Nosferatu And Dracula Film Analysis

In literature there are many different genres, one of the older and more established genre is the horror genre. This genre has been known for beyond centuries. Since humanity has existed we have always had an urge to be scared. It has always been exciting to get a so called “adrenaline shock”. In today’s society there are a lot more options to get the adrenalin pumping such as skydiving or bungee-jumping etc. Before all this technology came in hand people told horror stories to each other. One of the most mentioned horror stories is probably Dracula. The original story is written by Bram Stoker and has been adapted for the screen as an American romantic horror film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. On the following pages, I have analyzed the horror film “Dracula”.

Audience: Persons with a high level of interest in the history and development of film, specifically vampire or German Expressionist film. The book discusses how Nosferatu is an important milestone in cinematic history for its pioneering in both the creation of the “vampire” icon and its use of cutting-edge film techniques, so people with an advanced interest in the history of film would find this book appealing. Additionally, it holds a lot of important analysis for students required to study Nosferatu, and provides insight to the significance of the film that they would not have otherwise had.

After decades of cheesy horror movies, the image of vampires has been misconstrued as sparkly, angsty teenage boys or handsome men that lure in girls for the fresh blood of a virgin. Many of these stereotypical vampires are influenced by the story of Dracula, held in the Victorian era. Yet, many of the stories published about vampires diverge from the message that Bram Stoker is trying to make. During the Victorian period, sexuality is repressed by society, as sexual behaviors from women are viewed as unacceptable. In the Gothic horror novel Dracula, Bram Stoker uses the traumatic experience of Jonathan Harker at Count Dracula’s castle and the invasion of vampires in Great Britain to create a social commentary on the sexual repression occurring in this era and its detrimental effect on the men.

The world of copyright was just as convoluted in the 1920’s as it is in our world today. The film studio Prana Film, which produced the 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, was sued for copyright infringement by the estate of Bram Stoker, the author of the 1897 Gothic Horror novel Dracula, and ended up filing for bankruptcy after only distributing one film. While this may seem like an immense failure for the studio behind the silent film, it ended up influencing almost a century of vampires, in novels, television, and other films, and made the name ‘Nosferatu’ synonymous with the equally influential novel that it was based upon. On the surface, Nosferatu is a blatant copy of Dracula, from it’s plot, to the characters (besides the change in names), to the portrayal of vampires in general; in reality, many aspects of both bodies of work differ immensely from one another, providing both Stoker and director F. W. Murnau pieces that have influenced generations of vampire media. The structure, characterization and overall tone of Nosferatu is developed differently than Dracula in order to differentiate itself from it’s source material and provide an alternate adaptation of an iconic tale.

Dracula – When you see Dracula in the film he is clad in red armour

Does Dracula, Queen of the Damned, or Anne Rice sound familiar? Surely, they must, but not just for one person. In fact, for people all over the world! The three terms expressed all have one thing in common; vampires. These mythical creatures are one of the most popular horror-related figures. Vampires may be a frightening subject for most, but that does not take away from the fact of their popularity throughout. The fascination of vampires has greatly affected past, present, and future cultures all around the world.

Bela Lugosi is arguably the most classic example of an actor taking on a vampire role. However, during 1931 when the universal studio was casting the 1931’s Dracula, Lugosi could only barely speak English, and therefore almost lost his chance at playing the iconic part (“Dracula (1931 English-Language Film”). Nonetheless his accents and costumes, which has become the classic look of the vampire, he himself was so typecast in his role that he was actually buried after his death in his Dracula costume. Certainly, it is Lugosi’s performance that makes Tod Browning’s film such an influential Hollywood picture. Overall, I will give it a 3 star out of 5, compared with the older version film of Dracula, because of the dialogues and sounds, the plot is much easier for the audiences to understand, without any editing or background music the horror of the film is not inferior to

Ever since Bram Stoker wrote his entrancing novel people have been adapting it, and the story is one of the most reproduced ideas in history. Each innovation of the novel influences the story for the creators own purpose, and in doing so generates another version of Dracula. Count Dracula has become an infamous character in history, and has been captured in many different mediums, such as the Japanese anime and manga series Vampire Hunter D, which follows Draculas son D in his adventures (Kikuchi). However, one of the adaptations that endures in modern minds is the 1992 film by Francis Ford Coppola, Bram Stoker's Dracula. This version of Dracula was meant to be loyal to the novel, but it diverged from the original in many ways.

The film I choose to discuss is Nosferatu: a symphony of horror; The film itself is truly a horror classic and the first film adaptation of Dracula, even years later this film remains as the most intelligent adaptation of the novel in 1890. This movie is one of the best films in German cinema which is black and white and silent. Murnau's version of a vampire is truer than any other versions; he created a masterpiece that is very odd and bizarre along with starting a genre of films that have been represented over and over again in time. The main character, Orlock (played by Max Schreck) is of a rat-like man; not a playboy-vampire type, stands very tall and is hunched over, and wears a simple dark suit that looks like he has been wearing it

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is analogous to the 1958 movie Horror of Dracula. Dracula, a novel from 1897, is a story of a group of friends who battle for their lives against the curse of the vampire. They fight for peace and clarity, in order to resume their daily lives. The Horror of Dracula, A 1958 film, is a story of two men that unite to save their family from the curse of the vampire. Between both the film and the novel: the overall context, characters, and myths remain similar, however small differences develop each story, leading to each ending. The movie, based off of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, has a storyline that remains focused on the novel. Between both the movie and the novel, similarities and differences can be formed from the antagonist,

Dracula is a well-known Gothic classic. Its representation in film and play adaptations made Dracula famous worldwide. Stoker wrote Dracula to challenge the views of the late 19th century era. Sexuality and its references were seen as taboo in The Victorian Era. Stoker’s background including childhood sickness, college athletic career, and interests in the supernatural found in the various folklore along with influence from his mentor Walt Whitman and the Enlightenment Era lead to strong characteristics in main protagonists such as Van Helsing. While his contrasting views on sexuality by describing it in a violent manner and emphasizing the desiring and lustful feelings of humanity.

The glamorization of vampires has reinvented the depiction of the notorious monster. Vampires are not fully human, nor fully animal, neither fully alive nor fully dead. In a variety of aspects, they are superior beings. Vampires are immortal creatures portrayed as sexy, powerful, and mysterious beings of the night. Today’s vampire possesses immaculate beauty along with untamed

Blood hungry, frightening and dangerous are what most people think of when a vampire comes to mind. Vampires have been around for centuries and continue to be highly popular. According to Vampire- Empire, the first vampire movie to come out was in 1922 and to this day they are still making new movies and television shows. Two of the most popular vampire movies out are Dracula and the Twilight series. Every movie has there similarities and difference when it comes to their looks, certain powers they have, and the types of emotions they feel.

From Literature to Twilight, Vampires have been in the public eye for decades. The characteristics may change as will the looks but they have the same amount of popularity. It all started in 1897, the writings of Bram Stoker gave the world the story of Dracula. This story is considered the source material for all vampires to follow. Many of the characteristics laid out in Dracula can still be easily found in current vampire movies. Though there was never a “golden age” for vampire movies, as it is a subgenre for film, it did greatly participate in the golden age of horror films, giving greatly to the popularity of horror films. This popularity still demands a very active hold on film goers today. Bela Lugosi is the poster child for the character of Dracula. He set the tone for what a good vampire in the 1931 film Dracula. After Lugosi, Christopher Lee is the next person credited with the popularity of vampire movies. Lee has starred in 10 separate movies as Count Dracula, the quality of the movies and Lee’s prior acting credits gave way to the resurgence of Dracula in the mid 1900’s. All of these credits however mean nothing in the world of film without the movies that kicked everything off, Nosferatu, the 1922 film keeps true to the book Dracula. This allowed a new archetype to come to the world of film. This archetype however, has undergone dramatic changes over the decades. From Nosferatu to the new release of Dark Shadows, change has clearly

The legend of the vampire has emerged countless times within human imagination over the past few centuries. The first available representation of the mythical creature in prose fiction can be found in John Polidori’s “The Vampyre” (1810). It was not until eight decades later that Bram Stoker popularized the existence of this figure with the publication of “Dracula” in 1897. The folklore of the vampire has come a long way since and can be found in today’s popular media more frequently than ever before. However, with due course of time, the representation of the creature has taken alternate routes and today’s vampires are noticeable different – socially and physically – from their predecessors. One effective path to trace this