How does Halloween relate to the four media theorists?

Tzvetan Todorov

Todorov was the theorist that suggested that all movies start with an equilibrium (normality) and this is where opposing forces are in perfect symmetry and balance, this is then disturbed by something bad. In halloweens' case i dont think this is relevant at all because i feel that there was never and equilibrium to start with, as the movie starts with Michael Myers murdering his sister. and then we come to the present day where there is some form of an equilibrium as nothing bad has happened and no one really knows that Michael has escaped from prison. The equilibrium is the perfectly disturbed by Michael going after the teenagers and successfully killing them. In a 'Classic Hollywood' the equilibrium would now be restored by Michael being killed and everything returning to normal. But in Halloweens case this is not true as Michael is defeated but not killed as he disappears at the end of the movie.

Vladimir Propp

Propp looked at 100's of folk tales to see what structures they shared if any, he found that they mainly share 8 character roles and in the case of Halloween this is how they relate.
The Villain - Michael Myers
The Hero - The Doctor
The Donor - The Sheriff 
The Helper - The Sheriff also
The Princess - N/A
Her Father - N/A
The Dispatcher - N/A
The False Hero - N/A

Claude Levi-Strauss

Strauss suggested that most structures of films are based upon binary oppositions for an example Good and Evil are complete binary oppositions. And so for Halloween you could say that Michael Myers is Evil and Laurie is Good, also we can say that Night and Day is a huge one in Halloween because all of the murders take place at night and during the day Michael only stalks the teenagers. Known and Unknown is also one binary opposition that you could put in because we only ever see Micheal's face as a boy and when he is older we never see his real face only ever the mask and this gives a real sense of mystery in the film.

Bordwell and Thompson


These theorists suggest that everything in the narrative is important even if it isn't suggested or explained in the story. Its everything that makes the story rich and full. In Halloween at the start when the young Micheal Myers kills his sister we don't know why he did it? all we see is him doing it and then that finishes. but it must be important to the story.