She Wore a White Dress

By Oriah Miller

I have always loved possession films. Ever since I watched ‘The Exorcist’ (1973) when I was arguably far too young. I was a little traumatised, but hooked. Since then, I have devoured pretty much every possession film out there, and while the genre may be a little repetitive, it never fails to deliver on iconic imagery. Take Regan from ‘The Exorcist’, in her white nightdress vomiting green slime. Or Nell from ‘The Last Exorcism’ (2010) contorting her body in her blood-stained white dress. Or Emily from ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ (2005) clutching a barbed wire fence wearing... hang on a minute. These women seem to have more in common than being invaded by demonic entities. They each wear something that seems to have become synonymous with possession - a white dress.  

But why is this? In horror, women who are possessed often begin the film as innocents (religion occasionally plays a part here). Then, they either supposedly initiate the possession by engaging in sinful behaviour, or have their innocence corrupted by a supernatural or demonic entity. Possession as an act is often portrayed as the corruption of innocence. In ‘The Exorcist’ the actions Regan carries out are inherently sexual. From masturbating with a crucifix, to trying to have sex with her Mother. In the book ‘The Monstrous Feminine’ (1993) Barbara Creed writes, “It is clearly significant that Regan is possessed when she is about to reach her thirteenth year, which marks the commencement of puberty, the threshold between girlhood and womanhood, the time when adolescent desires find shape and expression.” Regan’s white dress is an extension of her innocence, white being the colour of purity. As her condition worsens, her dress becomes more defiled with blood and other disgusting things I’d rather not mention. In ‘The Last Exorcism’ this is seen again when Nell, a young religious girl, is possessed by a demon. Nell wears a white dress for the majority of the film, which by the end, is covered in crimson blood splatters.  

But while the white dress has become a uniform for possessed women, men in possession films seem to have more flexibility in their wardrobes. Their outfits don’t seem to hold the same significance.  

So why are the wardrobes of possessed women so important in comparison to men? Take a look at Jack Torrance in ‘The Shining’ (1980), who is possessed by the evil Overlook Hotel. Jack is not exactly seen as innocent when the film begins, and his outfits are quite standard, often just a shirt and trousers. While for women, the white dress is used as an extension of their possession, for Jack this is not the case. A more modern example is the possession of Arne in the latest instalment to ‘The Conjuring’ universe, named ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ (2021). Arne is found by the police in a blood-stained top and trousers. These outfits fail to pack a punch and don’t seem to symbolise anything much.   

Another example of the differences in wardrobes of possessed men and women, comes with the remake of Pet Sematary (2019). The film follows Louis Creed, who attempts to bring back his son Gage from the dead after a tragic accident. When Gage returns however, he is possessed by an evil force. In the original 1989 version, when a young Gage is resurrected, he wears a long black top and trousers. In the remake however, it is instead Louis’s daughter Ellie who returns, wearing... you guessed it, a white dress. While I admit I am biased towards the original, I did wonder why this change was necessary. Having Ellie in a white dress injects connotations of purity in her outfit that were not present in the original film.  

The suggestion of innocence the white dress makes, plays a large part in the horror of possession films. If the person being possessed is initially viewed as innocent and pure, it is all the more terrifying when their body is corrupted. But why does gender seem to have such an effect on how possession is portrayed? If women have this ‘uniform’ of the white dress, why is there no male equivalent? It is important here to note that there is a severe lack of representation of non-binary and transgender people within this genre. Perhaps with more representation, the role and costuming of gender within the genre would change.  

So, what makes the possession of Nell in The Last Exorcism, different to say, the possession of Jack in The Shining? The horror in The Shining comes from Jack as a physically imposing force, his strength and rage are what present the immediate danger.  

While Jack’s case is violent, it lacks the sexual themes that tend to underpin female possession. Women in possession films are seen as being corrupted from the inside. They contort their bodies and speak in inhuman voices. When a woman is possessed, every inch of her body is used to incite fear in the audience. In The Last Exorcism the actress who plays Nell has hypermobility and performs all the contortion stunts herself. These scenes are graphic and arguably fall into the realm of body horror. When men are possessed, they are violent, but the elements of body horror are often lacking. It seems that women’s bodies are viewed more as a direct source for horror, perhaps this is why the white dress is so common. It is an externalisation of femininity. The white dress has become a symbol of the audience's fear of the feminine, and what might happen when it is corrupted.  

So, is it time that costume designers retired the white dress? While it has been a part of many unforgettable moments in possession cinema, it could be viewed as somewhat outdated or cliche. Even so, I’m not sure I see it going anywhere any time soon. Until that day comes, I’ll pray I am never possessed as unfortunately, I’ve never looked good in white. 

Oriah Miller is a budding screenwriter and film student currently studying at UWE Bristol. She has just finished writing and directing her first short film, which will be released later this year. After graduating, Oriah plans to continue to write films while also pursuing her passion for spoken word and poetry.

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