Van Helsing Film Analysis

Authors Avatar

Vicrant Shabla        Unit 01 Understanding the Media        BW026

Task 3: Film Analysis

Van Helsing

Abraham Van Helsing is one of the characters in the Stokers novel Dracula. The significance is that Bram Stokers first name is a short version of Abraham. Van Helsing is more of a classic movie archetype.

He wears a black cape, black coat and black hat. Also owns a duster, like one of those western dusters but its black. He in sense is an outsider. He’s not a monster as Frankenstein. He is still viewed a something not normal, but something out of the ordinary.

This movie falls into the genre of action/horror/fantasy. It contains various frightening images and sensuality which all have different meanings. Horror is an index of ‘fright’, which we are portrayed throughout the movie. The audience at first will not know of it being a horror movie, the incidents tend to build up and further on scary monsters are shown.

The first fifteen minutes of Van Helsing are promising, a black and white prologue depicting mad scientist Frankenstein and his monstrous creation is a nice little homage to the universal pictures of past times. The opening scene is also iconic of Horror such as the old movie ‘blood’ which was made in 1974.This movie was a horror but with a complete different story. A Werewolf in 1930s London teams up with Dracula’s son. There are loads of gruesome gory scenes they are far from the advanced and high technology effect in Van Helsing. Blood was a quality movie for its originality and style. The main icons in Van Helsing are Van himself, Dr.Hyde.Dracula and the Werewolf. Van Helsing is the main source of the movie; he is one of the key icons as his actions reflect on all the other characters.

 When Van Helsing is in the laboratory of the Roman Church he sees the portrait of Count Dracula, Valerious the Elder, Boris Valerious, Prince Velkan and Princess Ann all these are icons because they represent themselves.

The 3 brides of brides of Dracula are a possible surprise highlight of the film turning from beautiful women to ugly creatures. At the point one of his brides dies, the other two go back to Dracula and weep in sorrow as of his anger. The sound used is a loud echoing of cries which changes into more of a pleasuring snivel. This point is actually when we see Dracula for the first time, he is in an icy coffin and dressed in pure black. This is a further icon of evil and the icy coffin is a connotation of his icy heart which he does not have as he says himself.

Join now!

The Dracula is another important icon presented in the movie, it portrays evil and darkness. It is actually him who will condemn the whole family to eternal damnation if Ann dies before him .Van Helsing I s an icon because of its goodness and clarity. Here two characters collide, and they continue to through the movie. Up until the point they are faced with each other at the end.

The movie has very sharp edges to it and thought out ideas. ‘Blood’ is just alike, as its plentiful and the effects are precise. This is a sign of danger, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay