Even though it was made by an American, Black Christmas has a very strong Canadian sensibility. In his review of the film, David Alexander points to the killer in Black Christmas as a representation of the Canadian persona. Billy stands out against the traditionally macho film murders as a more “effeminate” presence. He is more emotional than logical, seems obsessed with motherhood, and has smaller features. Keeping with this, it is the stronger female characters that actually represent a threat to Billy, as the male characters often prove as impotent as the “loser” characters in Goin Down The Road.
However, the most notable difference between Black Christmas and American slasher horror is a lack of moralizing. Conventionally, promiscuous teens are the first to fall under the killer’s blade, but just the opposite is true in this case. The film’s heroine Jess is not only pregnant, but also planning an abortion. Conversely, the first to fall under the blade is the most innocent. This is a refreshing change from the heavy-handed moralizing that has become standard in American horror, and puts all of the characters in equal peril.
Before ‘Halloween’ (1978), there was Canada’s ‘Black Christmas’ (1974) (video)
