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Modern adaptation of dracula
Similarities between film and LITERATURE
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The Presentation of the Story Dracula by the Filmmakers
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 foreign country and so they do not get confused
about where the film is set.
The subtitles used in Nosferatu are used to show the spoken word, as
the film is silent. To an audience watching 'Nosferatu' the subtitles
are very important because they show parts of the fil...
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... novel because it would have classed as copyright. This is why
the film is set in Bremen, Jonathon Harkers wife is called Nina (not
Mina like in the novel) and there are significant changes to the
original storyline.
Both the directors use the special effects available to them at the
time to the limit. It is true that Coppola uses more complex special
effects to give the film a more mystical reality but Murnau is equally
as innovate and creative as Coppola with the special effects he is
able to use.
Coppola is the most inventive director. This is mainly because of the
way he has linked the film with the historical points of the real
Dracula. Coppola also adds the scene of when Dracula goes to war. At
that time the area known as Transylvania was at war with the Turks
(this is not mentioned in the original book).
The novel Dracula by Bram Stoker has plentiful examples of key concepts we have examined in class including: Purity and impurity, magical thinking, strong emotions such as disgust and shame, , formalization, and myth. In this essay I will summarize events that take place within the novel when the protagonists deal with Dracula and then relate these events to the key concepts to demonstrate why the characters view him as dangerous, and therefore something to be avoided completely.
Religion was the core of his tale, and modeled it. On one side were the humans and on the other Dracula. Through their struggles to defeat the monster, they experienced changes in gender roles, which was also present in real time.
A newspaper clipping from September 18 reports that a large wolf escaped from its cage for a night and returned the next morning, On the night of the 17th, Lucy records how she awakes, frightened by a flapping at the window and a howling outside. Her mother comes in, frightened by the noise, and joins her in bed. Suddenly, the window is broken, and a huge wolf leaps in. Terrified, Lucy's mother tears the garlic wreath from her daughter's neck and then suffers a heart attack and dies. Lucy loses consciousness, and when she regains it, the wolf is gone. The four household maids come in and are terrified by the sight of the body; they go to have a glass of wine, but the liquid is drugged and they pass out. Lucy is left alone, and she hides her diary, writing at the end that the "air seems full of specks, floating and circling . . . and the lights burn blue and dim. (Stoker 117)" This part in the book keeps the reader on the edge of his seat to read as to what will occur next. Is baffling to me as to why Copola decided not to include it in the movie. I think that this primarily had to do with the fact that in the movie Dracula was percieved to be a loving person of sorts and not a monster as thought of in the book.
Loosely based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film is the story of a
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
The most prominent resemblance between Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and the infamous Apocalypse Now (1979) is the glimmer sense of realism thorough the movie. The director, Francis Ford Coppola has been known for his verisimilitude; effortlessly creating and directing each setting in the film looks schematized and deliberately natural. Innately, the one of the most apparent functions of a setting is to create an impression of reality that presents the viewer a sense of a real place and time and the sensation of being there. His consciousness of realism admits the great importance of an authentic setting play in making his films overwhelmingly imaginable. With a judiciously supervision from the director, numerous factors such as location and setting, costume and visual design contribute to a successful plausible film.
In society, the significance of social status and role is observable with both genders. This includes the acceptable behaviors and responsibilities for both men and women within one’s culture. It is a constant struggle to follow these established guidelines in order to preserve a good reputation and not possess a low social status. In Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, the different characters each represent a different stand in the transformation from “True Woman” to the “New Woman” that surfaced in the late nineteenth century. This new idea made women more independent, with their lives no longer revolving around their husbands, and most importantly created a big change in social expectations. The characters Lucy, Mina, and the three brides of Dracula play a part in revealing Stoker’s belief that social status is changed for the worse with this change in women’s roles.
Over the course of cinematic history, many filmmakers have attempted to recreate the chilling, unprecedented world of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Arguably very few have succeeded, for the majority of directors tend to avoid the pervasive sexuality inherent in the novel. It is a difficult task to achieve, considering the blatant imagery surrounding sex and vampirism, such as the reproduction following a vampiric encounter and the phallocentric nature of the violence committed both by and against these creatures: penetration is involved in their hunting, and one must impale them with a stake in order to destroy them. Readers are thereby forced to admit that Dracula is, in fact, a highly eroticized piece of literature, though whether or not Stoker himself was aware of this suggestiveness, we cannot be sure. The most successful effort at capturing that sexual energy on film has been Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula. In fact, it has often been proposed that Coppola’s version is too carnally focused in comparison to the original work, which leads a viewer to wonder about the purpose in this overt sexualization. It can be concluded that adding copious amounts of eroticism to the film is directly related to Coppola’s strive to depict Count Dracula as more human rather than monster, and sexuality in his film serves as a balance so that the lines between good and evil are blurred. Evidence for this deduction is found in three scenes in particular: Jonathan’s seduction by Dracula’s vampiric wives, Lucy’s demonic transformation, and Mina and Van Helsing’s relationship during the climax of the story.
From Transylvania to Hollywood, vampires have transformed from unfamiliar, mysterious personalities to one of the most dominant monsters in the horror genre today. Vampires are one of the oldest and most noted creatures in mythology, with many variations of them around the world. Although the most famous version is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, many variants have come before and after telling of the same legend with their own added ideas and modifications to relate to their cultures. Today, there is a multitude of literary and film works that convey and resurface peoples’ fear of vampires. As gothic works like Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire directed by Scott Jeralds share certain traits reflective of the genre;
The biggest difference is the fact that unlike in the earlier vampire tales, modern vampires are perceived as inhumanly attractive. Afterall, Dracula is described as a “tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white mustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of color about him anywhere.” (Dracula, 42). Whereas in Twilight, “Everyone of them was chalky pale… They all had very dark eyes despite the range in their hair...were all, devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful.” (Twilight, 18-19). Another dissimilarity is that Dracula does not have a reflection. While Jonathan Harker may be unable to see the Count in his mirror, in Twilight, Edward shows up in pictures and has a reflection. Lastly, another major difference between the two kinds of vampires lies in their sleeping habits. Twilight vampires do not sleep in coffins, in fact, they do not sleep at all. But in Dracula, Jonathan discovers the count sleeping in a
Why is Dracula such a great horror story? In my opinion 'Dracula' is a great horror story because it is highly entertaining in its idea of vampirism, its atmospheric descriptions, powerful characterisation and the horrific death of Lucy. The novel is also interesting because of the religious perspectives, such as the use of garlic, holy water and the crucifix as weapons against evil. Jonathan Harker's journey to Count Dracula's home is described in great detail.
Comparing the 1931 version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, with Frances Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula 1993 version yields some similarities. Both films are of the same genre: Horror. Both films are set around the same time period. Also, both deal with a vampire coming to England and causing disruptions in people's lives. Beyond these few similarities are numerous contrasts.
In act 2 scene 6 and act 3 scene 6 of the play ‘Dracula’, the
Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is a classic tale of Gothicism. Traditionally, gothic tales only carried single theme of horror. Through Dracula, Stoker breaks this single theme barrier. The theme throughout Dracula is clearly displayed through the characters as they step from ignorance to realization in this tale of horror.
Dracula, the most famous vampire of all time, which readers were first introduced to by Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897 with his novel Dracula, which tells the story of the mysterious person named Count Dracula (Stoker). The book is an outstanding masterpiece of work, which is why it has been a prototype for various movie releases over the decades. Whenever a film director decides to make a movie on behalf of a novel the hope is that the characters concur from the novel to the movie, which leads to the exploration of the resemblances and modifications between the characters in Dracula the novel by Bram Stoker and Bram Stoker’s Dracula 1992 movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola.