Dracula Transformation Essay

Shadow of the Vampire is a post-modern text which is a reconstruction of Dracula, a novel by Bram Stoker, and Nosferatu a film directed by F. W. Murnau. The use of intertexuality in Shadow of the Vampire is a key aspect which allows it to echo; themes, the gothic mode and issues that are present in the other two texts. Through a clear pastiche, Merhige produces a new text from the old. Immortality is a key theme which has been subverted from the physical sense through sucking blood, as it’s represented in Dracula, to the spiritual sense through art by producing a perfect film which will outlast and entertain many generations. Bram Stoker uses many motifs such as the; wafer, stake, crucifix and garlic flowers to demonstrate the Count’s immortality as these reoccurring symbols show the limited objects that can rid of a vampire, emphasizing his strength and power. Although these symbols are all present and continual in Shadow (‘crosses aren’t for decoration’- villager says to Murnau), they don’t portray the immortality, instead Merhige uses film techniques to replace the language techniques of Dracula. The zoom in of the camera is an example as it shows the deep expression and desperation of Murnau to achieve his perfect picture and effectively his immortality. Dialogue and particular quotes make his goal obvious; ‘our memory won’t blur or fade’ and ‘context that will last like the graves’ and also shows his obsession to earn immortality. Murnau’s obsession with his picture in Shadow causes him to turn into the mad protagonist of the film and instead all our sorrowful emotions become aimed at Count Orlock, who is a poor and weak replication of the vampiristic image set by Dracula1. In Dracula the protagonist (being the Count) also becomes obsessed with immortality and the female characters (Mina and Lucy) as he repeatedly visits them; the illicit love that Dracula has for these women adds to the terror and gothic romance of the novel. As the female characters become threatened and distressed by the Count, they add to the suspenseful and mysterious atmosphere and engage the reader as they share similar emotions; 2 the female character of Greta in Shadow is a resonance of this distress as she is unknowingly affected by the presence of Orlock which causes her to turn to drug abuse to deal with it (does too Murnau and the producer). Greta is also unknowingly being distressed by the camera itself which acts as a symbol for an oppressive male protagonist which contains characteristics of Dracula: her naive comment; ‘theatre gives me life, this thing only takes it away’, is an example of irony and also foreshadows future events and feelings; such as she subconsciously knows it (like her other comments) but instead of acting upon it she again turns to drugs to avoid the fact. Murnau’s obsession is proven by his willingness to use other people as sacrifices, most notably Greta as he makes a deal with Orlock for her life. The flashbacks of Greta (before she is fed upon) causes shock to the viewer as the quotes like; ‘consider it a sacrifice for your art’ and ‘make the ultimate sacrifice for love’ cause the emotions of: sorrow, horror and excitement to flourish as the viewer realises Murnau’s ambition from the start and its inevitability. These quotes are well-crafted examples of foreshadowing and irony. His obsession with his art is continuously shown throughout as he makes ridiculous demands and is easily aggravated, such as when the photographer was bitten by Orlock, Murnau exclaimed; ’’lack of enthusiasm, I told you to fix it’’. In Dracula sacrifice is dominantly practiced in a positive way with the heroic group making many sacrifices to finally reach their goal of destroying Dracula; (however, this heroic group is omitted in Shadow and is the primary reason for Murnau’s success). Arthur sacrifices his love for Lucy to save her soul and his own, but as a result he must kill her gruesomely; also, the men (Morris, Billington, Van Helsing and Seward) sacrifice their blood in transfusions to keep Lucy alive. This is foreshadowed by Lucy as she previously exclaimed ‘if only I could have them all’ when she was deciding her lover between these men; this gives the blood sexuality to it (sexual innuendo) and this is an example of gothic romance with the presence of rival lover and multiple suitors. This sexuality of the blood is present in quotes such as: ‘the girl went on her knees†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and ‘away with you, he’s mine’ and these show the ruling and empowerment of the male characters in a patriarchal society. The sexuality given to blood in Dracula is again subtly echoed into Shadow of the Vampire, with Orlock’s lust and desperation for Greta being portrayed in the sexual sense as he is given blood from bats and other sources throughout the film but none satisfied him like Greta with him falling asleep soon after to lighten the mood with black humour before the action-packed ending is aroused. The mysterious atmosphere that is obvious in all three texts is similarly brought about through the usage of slightly subverted gothic elements and techniques. The empty and ruined castle setting of Dracula is important to setting the original supernatural/gothic tone that the novel continues throughout: as shown by Jonathan Harker’s diary entries; ‘the castle is a veritable prison and I am a prisoner! and ‘doors everywhere, locked and bolted’. Additionally, the position of the castle adds to the mystery; ‘just on the borders of three states†¦ portions of Europe’ as these names aren’t familiar to us. Shadow of the Vampire incorporates this setting as; small rooms, caves and an abandoned monastery are all used in the majority of the film and the transition of filming from the developed west to the unknown and strange east (Helgoland). Both texts also use the dark of night to represent the dark, supernatural tone that each are setting: Stoker uses the sun as a symbol of protection from evil (the dark) and is evident in comments of Mina; ‘I keep waiting till the sun†¦ be to me a safety’ and ‘that beautiful sun†¦ life was to me again’. Shadow of the Vampire sets most of its scenes in the dark and uses images of the silhouetted moon and shadows together with eerie background music to make the viewer feel uncomfortable and scared like the characters. Shadow uses haunting sounds like thunder and howling in night scenes to give the supernatural sense (in the same way Nosferatu does); which is an echo of the onomatopoeia used by Stoker such as; ‘muffled roar’ and ‘howling of dogs’. Both texts also make use of the gothic palette as a dominator of the colours used because they give the sense of age (grey), danger (red) or evil (black) which are essential to the quick-shifting moods as they hint to the audience what’s coming up next. Overall, the incorporation of a post-modern style and the subversion and inclusion of themes, issues and gothic elements from Nosferatu and Dracula were crucial to the success and transformation of Shadow of the Vampire. The continual success of this film is due to its excellent depiction of vampires and their nature which can be evident in modern day life and in the character of people; which has never been paralleled as it’s so ‘ferociously original’.