Dracula-Nosferatu Comparison
I have recently watched clips from the beginnings of two vampire
movies. The two films were, of course, very different things. One was
'Nosferatu' a product of the 1920's. I am lucky to have seen it
considering how it was banned by a judge of the time and all copies
ordered destroyed. Of course as attitudes change in cinema and with
the introduction of the BBFC 'censorship' system it was released
again.
The other movie though was a completely different kettle of marine
life; it was 'Bram Stokers Dracula' and bore about as much resemblance
to Bram Stokers story as myself to a chimp. If it was named 'Parody Of
Bram Stokers Dracula', 'Allegorical Tale Featuring Characters Based On
Bram Stokers Dracula', I would understand. Maybe even 'Shameless Cash
In On The Name Of Bram Stoker' would be more appropriate.
The reason for the differences? It seems to me that movie has changed
due to social reasons as well as technological reasons (I will return
to this subject later). Monsters are out - antiheros are the new
black. So what surprise is it to us that by the beginnings of the
nineties Dracula was less a monster and more a tortured soul? Why are
the Jewish style garb and appearance of 'Orlock' (the Dracula
equivalent from Nosferatu) gone only to be replaced with a Dracula who
answers the door looking strangely like one of the good Chairman Mao's
henchmen? This is particularly interesting considering that at the
time of Nosferatu's filming anti-Semitism was rife and the people were
battling a 'International Zionist Conspiracy'.
It seems strange too me that while Nosferatu was truer to the tale
that bo...
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...e soundtrack sounds like it has been create by the
Royal Philharmonic though it has probably never been played on an
instrument. The biggest change is perhaps in that the sound is not
being played in an orchestra pit at the cinema but is part of the
movie. This allows speech and subtitles in a way which allows the
actors a means of expression which was only partially available to the
thespians of the 1920's. They can change the sound and texture of
their voices and emphasise in their speech.
In conclusion I can state that the movies are both the same movie but
with radically different technologies and social constraints limiting
them. The only obvious difference is that 'Bram Stokers Dracula' and
authorisation from Bram Stokers Estate while Nosferatu did not.
Strangely 'Nosferatu' remained truer to the original tale.
Batman beats the Joker. Spiderman banishes the Green Goblin. For centuries story tellers have used the basic idea of good beats bad to guide their tales. Stories of blood sucking, human possessions and other tales have been passed down generations and vary between cultures. Among the creators of the famous protagonists is, Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula. This fictional character was soon to be famous, and modified for years to come into movie characters or even into cereal commercials. But the original will never be forgotten; a story of a group of friends all with the same mission, to destroy Dracula. The Count has scared many people, from critics to mere children, but if one reads betweens the line, Stoker’s true message can be revealed. His personal experiences and the time period in which he lived, influenced him to write Dracula in which he communicated the universal truth that good always prevails over evil.
In The Lost Boys there are similar occurrences and references to both of the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker and Peter Pan, by Sir James Barrie. There are many similarities between the three story lines. In the stories of all three works there is a common thread of story it all started with Dracula.
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 internal selves and their futures. In Noseferatu, Orlok who symbolizes death, materializes from empty spaces visualizing the nature of death to follow. In Sunrise, the couple's constant complexity of emotions resembles the chaotic places they must encounter in order to fall back together. The plot in both films revolves around a particular evil whose power eventually weakens. Orlok's presence proves to be stronger and more intimidating through distance, whereas the woman from the city is most influential when she is in close and physical proximity. These
In the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, there is much evidence of foreshadowing and parallels to other myths. Dracula was not the first story featuring a vampire myth, nor was it the last. Some would even argue that it was not the best. However, it was the most original, using foreshadowing and mood to create horrific imagery, mythical parallels to draw upon a source of superstition, and original narrative elements that make this story unique.
The films Young Frankenstein and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest can be viewed as a critical analysis of society’s issues and dysfunctions in the form of satire and parody using humor. While Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks cinematic version of the gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, uses parody in the form of Horatian satire, which is achieved through gentle ridicule and using a tone that is indulgent, tolerant, amused and witty. The film One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the adaptation of the Ken Kesey novel, uses a form of satire called Juvenalian satire which is demonstrated in the form of attacks on vice and error with contempt and indignation. Horatian satire will produce a humor response from the reader instead of anger or indignation as Juvenalian satire. Juvenalian satire, in its realism and its harshness, is in strong contrast to Horatian satire (Kent and Drury).
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.
Throughout many types of literature, violence exists to enhance the readers interest in order to add a sense of excitement or conflict to a novel. This statement withholds much truthfulness due to the fact that without violence in a piece of literature such as Dracula by Bram Stoker, the plot would not have the same impact if it was lacking violence. Dracula's power and evilness led to the violent happenings which began with the conflict of Jonathan's inner struggle, as compared to the conflict which blossomed later on with good versus evil.
The version that I focused on for the sake of this essay was the book. I did watch eleven of the thirty-three Dracula movies that I own, so some references will be made to the movies. The book is told from the perspective of Jonathan Harker’s journal, with some letters to and from his girlfriend Mina. The purpose of his visit with Count Dracula is that Harker is selling a building to Dracula. Carfax Abby was in England where Dracula wanted to move. Harker went to Transylvania to assist Count Dracula in his move to England.
In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and celebrated plays, the story of a General named Othello unravels in tragic form as he falls victim to the lies created by Iago. Once revered as a war hero and wed to the beautiful Desdemona, Othello’s life spirals downward with the untimely death of his beloved in his own hands, ultimately ending with his own demise. Love is the force behind this tragedy. Tragedy is the main driving force that brings happiness and tragedy to the characters within the play. But even as such a prominent force, it lacks clear definition. Love has a different meaning to the characters in the play. Characters like Othello, Desdemona, and Iago all have different perspectives on love, which informs their behavior in different ways.
In Dracula, Bram Stoker portrays a clear battle between the “traditional woman” of the time and the “new woman.”. Stoker uses the contrasting characters of Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray to depict this evolution in women and, also, to paint an image of the reaction to this advance, expressed by both men and women.
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;
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.
Dracula, the 1931 film directed by Tod Browning is loosely based upon the novel of the same name. Therefore both share similar characteristics but are distinct. The differences between the novel and film occur due to the cinematic choices made as well as the fact that the film is based off of not only the novel Dracula but also the 1924 play Dracula. One major decision made by Browning was to alter the role of Johnathan Harker. In the novel Johnathan is the solicitor who meets with Dracula in Transylvania and narrowly escapes the “veritable prison” and is a changed man due to his experiences there (25). On the other hand, in the film Johnathan never visits Transylvania. Renfield is the one who does so instead. That provides Renfield with a
A noticeable difference in the way movies have changed over the years is evident when comparing and contrasting two films of different eras which belong to the same genre and contain the same subject matter. Two vampire movies, Dracula and Bram Stoker's Dracula, present an interesting example of this type of study.
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.