Discuss the ways the filmmakers have presented the story Dracula.
Discuss the ways the filmmakers have presented the story Dracula. There have been many film adaptations of the novel 'Dracula' written by Bram Stoker (1897) the most well known of these is the film 'Nosferatu' (1921) directed by Fredrick Murnau and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992) created by Francis Ford Coppola. I will be discussing the ways the filmmakers have presented the story 'Dracula' by; the ways in which the directors have introduced the film: their portrayal of Dracula: the use of special effects and finally the myths and legends used in the destruction of Dracula. 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' by Francis Ford Coppola, and 'Nosferatu' directed by Murnau have both represented the story Dracula in different contexts. 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' was produced during 1992 and 'Nosferatu' was produced in 1921. Despite the time difference of approximately seventy years both films they resemble each other in various ways. They are similar in the fact they both contain a love story. For different reasons both films use subtitles. 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' uses subtitles for showing the speech; as the actors are speaking in a foreign language. Coppola could have had his actors speak English all the way through the film, but at that time Dracula is human and living in Transylvania. Coppola has the foreign language so the audience have a clear picture that the scene is set in a
The phantasmigoric nature of the Gothic genre.
The gothic genre has always placed a heavy emphasis on morbidness and sexuality, and sometimes both. Perhaps the most overtly sexualised gothic novel is the tale of Dracula. First published, in 1897, at the height of the sexually repressed Victorian era. The public were fascinated by this novel, as it expressed so much of their 'improper' unspoken feeling and curiosity. The imagery of sucking someone's neck to drink his or her blood is very symbolic and suggestive of blatant sexuality. This novel masked intense sexuality, but subliminally, the reader could ascertain what was occurring, using only slight inference. This titillated the prude Victorian public of the late 1800s. Stoker created a compromise where sex was extricated from its recognisable form, to the point where it was not only accomplished without genitalia, but also without guilt, and without love. Stoker had successfully projected the sexual undertones to a realm of fantasy, whereby it was deemed acceptable to a priggish Victorian public. If the novel had been set in London, and the innuendo had been in relationship to a Middle English household, it is highly probable that the book would have been met with righteous indignation, and never scaled the heights of popularity which it ultimately succeeded in doing. The phantasmigoric nature of the Gothic has always enabled it to be slightly more 'venturesome' in its
Van Helsing Dramatic Monologue- Dracula
Dramatic Monologue- Dracula, Van Helsing What are we to do? From the very moment I entered into this dreadful business, I have never felt such a pure rush of despair and anguish as I feel now. Not when the poor dear Miss Lucy passed away and became one of his, Dracula's, fiends, did I feel that all luck had deserted us. All that we have done so far in our efforts to protect Madam Mina has been but a useless attempt to save her soul. I shall never forget what has happened. It is as if the very image of that... that vile creature bending over our dearest lady has scorched my eyes and left its repulsive mark. I cannot help but think... we could have done more. I know the others are looking to me for an answer, a plan... and I feel their hopes resting heavily on my shoulders. I must not crack or back down... I am far too deep in this now. When we barged down the door together last night I think we all knew, in our heart of hearts, what we were about to behold. I fell into the dear Lady's room on my hands and knees, after bursting through the doorway. My heart failed once more when I saw the man... no, the fiend!... with poor Jonathon's wife in his cold hands! How I felt the rage rise up inside of me at the sight of that monster holding Mrs. Harker, her night dress torn and bloody, her face and mouth dirtied with his unclean blood! The vile scar on his forehead sent shivers
Gothic Horror Stories
Gothic Horror Stories Gothic horror is a type of romantic, horror fiction based on irrational fear that predominated in 18th century England. The term 'gothic' originated from the architectural style of the middle ages, but came to describe the dark, terrifying tales that achieved such popularity. Gothic horror can be determined by many things which exist in all gothic horror stories, for example eerie settings such as gothic monasteries, bleak comfortless castles, grave yards and cobwebbed rooms lit by guttering candles. It can also be determined by a unique character such as a beast, monster, ghost, evil creature and innocent person. Usually the innocent person is killed by the evil creature in a gothic horror story. Fear, supernatural and the macabre were also essential elements in gothic horror. I looked at six stories but I will focus on three of the stories which appear to fit the genre, these stories are 'The Judges House' written by Bram Stoker who lived from 1847 to 1912. It is about a person called Malcomson who moves into an old house. He gets disturbed by rats while living in the house and then gets killed by a judge. 'The Tell Tale Heart' written by Edgar Allen Poe who lived from 1809 to 1849.This is about a man who is killed by another man at his house, police go to the house after getting a disturbance call from the neighbours then the killer confesses about
The Presentation of Good vs. Evil in Dracula.
The Presentation of Good vs. Evil in Dracula One of the main themes of Dracula is the role of good and evil. The characters are on two different sides - some good, others evil. The only obvious 'evil' character is Dracula, however if you listen to what some of the other characters have to say, it is sometimes questionable whether they are good or if they are evil. It is not always easy to decide whether a character has an element of goodness in them, one of the ways to possibly tell is by what they wear. We all know that Dracula is on the evil side, however the way he dresses also expresses his personality. He is described early on, when Jonathan Harker first meets him as "A tall old man...clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere". This is the colour which we associate with evil, especially when we listed the kinds of words which we associate with evil. If we then compare what type of appearance Dracula has, with a 'good' character such as Lucy, we can see that she wears the complete opposite of colours to show the 'purity' and 'goodness' about her. Her figure was also described by Mina as white when she was seen with a black figure standing over her. Mina was out looking for Lucy and when she saw her said "When I almost got to the top, I could see the seat and the white figure". The fact that Lucy is again described as a 'white
