The Grand Guignol: Not for the Faint of Heart

Le Théâtre de Grand-Guignol, literally translated from French as "The Theatre of The Big Puppet Show", was a theatre that formed in a chapel inside Paris' red light district in the late 19th century. Renowned for it's displays of graphic horror and gore, the theatre gained a large cult following. It's actors (no, they weren't puppets) simulated astonishingly realistic acts of violence and sex such as hangings, stabbings, rape and all kinds of beatings.

The shows were so terrifying for it's audiences that it was common that at least two people fainted during the performances, many times up to fifteen people per night. Even the actors were injured and sometimes killed because of the shows. A doctor was kept on call every night in case of these events.

The Grand Guignol eventually closed in the sixties, unable to compete with the effects of cinema. But, the subgenre of horror movies known as splatter film was heavily influenced and based on the naturalistic effects invented at The Grand Guignol. Things such as inflatable animal bladders and pumps hidden under actor's clothes to spew out blood when cut were used at the theatre and adapted for the screen.

        

Many of today's splatter films such as the Saw franchise and movies like The Evil Dead were impacted by the shock factor that The Grand Guignol brought. The gore we know today started on the stage, and grew into a cinematic genre all of its own. The theatre pushed their actors and their audiences to the limits, exploring the horrific and bizarre, paving the way for horror cinema. Now, The Grand Guignol has reopened for special performances, allowing audiences to see what inspired the great gore films throughout history.