, the Bloody Justine inspired by Bloody Mary is a form of consumption where
blood is congealed to be a savory ingredient. Moreover, for the Chef’s Special, the Beyond
Steak is coming from Beyond Meat which is a manifestation of irony as the dish is a grass-
fed human’s meat rather than a vegetarian meat meant to provide better sustainable food
varieties. Finally, wry humor is underlined in the week’s dish, 2 Dead for 2 Fresh. An
experience where a couple can indulge in two bodies as the humanity of these two people
have been stripped off and they have been showcased on a pedestal to entertain the elite
taste. 
 
“Are you your body or is your body you? This is the main ideology of Julia Ducournau,
whose film focuses on the examination of the human body; its yearning, its oddness, and the
desire to subvert stereotypes. Our bodies are as flawed and unique as we are. But we live in
an era when commercial pressures have manufactured idealistic body types that constantly
push us to attain them and make us feel inadequate about our own bodies.  Even while varied
body types have been popular across history, we are now experiencing a period in which
individuals who do not conform to the present norm may be seen as anomalies. We are
bombarded with images of perfect bodies via the constant flow of modern media, with film
being the most extreme. Weirdly, cannibalism is used as a technique “of engaging,
appropriating, representing, and consuming difference” (King, 117). Ducournau’s film is not
about body types; rather, they are an attempt to normalize the peculiarity linked to it, that we
shy away from acknowledging in our everyday life.  
  
It investigates the cravings of female bodies. Throughout film history, women's desire has
been portrayed as a negative element. Something that deviates from the hero's objective,
seduction by evil powers, or something that eventually results in tragedy and catastrophe.
Women are constantly shown as desirable but never as desiring anything. The filmmaker
brings us to the extremities of desire by devouring the flesh in its raw state. The object of
feminine desire in this context is raw human flesh. 
 
According to Laura Mulvey's 1975 essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Film, conventional
cinema narratives displaywoman "as [an] erotic object for the charcters within the screen
story,  [and] for the spectator within the auditorium" which to be specific is fetishization by a
leading male (11). Julia not only subverts this norm, but also pushes the authority of female
characters to something as horrific as cannibals. Even though she uses body horror cliches,
she goes the additional mile to discuss women's desires by creating a terrifying ambiance. 
 

Raw argues against manifestations of society and peer pressure. It makes a strong argument
for the startling contrast between monstrous and human development through numerous
images of ritualistic behavior. Various social rituals are built and dismantled throughout the
film, which frames women in contradictory, but surprisingly empowering ways. In Raw,
cannibalism is showcased as “an experience and embodied practice, deflecting attention away
from specific symbolic, ideological, and ritual elaborations of it” (King, 121). Ducournau
demonstrates how Justine circumvents her own determinism. Even the most terrifying
monstrosities are watchable and oddly relatable thanks to the film's unapologetically
provocative imagery and the profoundly sympathetic storyline. Essentially, the film revolves
about metamorphosis in its purest and unapologetic form. The audience is challenged by
Ducournau to approach Justine's antiheroine critically rather than simply condemning or
demonizing her for some dark, yet ultimately human impulses.
 
The ability of an audience to identify with a character through humor is essential. At the start
of the film, Justine is a character that one laughs with rather than one laughs at. This forges a
connection between the viewer and the character that endures all through the film. Comedy
has an impact, especially when it occurs in a dark setting. Laughter is far deeper in the dark
than it can be on its own. It puts laughing in some sort of context. In genre movies, laughing
can serve as a catharsis or even as a way to enhance or flatter the genre. A character's ability
to make the audience laugh at the beginning of a movie aids in developing empathy for that
character during the rest of the movie. For instance, Adrien is hilarious in the cafeteria scene
from Raw where they discuss monkeys and rape. It is crucial that the audience enjoy Adrien
in this scene because he will serve as Justine's main focus for the remainder of the movie. For
the viewers to relate to Justine, they must relate to him.
 
Instead of focusing on what it wants to show, the movie's strength lies in what it has to say.
Like all effective satire, it understands that excessive showing undermines the impact. Raw
casts a mirror at us, getting beneath our skin. In essence, Ducournau is displaying a
civilization that is devouring itself. The fact that Raw is a debut film is a remarkable quality.
Ducournau’s style is subversive in this age of sensationalism, where theatrical gestures rule
everything from politics to tweets. The artwork used to promote the movie is a tasteful
example of how to make the ugly sophisticated. There is no hint in the main poster that blood
will be served in gory cannibalistic scenes; instead, it is a close-up of Marillier who appears
to be having a little nosebleed. The artwork and tactics of the movie are age-appropriate. Isn't
this the time of fashionable conformity? More than ever, brands and appearances define
people on a social level; even politics has evolved into a stage covered in consumerism and
slogans. A false sense of progress was presented in recent years, but below there always
lurked violent emotions and horrible impulses.
 
In this film, cannibalism is used as a metaphor for adolescent violence brought on by
hormones and the sheer horror of growing up. In a way, can it be said that all people are
cannibals if Justine is coping with a changing body that makes decisions that she isn't fully
aware of? Is it logical to infer that cannibalism is “a kind of universal unconscious, rooted in
desire and power, unites old and new, primitive and (post)modern, embodied and
metaphoric” (King, 115)? It is reasonable to conclude that as long as people are obsessed
with categorizing body types and debating fat-shaming (among other societal practices), they
are all terrified of their physical selves and how easily their bodies can revolt against them.

It is crucial to understand that Raw is more than just a horror movie. Ducournau intended for
Raw to defy conventional cinematic categories by fusing elements from many genres
(comedy, thriller, and body horror). Her graphic portrayal of cannibalism is cloaked in
coming-of-age tales and black comedic wit. It offers a far deeper meaning that incorporates
morals, touching moments of self-discovery, and emotional familial bonds.

The well crafted cinematography and music selections give the movie a distinctive ambiance
and ensures that the tone is never uncertain. Few movies even come close to displaying the
levels of hideous brutality and heartfelt message that Raw delivers. It is unique and not
constrained by the parameters of any certain genre. A reminder that Ducournau is not
ashamed to give people civilization at its foundation. It could be a bit much for the faint of
heart, but human nature can often be a bit much too.