Benson-Allott argues that the celluloid images of Grindhouse “are not intended to fool the spectator into thinking she is watching a damaged film print; rather, they pervert the whole notion of the film print as a material substrate that bears an image. The substrate becomes part of the spectacle, a perversion of medium and content that undermines the received significance of both” (199). This argument that celluloid’s function as a “character” ultimately degrades the imagery for being inherent to the older film medium might contrast with the apparent nostalgia for celluloid that Rodriguez and Tarantino lay claim to, but it works well in conjunction with depictions of and commentary regarding gender in both films.
In Planet Terror, extreme depictions of film damage via celluloid are consistently associated with regressive depictions of gender roles, from the opening dance sequence through the attempted rape sequence. The more damaged the film becomes, the more women’s bodies are victimized, injured, objectified, segmented, and subsequently distorted as well via the celluloid. The film is also excessively damaged during Bruce Willis’ monologue, which depicts the white and macho American military member being victimized by the character Abby, who is presented as being violently amoral in conjunction with his identity as a potential sexual other. When the film appears to be older and the celluloid becomes more prominent, attitudes toward women and other minority populations become more reactionary and conservative.
Consequently, Death Proof’s movement away from the use and prevalence of celluloid reflects its attempts at more subversive or feminist portrayals of the film’s women. The film’s “missing reel” censors the exploitative lap dance that is referenced, and unlike the “missing reel” of Planet Terror, none of the scene is shown before the cut. Tarantino frequently replaces film damage through celluloid with skipping or stuttering images and dialogue. This occurs notably at the end of the film, when the image of Kim punching Stuntman Mike while calling him “Motherfucker” repeats itself multiple times. The film’s artificial damage, unlike that of Planet Terror, functions not only to provide visual clarity to the women’s revenge, but also to allow for the repetition and reproduction of their violent empowerment. The alternate manifestations of film damage and attitudes toward celluloid in both films ultimately associate celluloid itself with the misogynist values that grindhouse films presented.
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