The Villain Introspective: The Jupiter Clan
The Jupiter Clan: Savage, Monsterous Desert Dwellers
(Appearing in The Hills Have Eyes)
When the Carter family heads into the desert (despite warnings from a gas station owner) on their way to California, they bring with them all the trappings of modern society: a high end (for the 1970's) camper, various electronics, even the family pets. A freak accident leaves them stranded, and they slowly begin to realize they are not alone in the wasteland; another family lives in the nearby hills, one that is cut off from society, save for a few items stolen or recovered from a nearby Air Force base. The entire situation quickly turns into an especially violent version of The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, and a lot of people die before the survivors escape.
But was the Jupiter clan (the hill-dwelling outsiders) really evil? There was an obvious lack of food in the desert, and they lacked many of amenities that we take for granted (they raid the camper looking for anything they can use). As much as this is a fight for survival of the two families, it's a fight for their respective ways of life. The Carters use their technology to protect themselves (from guns to radios to propane), while the Jupiter clan uses natural cunning and strength to assault the intruders into their land. Papa Jupiter and his family are working as much to protect their land from encroachment (ironically, the land where the original movie was filmed has been developed), and to acquire food (in this case, a baby) for their survival. They are representitive of those who throw off the shackles of technology, to live more in harmony with the land, only to find that modern society comes crashing in before long (similar to the Amish murders that occured last month).
Papa Jupiter just wants to protect his family (the law would probably come in guns blazing if they knew what was happening), and his sons want to survive, even if it means murder. The situation becomes more personal after the death of Mercury, when they become motivated by vengence as much as their own survival. This in turn leads to the Carters descent into savagery as they fight for survival and vengence themselves.
In the end, these people may want to eat you, but that's just the way they live. They aren't sadistic in the same way many other horror movie killers are, these people kill for food and protection. These are not psychotics so much as people far on the edge of society, with their own way of life that just happens to conflict with that of modern America (but would have been much less out of place two hundred years ago).
This all, of course, begs the question: how far would you go to protect your way of life?
(Appearing in The Hills Have Eyes)
When the Carter family heads into the desert (despite warnings from a gas station owner) on their way to California, they bring with them all the trappings of modern society: a high end (for the 1970's) camper, various electronics, even the family pets. A freak accident leaves them stranded, and they slowly begin to realize they are not alone in the wasteland; another family lives in the nearby hills, one that is cut off from society, save for a few items stolen or recovered from a nearby Air Force base. The entire situation quickly turns into an especially violent version of The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, and a lot of people die before the survivors escape.
But was the Jupiter clan (the hill-dwelling outsiders) really evil? There was an obvious lack of food in the desert, and they lacked many of amenities that we take for granted (they raid the camper looking for anything they can use). As much as this is a fight for survival of the two families, it's a fight for their respective ways of life. The Carters use their technology to protect themselves (from guns to radios to propane), while the Jupiter clan uses natural cunning and strength to assault the intruders into their land. Papa Jupiter and his family are working as much to protect their land from encroachment (ironically, the land where the original movie was filmed has been developed), and to acquire food (in this case, a baby) for their survival. They are representitive of those who throw off the shackles of technology, to live more in harmony with the land, only to find that modern society comes crashing in before long (similar to the Amish murders that occured last month).
Papa Jupiter just wants to protect his family (the law would probably come in guns blazing if they knew what was happening), and his sons want to survive, even if it means murder. The situation becomes more personal after the death of Mercury, when they become motivated by vengence as much as their own survival. This in turn leads to the Carters descent into savagery as they fight for survival and vengence themselves.
In the end, these people may want to eat you, but that's just the way they live. They aren't sadistic in the same way many other horror movie killers are, these people kill for food and protection. These are not psychotics so much as people far on the edge of society, with their own way of life that just happens to conflict with that of modern America (but would have been much less out of place two hundred years ago).
This all, of course, begs the question: how far would you go to protect your way of life?