Examine how the Aspects of Good and Evil are Presented/Portrayed in the film "Bram Stokers 'Dracula".

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Oliver Eaton

Examine how the Aspects of Good and Evil are Presented/Portrayed in the film “Bram Stokers ‘Dracula”

         Film today can be very powerful as a means of expression and communication. Often the most diminutive detail can have a tremendous i8mpact on an audience encompassing all ages. These details often come from a range of media devices. They have a profound affect on how the director attempts to express a scene. One of the most recurrent themes since the launch of film has to be the element of ‘Good and Evil.’ A prime example of this is Bram Strokers ‘Dracula.’ The film is based on a book written by Abraham Stoker in the 1800’s. During this time England was fascinated by the Gothic. Darwin had brought up the theory of evolution, giving the idea that man evolved from prime apes. This all built up to eventually influence Bram Stroker to write the amazing ‘Dracula.’ In this essay I will be conducting an analysis on the contrasts between the element of Good and Evil. I will be studying how they are both portrayed in the film.

           The opening scenes in films often set the mood for the remainder. The beginning of the film is crucial in impacting the audience enough to make them stay and watch. The introduction to Dracula was very effective. The initial colours used involved shades of misty red and black already establishing the element of death. The mist also allowed scenes to fade into each other building up the aspect of mystery and heightening the audience’s anticipation. The music created a strong horror effect that had a big part to play in setting the atmosphere to how the director required it to be. The majority of music played in the opening scenes was played with the lower strings (cello, double bass); these instruments are often used to implicate the element of good and evil. The lighting was very dark and dismal which reflects the era ‘Old England’ was going through. Especially in the fight, the figures were black and there was a dark red background which alludes to the thought of blood and death yet again. The turning point in the film was when Dracula returned from battle and found his beloved wife Elizabata lying dead on the step beneath Christ’s cross. In the letter Elizabata wrote there is immense irony in when it states “May our souls be reunited.” In anger Dracula strikes the bleeding cross it’s symbolic of when Jesus was Bleeding on the cross. The drinking of the blood is as a result of turning to the devil. When the blood trickles down the religious icons it symbolises the extent of hurt Dracula’s giving as he renounces God. In the closing stages of the introduction Dracula lets his full anger out as he realises Elizabata is dammed and she cannot be saved it is Gods law. This forced Dracula into a tremendous roar eventually fading into the film title ‘Dracula.’

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             In film the scenes following this type of introduction should set the plot and introduce the key characters. In Dracula the next few scenes had a direct contrast in colour to the introduction. This was meant to show how diverse the atmospheres were between the two eras. The first scene was set in a perfect, almost paradise like Garden. This set the Romantic like atmosphere for what the scene was to contain. Mina Murtay (played by Winona Ryder) is a very pessimistic girl who was fond of many things including her fiancé, Jonathon Harquer ...

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