A thematic deconstruction of HIM
Avarie McKinnon-Forgeron, Contributor
Released on Sept. 19, Justin Tipping’s fourth film, HIM, explores the relationship between sacrifice and integrity in the pursuit of greatness.
HIM follows the life of Cameron Cade, an aspiring professional football quarterback who suffers from a potentially career ending injury after being attacked by a violent fan. When all seems lost for Cam, he receives an offer to train at an isolated compound with his long time idol, Isaiah White. As his training progresses, Cam is subjected to Isaiah’s deranged approach to attaining success, which leads him down a path of disorientation, forcing him to confront the darker aspects of his dream.
This film garnered a large amount of anticipation given the story pursues many underutilized themes in the horror genre. As a result, HIM certainly offers originality to audiences, however, Tipping misses the mark with the lack of clarity and execution of the plot throughout the film.
The film HIM lends itself to multiple criticisms and challenges regarding depth, leaving many audiences disappointed and wondering where the tension and richness of the trailer elapsed. The lack of direction in the film’s plot ultimately swayed audience perceptions, leaving them polarized.
Nonetheless, this obscurity can often contribute to making films more engaging, but in the case of HIM, the uncertainty of the plot distracts from the excellent stylistic choices made by Tipping. HIM is a film that favoured style over substance, which subsequently distracted the filmmakers from utilizing the potential the plot possessed.
Football and war
HIM is a representation of the ways in which masculinity is presented by the mainstream media, and how idols shape ideas of success and self-worth. Accordingly, a main theme explored in the film is idealised masculinity and the expectations of young men in society.
Stemming from rugby and soccer, football originated as a way to ensure young men were strong enough to be successful in society, and more violently, combat, through experience and exposure.
There are many parallels between war and football in the film, which were explored through stylistic techniques. This approach created a chaotic and dangerous atmosphere, which portrayed the roots of football as a culture based on violence.
Several times throughout the film, Cam’s mentor, Isaiah, refers to himself as a killer. In turn, this could be interpreted as the filmmakers drawing the connection that the purpose of football was to create strong young men in society.
Specifically, this theme was evoked to emphasise the values passed down through generations of men who fought in war and feared that the upcoming generations of young men would be too weak to fight.
Moreover, Isaiah references the mentors which came before him, and the subsequent effect they had on his idea of success. This was symbolically represented through blood, which is an ever present source of recovery and strength throughout the film.
The historical precedents established within the film represent Cam’s belief that violence is paramount to success. The flashing lights, continuous body gore, and repetitive imagery simulate the brutality of these themes, which include those of combat and war.
During Cam’s training with Isaiah in the film, pain and suffering are used to build this tension and simulate the historical symbolism football holds for war and America. HIM thus provides a layered critique of football culture being so revered in America.
Institutions of football and assimilation
HIM further explores the historical roots of football through Isaiah’s mentions of the incredibly successful Native American football team, the Carlisle Indians.
The college football team was created to generate publicity for the Carlisle Indian Industrial school, which was intended to assimilate Native American children into mainstream American society.
However, the Carlisle football team provided an opportunity for players to rebel against an oppressive system. The Carlisle Indians ultimately became one of the most successful football teams in America and defeated multiple Ivy League schools including Yale, Princeton, and Harvard.
While the Carlisle team created the forward pass and used innovative plays to defeat Ivy League schools, many of the plays they used were not widely accepted by the football community at the time.
The contribution of the Carlisle Indians in shaping the modern rules of football has been largely forgotten. In the film, however, this is represented by Isaiah emphasising the role of mascots when he warns Cam not to meet the same fate as the Carlisle Indians.
This element provides another critique of American football, which implies that institutional football is based on hypocrisy in policy and the commodification of players. While the mascot is intended to represent historical significance and treatment of players by the industry, the incongruity of the plot heavily distracts from this relevant theme throughout the film.
The film creates a world explicitly defined by the gruesome reality of commercialised football. It does so by capitalising on body horror, harsh editing, emotive lighting, and masterful cinematography. The techniques used construct a mesmerising viewing experience that captures the cruel reality behind obsession and sacrifice.
Unfortunately, the direction of stylisation was not adequate in weaving together a cohesive story that provided the audience with enough exposition to truly portray the unexplored depth behind the central themes.
Nonetheless, the film includes some stand-out stylistic elements. The large amount of gray concrete used with bright pops of colour portray professional football excellently. These elements serve to demonstrate that football is ultimately highly commercialised and does not acknowledge the darker aspects of the sport for players and its origins.
HIM as a film has excellent stylistic and cultural elements, however, the lack of cohesiveness in the plot undermines the potential for the film to have greater depth.
