Axcel Rose Ganzon BS Entrep 2B

A Comprehensive Analysis on “the Cabin in the Woods”

“Sometimes, you need to sacrifice the few in order to save many”. This quote
appears in my mind upon watching “ The Cabin in the Woods”. A 2012 American
horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard. The film was started with a typical
teenager get together ,camping out in the woods and enjoying their lives however,
they didn’t expect the horrible things that awaits them . However, this movie was
blown me away with it’s artistry and most especially the meaning of brutal
happenings that was convey to it’s audiences. The Cabin in the Woods is built upon
the idea of a powerful ancient ones living beneath the earth that can cause destruction
which also resulted to an end of humanity. The only way to prevent this to happen is
to perform rituals which offers pain and blood that can satisfy the ancient ones. I think
that the ancient ones in this film was equivalent to the Titans, a powerful race that
ruled the world and an immortal giant with an incredible strength and knowledge
which was also supported in the movie as Hadley, one of the technicians in the control
room that controls the cabin in the woods together with Gary Sitterson explains that
the ancient ones are the gods who ruled the earth and if they were released it would
mean the end of the humanity. With that, I was convinced with Hadley as he
explained that sacrificial rituals is not enough but there should also fear and brutal
killings involved. It is because ancient is not just a simple beast but a powerful being
that can decide everyone’s fate.

On the other hand, it was emphasized in the movie the change of rituals over
centuries. As the time goes by, the ancient ones demand more complicated acts to
satisfy them in order to continue the humanity.Later on, the completing rituals was
passed in the hand of the Organization which was also shown in the movie. There’s an
organization whose mission is to successfully complete an offering works which
include optional life or death of a virgin after the brutal killing with other four people
with supernatural forces. This happens in the movie, when five college friends namely
Jules, Curt, Holden, Marty and Dana arrive at a remote forest cabin for a little
vacation however, they didn’t expect that theirs horror awaits them. There were
trapped in the area and it was controlled by an organization which performs offering
works. The other branches of the organization such an in Japan failed the mission
which elementary student defeat the ghost just by doing ritual or just singing a song
which was also seen in the movie. Thus, the only hope of the organization is to
successfully complete the rituals by this college friends .

Each ritual has it’s own specific guidelines in order to succeed and it was also
seen in the movie as the American Organization follows specific rules. In the rituals,
their were five archetypes involve in the sacrificial rituals, an athlete,
whore,scholar,fool and virgin which happens to be Curt, Jules,Holden, Marty and
Dana. Aside from that, there is also a harbinger that must warn them of their
forthcoming deaths which happens to be Mordecai were the college friends met at an
old gas station. Mordecai tells them that they’ll have enough gas to get to the cabin,
“but getting back, that’s your concern”. Mordecai warns them however, the college
friends didn’t listen and just laugh at him. Other than that, the five must choose their
method of death by tampering with an item that pertains to a monster. It was seen in
the movie were the group finds various strange artifacts in a cellar. They investigate
the different items until everyone holds different objects. Curt plays with a puzzle
ball, Holden operates a jewelry box with a dancing ballerina, Jules removes a
necklace from a bridal gown and plans to wear it, Marty looking through an old film
strip and Dana who holds and read a diary from one of the members of the Buckner
Family, the cabin’s supposed original owners. When Dana reads the Latin aloud
despite the objections of Marty, it resulted to summon the zombified Buckners from a
nearby grave. The rules was stated that the wore must be the first to die, as she is the
most tainted of the five. And it was also happen in the movie as Buckner Family
attacks Jules and Curt as they making out due to pheromone fog that was release by
the technician. Buckner Family stab Jule’s hand and wounded Curt in the shoulder.
They hold curt and make him watch as Mother Buckner cuts Jule’s throat with a rusty
saw. With each death, sacrificial blood was poured into stone tablet that symbolizes
the individual’s archetype and it also signifies their punishment and death. On the
other hand, once the virgin is at least sexually tempted, the scholar’s life is
expendable and that explains why Holden’s life extended. It was seen in the movie
that Dana and Holden was attracted to each other and the movie makes me believe
that Holden was the fourth one who died.
The American Organization almost succeed since it was seen in the movie the
brutality death of the four teenagers after they were attacked by the Buckner Family
or the zombies leaving only Dana known as the virgin alive. However, the twist is
Marty is also alive and he also founds out that someone is controlling the area which
also the reason of the dreadful things that happens to them. He also rescued Dana
upon Matthew Buckner prepares his final blow to kill Dana. After that, they made
their way into the facility. With that, Hadley and Sitterson ordered the guards
eliminate Marty and Dana. However, the two teenagers manage to evade the guard’s
gunfire and hid in the lobby’s control room were they found the System Purge button.
They decided to activate it in order for them to escape however it also happen that the
monsters got escaped from the cell which killed all the people in the organization. In
the end, the sacrificial rituals was not successful and it resulted to destruction and
ends the humanity. After I finish this movie, I realized that you can’t really force
everyone to do heroic thing or do sacrifices in order to save many. In doing this thing,
is a bravest act and there’s only few who have a good heart and willingly do the act
for the sake of everyone.