The Rocky Horror Picture Show Literary Elements

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Literary Elements

Director

Jim Sharman

Leading Actors/Actresses

Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff, Patricia Quinn as Magenta

Genre

horror comedy musical

Language

English

Awards

winner of the Academy Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films of the year 1980

Date of Release

15 August 1975

Producer

Michael White, Lou Adler

Setting and Context

year 1974, town Denton

Narrator and Point of View

Narrated by a criminologist played by Charles Gray

Tone and Mood

Tone: contemplating
Mood: nightmarish

Protagonist and Antagonist

Protagonist: Brad and Janet, a young couple in need of help on a stormy night; Antagonist: Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the mad scientist

Major Conflict

Brad and Janet, a young and naive couple find themselves stuck on a stormy night in the middle of nowhere. They decide to look for help in a creepy looking castle.

Climax

Riff Raff reveals that he and Magenta are aliens from a Transsexual, Transylvania planet that came to Earth to test Frank, who failed in his mission. Riff Raff kills Frank and leaves with the entire castle, which is also their spaceship.

Foreshadowing

Several characters that will appear later in the castle, appear at the beginning of the movie in front of the church as wedding guests.

Understatement

"One for the vaults" -Dr. Frank after brutally killing Eddie.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

The movie begins with a black screen with only visible lips singing the introduction song. The lips belong to a female while the voice is male, indicating the theme of gender fluidity and androgyny in the movie.

Allusions

Allusions to various classic horror movies and tropes. Most prominent is the allusion to Frankenstein.

Paradox

N/A

Parallelism

"Emotion, agitation or disturbance of the mind. Vehement or excited mental state." -the narrator

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