Nosferatu a Symphony of Horror and Sunrise: A song of two humans, are silent films directed by F.W. Murnau made in the 1920's. Sunrise tells the story of two young lovers that rekindle their romance, and Nosferatu is a horror adaptation of Bram Stoker’s, Dracula. While they differ in genre, both are similar in that they consist of a young couple that encounter a threatening situation. The element of space becomes an interesting aspect relevant to both films as it is used to foresee the events of what is to come in the plot. In Noseferatu, enclosed spaces evoke the feelings of uneasiness and no escape. In Sunrise, it is the open space that provides hope for the romance of the couple. The surroundings in the given space relate to the character's …show more content…
"The man is torn between two spaces, each inhabited by a woman. The inside beckons with its comfortable domesticity; the outside calls the promise of a strange and forbidden passion." The fact that the husband's struggle to commit to the murder of his wife occurs on open and calm water indicates that the situation can go either way. He is in the middle of his two choices emotionally and physically, being in between the city and his home. The husband begins to paddle with force and anxiousness to the land where he receives his desired encounter with a strange and forbidden passion, just not with the woman of which he thought. The open field represents the room to change ones mind, and the freedom to escape all wrong paths and dangers. The wife starts to run through the field to escape, as her husband runs after her, as he decided to choose her. The open field is not only reassuring the audience that the man made his choice of who he wants, but it is the only safety net provided to the wife in the scene. They could have stayed on the water, or paddled back to the same and familiar home they once knew, but instead their journey together begins on an entirely new territory, as they are now entirely new people. Once on the train there is the slight feeling of hope beyond the heartbreak the wife feels. As the train continues on, the audience is left to think that despite what recently occurred the couple will be 'out of the woods' in regards to their marital problems soon
Have you ever seen Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark? In that movie if you’re paying attention you can see a faithful reproduction of the biblical account of the Ark of the Covenant – the most sacred of all objects from the Bible. It is gilded with Gold, with fine woods and carvings – with the figures of two cherubs (keruvim – those who bring God close) on top – wings outstretched and barely touching at the point where God’s presence might one day descend and perhaps glow brightly like a metaphoric shining light of truth and knowledge.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is not only a classic story of men and monsters, but a dramatic reactionary work to the perceived threats to Victorian society in nineteenth century England. In modern times there have been many film adaptations of the novel, each developing a unique analysis or criticism of the literary text within the framework of the society and time period in which it was created. The 1972 film Blacula is one of the most culturally specific variations on the story of Dracula, and highlights many of the themes and messages found in Stoker’s original text. Among the primary similarities between the novel and the film is the portrayal of race, sexuality, nationality, and culture, and the characterization in each work speaks to the fears and ideals of their respective dominant societies.
Anyone who has ever seen one of the several adaptations of Dracula as a movie will know that it was intended to be a horror story. Stoker goes to great lengths in order to create an atmosphere of terror and villainy, while hinting at exciting things to come. Straight from the beginning of the book, foreshadowing is utilized to hint at horrifying future events. As Jonathan Harker was about to depart for Castle Dracula, an old lady accosted him and said, "It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that to-night when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?" (Stoker, 4). However Harker leaves anyway, despite the warning. Thus the reader is fully aware that something awful is going to happen to him. This quote makes one's mind think of possible future events, thus creating imagery. Every writer aspires to create good imagery, and Bram Stoker is particularly good at doing so.
Not the End Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness’s are two magnum opuses to quest the evil and virtuous human nature. They have some similar and different places among the story plots, characterizations, and environments. At the same time, they reflect the exploration of the human nature in a different era and the exploration is not the end. At the beginning, the two works have plentiful the same “story” (Dorall 303). Heart of Darkness tells a story about Marlow, a young captain.
It can be argued that the theme of light VS darkness is used to good
As of late, society has stolen the traditional idea of a vampire. These undead creatures are manipulated in countless genres and media, ranging from comedic reliefs and complex villains to sparkly heartthrobs. Songs, video games, movies, books, and TV shows all are guilty of this. Movies in particular have done the most with vampires, and clearly show their evolution in society’s eyes. In the earliest movies such as Nosferatu; directed by F. W. Murnau, and Dracula; directed by Todd Browning and Karl Freund, vampires are used as devices of horror. They are meant to be unhuman and terrifying. As time passes, they become portrayed in sympathetic lights and with more human traits. Emotions such as love, guilt, and fear were added to vampire vocabulary,
In the Harlequin romance Time of the Temptress, by Violet Winspear, the author seems to be trying to write an intelligent story of romance, bettered by its literary self-awareness. She fails on both counts. Winspear appears to recognize that more valued literature tends to involve symbolism and allusions to other works. It seems she is trying to use archetypes and allusions in her own novel, but her references to alternate literature and culture are embarrassingly obvious and awkward. Another inter-literary connection, though, is more difficult to notice unless the book is pondered -- something the typical romance reader is not likely to do. Although Winspear attempts to give her book literary value by tying it to Gone With the Wind, because of the limitations of her chosen genre, and her own apparent inabilities as a writer, she cannot grasp the depth that makes Gone With the Wind a highly regarded romance work.
F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu was a powerful commentary on disease and lust for its time. The character of Count Orlok himself was a metaphor for most evils such as disease, lust, and death. Towards the end of the film, people began to get sick from a disease that originated from Transylvania. What also causes widespread epidemics is that people unknowingly carry them into their home countries. Paranoia of the disease is also a crucial element of the film. The film’s innovative use of shadows and lighting also add more depth and suspense to the film and adds on to the commentary and social themes of the film. The iconic scene where Orlok went up the staircase and you saw nothing but his shadow stuck out to audiences all around for good reason.
In Twilight, Edward Cullen presents the question; “ But what if I’m not the hero? What if I’m the bad guy?” The role of vampires is very controversial. Back in the day they were evil, soulless monsters and people genuinely feared them. However, in the present day it seems that we have grown to love them and even hope to one day be them. There are a plethora of vampire stories and many of them have become immense hits. With so many vampire stories, it is not uncommon that readers are able to identify a vast amount of similarities. Although similar in aspects, there are still many differences between the classic and modern day vampires. Two highly popular stories, in which we can easily identify similarities and differences, are Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight.
In both of the stories both authors had the same mind set on the story but with different twist on it. In “Zero Hour” the authors used kids as a way to get the aliens on to earth but in The War of the Worlds the author just had a regular invasion. Both Ray Bradbury and H.G Wells portray life during an alien invasion with characters that deal differently with the invasions and write about events that put characters in danger.
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.
While the character of Renfield is ostensively extraneous to the central plot of Dracula, he fulfils an important role in Stoker’s exploration of the central themes of the novel. This paper will examine how Renfield character is intertwined with the three central themes of invasion, blood and otherness. Firstly, through Renfield’s inner struggle we learn that he is ‘not his own master’ (Stoker, 211). The theme of invasion is revealed by the controlling and occupying powers of Count Dracula. Secondly, the recurring theme ‘the Blood is the Life’ (Stoker, 121), is portrayed throughout the novel and has been interpreted through Stoker’s character Renfield. Then finally, a look at the social construction of the ‘other’ in Dracula and how, through Renfield, who is ‘unlike the normal lunatic’ (Stoker, 52), the Count emerges as the ‘other’ of all ‘others’.
To date, the closest adaptation of the original novel is Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The basic overview of the story has the departure of Jonathan Harker from his fiancée Mina Murray in London, visiting Transylvania where he has an encounter with the evil Dracula. In England we are introduced to the characters of Lucy, a socialite, and her three suitors. Through terror Jonathan escapes back home, while Dracula arrives in London where he attacks Lucy, Mina’s friend, and Mina herself. Dr. Van Helsing arrives as help with the unknown, and in the end a climatic battle in the Transylvanian Castle Dracula takes place. Dracula is an epistolary novel that consists of journal entries, letters, telegram, phonographic recordings of Dr. Seward, and excerpts from newspaper articles, meaning it was written from a number of perspectives. The film has done its best to this and is witnessed through a variety of viewpoints.
Over the years people have given new out looks on the original vampire, Dracula. He was a tall non-attractive looking man who would never come out during the day. Hollywood however has made new vampire stories such as Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries/The Originals that have new ideas of a vampire. These novels/books all have differences, but some still have key characteristics of the original vampire.
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.