Tracing The Shape 22: The Glancing Blow

It's finally time for our Final Girl and our Slasher to get to know one another intimately. All the pieces are in place, and all that's left is this, a clash between good and evil, light and dark, hope and horror.

And Michael Myers completely whiffs it...or does he?

We talked last time about how carefully Michael seems to have arranged all of this just for Laurie to find, from Annie's corpse in the bed to the rake against the back door to keep her locked in. He seems to know exactly what he's doing, who his target is, and what the stakes are. He even picked the perfect hiding spot, in a dark room just off the upstairs landing, where he can sneak up behind her and take care of business.

Instead, he slashes down her arm.

I am fascinated by this shot, because once again we're looking at a filmmaking craft decision done for effect which also has powerful implications for story and character. From a craft perspective, it's just a great bit of timing. Get Laurie horrified and cornered, fade up on Michael's face in the dark, let the moment linger just long enough for your audience to shout that he's right behind you, and then go in for the kill. Except the kill is a missed opportunity, which kicks off a chase scene, which gets Laurie back across the street and into the Doyle house for the finale. Logistically, it all makes sense, and Carpenter's use of those high synth notes to set it all off is beautiful.

From a character perspective, though, there are other things to consider. Michael's had no issue killing other people over the course of this film. He hasn't fumbled, or missed his chance, or been caught off-guard. He's extremely proficient at what he does, and in this case all he had to really do was put a hand around Laurie's throat and plunge the knife into her chest.

Instead, as she moves away, he offers one slow stab downward, catching her on the upper arm, enough to draw blood but far from a fatal wound.

Now, it's true that it's dark, and Michael's in a mask that limits visibility. It's also true that Laurie is stepping forward the second before Michael brings the knife down, so maybe he was really just aiming for her back and he missed. But does that sound like the Michael Myers we know at this point?

And it does not end with missing the easy stab wound. Michael lets these moments linger, even when Laurie is hobbled by a fall down the stairs. He holds back, watches from the bannister, from the top of the stairs, before chasing after her. Even after he punches through the kitchen door and steps inside, he stands there for a moment, just watching his prey, before moving in.

I don't think this means Michael doesn't want to kill Laurie, because after all, he does keep trying. I do think it means he considers Laurie to be something special, something worth lingering with, honoring in his own misogynistic, brutish way. Here is the girl who cares, the girl who pays attention, the girl who might have ruined his whole night if she'd just had the courage to say something to the right person that afternoon.

And from Michael's perspective, at least, this girl has arrived at a moment when has a freedom that didn't exist before in the film. He has made the Wallace house his own private abattoir. No one knows he's in there, no one can see what he's done with the other three teenagers except Laurie. Loomis is off on a wild goose chase, and the kids are out of the picture. He can let this one scream, let her fight, let her run, and he clearly intends to.

Michael Myers and Laurie Strode begin their battle with a glancing blow that feels deliberate, not just because Carpenter wanted a chase scene to happen, but because Michael understands the sheer power he wields here. Like so many real life serial killers, the thrill for him is in the act of domination, of playing with his food. But I think it might even go deeper than that. I think that Michael's been watching Laurie all day not just because he wants to kill her (though again, he definitely does) but because he wants to see what she'll do when death is staring her in the face. He wants to know if she'll stare back, and I think he has an inkling that she will.

Because Michael Myers doesn't just want to kill people. He wants to prove that he can't be stopped, and the only way to do that is to eventually go after the ones who can really fight back.

Next Time: The Scariest Scene in Halloween!