Olivia Hussey Invented the Final Girl Trope in ‘Black Christmas’

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  • Jess Bradford Is the Anti-Laurie Strode Final Girl
  • Jess’s Fate Is Left Uncertain in ‘Black Christmas’

At the tender age of sixteen, Olivia Hussey rose to international fame with her captivating portrayal of Juliet in the 1968 movie version of “Romeo and Juliet.” Although she passed away on December 27, 2024, her remarkable performance in the chilling 1974 horror film “Black Christmas,” where she played Jess Bradford, a sorority sister hunted by a serial killer during Christmastime, is what truly resonates with audiences.

Back in 1974, much like how ‘Black Christmas’ paved the way for the slasher genre, I found myself carving a niche in horror cinema history as one of its earliest final-girl heroines. A full decade before the term was even coined to describe the last standing woman in a horror flick, I earned my stripes as a final girl right alongside Sally Hardesty, the iconic final-girl protagonist from ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. As the sole survivor of ‘Black Christmas’, I stepped into the role of a final girl, standing tall alongside Sally, who was making history in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ at the same time.

In contrast to Sally Hardesty, who gained ‘final girl’ status through her powerful emotional response and resilience, Jess from Black Christmas stands out as a feminist symbol. Her survival isn’t reliant on male aid but instead on self-reliance. Over half a century after the film’s debut, Jess continues to be an exceptionally groundbreaking heroine. She challenged the traditional final girl archetype well before it was fully recognized.

Jess Bradford Is the Anti-Laurie Strode Final Girl

In its pioneering role as one of the first slasher films, “Black Christmas” set many horror genre conventions that lasted for decades. This film served as inspiration for John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” which adopted the visual style and eerie atmosphere from “Black Christmas,” but significantly deviated from the archetype of the final girl character, as exemplified by Jess in “Black Christmas.” Unlike the quiet, virginal Laurie Strode portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween,” Jess is depicted in “Black Christmas” as a sexually active, socially outgoing young woman who is also pregnant and expresses her intention to have an abortion.

In many horror films throughout the last half century, premarital sex has often been portrayed as leading to death, a trope commonly associated with characters like Laurie Strode. However, Black Christmas stands out by avoiding this stereotype in its character Jess, making it a uniquely and enduringly unconventional horror movie. For audiences tired of the sex-equals-death formula, Black Christmas offers a refreshing break from the norm.

Black Christmas challenges conventional notions about its characters’ moral purity, particularly with regards to the virgin-final girl trope, in a striking manner right from the beginning. This is evident when Clare, the character who appears to embody the traditional good-girl stereotype, becomes the unfortunate victim and the first to meet her end at the hands of the killer Billy. Post this chilling incident, Billy conceals himself within the sorority house’s attic for a significant portion of the movie.

‘Black Christmas’ Makes a Feminist Statement with Jess’s Pregnancy

One striking feature of Black Christmas and its introduction of the now common final girl trope is that the character Jess is pregnant and plans to terminate her pregnancy, which greatly displeases her estranged boyfriend, Peter. Over time, Peter becomes increasingly hostile towards Jess’s decision, eventually threatening her. However, Jess views this choice as an assertion of her personal freedom, motivated by her desire to pursue her life goals. Simultaneously, Peter’s hostility towards Jess’s decision provides a hint that he may be involved in the sorority house murders.

Although director Bob Clark claimed that “Black Christmas” didn’t carry any political messages, the careful reasoning behind Jess’s choice to have an abortion in the film has become a powerful fictional representation for many women facing similar real-life situations. Jess’s unyielding stance against Peter’s pressure in making this decision marks a significant milestone in the development of the final girl trope, particularly as “Black Christmas” was released just a year after the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortions.

Despite Peter being portrayed as a misogynist in the story, it doesn’t necessarily make him a murderer. On the contrary, by the end of the film, it appears that Peter is guilty, but the actual culprit, Billy, remains concealed in the attic. Additionally, following Jess’s role as the final girl in Black Christmas, there arises uncertainty about whether she will ultimately carry out her earlier resolute statements regarding the abortion, if she survives long enough to face that choice.

Jess’s Fate Is Left Uncertain in ‘Black Christmas’

Jess Bradford’s unique path as a final girl protagonist, deviating from typical norms, is particularly noticeable in the film Black Christmas. The movie concludes with an enigmatic scene where Jess, drowsy from sedation, lies sleeping in her sorority house bedroom. Meanwhile, the murderer of Jess’s friends, Billy, remains hidden in the attic. As the door to the attic creaks open and the ominous ringing of the house phone echoes, viewers are left with a chilling suspicion that Billy may return to slay the vulnerable Jess.

Despite the less-than-impressive remakes of the movie “Black Christmas”, the enigmatic and unsettling conclusion to the original film continues to spark intense debate over Jess’s fate, leaving viewers both intrigued and annoyed that a genuine sequel was never produced to clarify whether she survived or perished. The enduring interest in the film and its open-ended finale demonstrates that “Black Christmas” remains a timeless classic in the genre of Christmas horror, owing largely to Olivia Hussey’s impactful and groundbreaking portrayal of the final girl character. You can stream “Black Christmas” for free on Tubi, Peacock, and Pluto TV.

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2025-01-05 01:31