Examine how the aspects of good and evil are presented in the film 'Bram Strokes' 'Dracula' portrayed.

Authors Avatar

March 9th 2005 Alex Browning 11 SOUTWORTH (Redraft)

Examine how the aspects of good and evil are presented in the film ‘Bram Strokes’ ‘Dracula’ portrayed.

‘Dracula’ could be seen as the world’s most famous horror story and definitely the world’s most well-known example of the fascination that grew with monsters and demons such as vampires. It was written by Bram Strokes in 1887 and radically changed the view of demonic figures during the 1800’s.

The video is based on the book ‘Dracula’ written by Abraham Stroker in the 1800’s. During this time England was fascinated by the gothic idea of ‘the beast within man’ and you could say Bram Stroker’s ‘Dracula’ was inspired by theorists such as Charles Darwin. Darwin was a theorist, who was greatly influenced by the geologist Adam Sedgwick and the naturalist John Henslow in his development of the theory of natural selection, which was to become the foundation concept supporting the theory of evolution. Darwin’s theory holds that environmental effects lead to varying degrees of reproductive success in individuals and groups of organisms. Natural selection tends to promote adaptation in organisms when necessary for survival. This revolutionary theory was published in 1859 in Darwin’s now famous treatise on the “Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”. This theory can be seen through the certain scene in the film for example, when Dracula changes/turns into the Beast which looks and/or represents a Werewolf. The content of Dracula amazed people of old, by being very doubtful of Christianity and that their was a darker even stronger side and carved future depictions of the legendary, commonly known evil demons. There have been many different interpretations of the story in many films each valuing Stroker’s ideas throughout, but with modern alteration to suit progressive beliefs on vampires.

‘Dracula’ is a story of two humans in love, one goes by the name of Prince Vlad a.k.a 'Vlad the Impaler' (he is a descendant of Attila the Hun) and his beautiful princess Elizabeta. In the introduction to the film we see the camera moving in ‘snapshot form’ to a high angle/plan view of a bricked floor and we see the cross falling (like how Elizabeta falls with her Christianity and dies into hell in damnation) and then the cross shatters as it hits the ground. The Christian Cross falls from a high angle where the camera follows it falling. It then smashes as it plummets to the ground. This is supposed to signify that God has failed in the way it shatters and/or the fact that Jesus is no longer among us as we ‘enter’ into the film to give the idea of a lack of Jesus’ power in the beginning of the film and as in religious iconoclasm. The cross also symbolises Jesus Christ and the fact that he is always there and always among us.

In my opinion I think the colours and lighting represent a strong influence on how the film is brought across and it is mainly in darkness showing the strong hold of darkness in the film. Then there is a black and red fog covering the cross as if to bring a message that the cross is shadowed by the darkness and holds no power.

The first scenes are set during the 1400’s, when the Muslim Turks are spreading a conquering force across Europe. The Turks reach Transylvania and a resistance force has risen known as the ‘Dracul’, which used the image of the Dragon as their emblem/symbol. Prince Vlad Dracolya or Count Dracul is the leader of the ‘Dracul’.

Join now!

In the video we see Vlad going out to a battle which Elizabeta knows he might never return from.  They say their ‘good byes’ as if they were never to see each other again because Elizabeta is Vlads’ beloved whom he values more than anything. He then goes out to fight the Turks in a Devilish red suit of armour which looks like it has muscles as the armour plates. I think the armour is how it is to show who and what he becomes on the battlefield and implications of what he can become later on into the film. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay