Nosferatu (1922)
Director: F.W. Murnau
Writer: Henrik Galeen
Plot
Within the
film Count Orlok summons Thomas Hutter to his remote castle in the mountains.
The mysterious Orlok seeks to by the house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen.
After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape knowing the
Ellen is in grave danger.
About
This is a
silent film that was an unauthorized adaption of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with
names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the writes
to the novel. This is the first recorded vampire film. This film does not
follow the common characteristic of vampires as previous vampire films as the
vampire itself is portrayed in a hideous form with long finger nails and an out
of proportioned body.
Effects
Prohibition
begins in the US with hope of bettering society. The film Nosferatu could be a
contrast between freedoms of the consumption of drink in comparison to being
prohibited from doing so. The prohibition would also cause people to be
discreet in how and when they drink, this could be a strong link between the character
of Count Orlok and the audience.
Dracula (1931)
Director: Tod Browning
Writer: Bram Stoker, Hamilton Deane
Plot
After hypnotizing a British
soldier, Renfield, in to a slave the Count travels to London and takes up
residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the
blood from young women and turning them in to vampires. When he sees his sights
on Mina, the daughter of a doctor, vampire hunter Van Helsing is enlisted to
put a stop to the Counts never ending blood lust.
About
This films historic
dramatics from the stage play are reflected in its special effects which are
made up of fog, lighting and large flexible bats. The acting was very over
dramatic and employs several intertitles and close ups of newspaper articles to
advance the story along, this was a common thing that occurred within silent
films. As the director Tod Browning was very experienced with silent films,
creating a film, such as Dracula which includes sound and dialogue, was
something in which he had little experience.
Effects
Through horror films such as
Dracula people were able to have a sense of escape from their Great Depression
reality, despite the money spent on the special effects used for the films they
often provided a good return rate. The horror films within the 1930’s was a
band of exotic fairy tales set in faraway lands in period costumes and strange
accents. This created a sense of escape for the audience.
Horror films became more popular during the 1930’s as
a use of escape from the everyday realities of depression and the approaching
war. 80 million people attended the cinema on a weekly basis in the 1930s, some
65% of the US population.
Kiss of a vampire (1963)
Director: Don Sharp
Writer: John Elder
Plot
A couple on their honeymoon
in the early 20th century become caught up in a vampire cult led by
Dr. Ravna and his two children. The cult abducts the Marianne (wife) and
contrive to make it appear that Harcourt (husband) was travelling alone and
that his wife never existed. Harcourt gets help from Professor Zimmer, who lost
his daughter to the cult and who finally destroys the vampires through an
arcane ritual the releases a swarm of bats from hell.
About
This film was another
attempt at creating a Dracula sequel without Christopher Lee. The final script
makes no connection to Dracula and attempts to suggest other ideas about the
‘vampire community’. Whereas in previous vampire films our fanged friends were
regularly seen isolated and alone this new outlook suggests that there are many
of them. Some in which work together/ as a family.
Effects
Could have been influenced
by Adolf Eichmann’s death, he was a lieutenant colonel and one of the major organizers
of the Holocaust. He was in charge with facilitating and managing the logistics
of mass deportation of Jews to extermination camps in the German occupied
Eastern Europe during World War 2. His death symbolizes the end of Nazi mind
control over the nation.
Though the film was originally created as an attempt
on a sequel of Dracula it makes no reference as to the characters of Dracula.
Instead it expands further in the directions taken in Brides portraying
vampirism as a social disease afflicting those who chose a decadent lifestyle.
This could refer back to the lifestyle in which Adolf Eichmann led and could be
used as evidence in connecting both the historical event and the film.
The fearless vampire killers (1967)
Director: Roman Polanski
Writer: Roman Polanski,
Gerard Branch
Plot
Vampire hunter Professor Abronsius and his
faithful assistant, Alfred, are traveling across Transylvania when they stop to
rest at a suspicious-looking inn. That night, they witness the innkeeper's
daughter, Sarah, being whisked away by Count von Krolock, an obvious vampire,
and pursue him to his nearby castle. They break in, only to be invited to stay
by the unfazed count, and plot to rescue Sarah and destroy their murderous
host.
About
The film’s opening sequence
is animated which has not been previously used within vampire films. The short
sequence is shown before the production companies and shows the main
protagonists ‘hunting’ and ‘killing’ a vampire. This film shows the vampire
story in a different point of view as it portrays the stories of two vampire
killers instead of the monsters themselves.
Not only this, the film also includes a homosexual
vampire (Herbert), this was not regularly seen within the film industry as an
unmentionable subject. It’s only until
recent years in which homosexuality is more accepted and acknowledged.
Effects
The satanic church began in
1966, this could have made a huge influence in the production of this film as
satanic beings such as Vampires could have been considered a more believable
idea due to the newly formed religion. Though the church does not believe in or
worship the Devil or a Christian notion of Satan. The High priest Peter Gilmore
describes its members as "skeptical atheists”.
Another historical aspect that most likely had an
influence on this film is the sexual offences act of 1967 which allowed gay men
to carry out sexual acts within the confinements of their own home. This
introduced the idea of homosexual characters within films as it became more
‘acceptable’.
The vampire lovers (1973)
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Writer: Harry Fine,
Tudor Gates,
Michael Style
Plot
This sexy horror story from Britain's Hammer Films
finds Ingrid Pitt playing three roles, the most notable being a lesbian vampire
who will resort to biting a man only when it is absolutely necessary. A doctor
and a manservant are victims, but only after she has exhausted all attempts to
sink her fangs into the bosoms of young women. The General finds his daughter
Laura is victimized by the bite of the vampiress. With the help of Baron Hartog,
they try to end the horror
brought by the blood-sucking beauty.
About
This film uses a female lead character which was not regularly seen
through the film industry, not only this there was a lot of issues due to the lesbianism
within the film with many warnings that the script of The Vampire Lovers was sent to the chief censor John Trevelyan, who warned the
studio about depictions of lesbianism,
pointing out that a previous lesbian film, The Killing of Sister George, had had five minutes
excised by his office.
Effects
After The Fearless Vampire Killers which
included a homosexual character the film The
Vampire lovers includes a lesbian character which could have possibly been
influenced by the lesbians invaded the platform of the Women’s Liberation
Conference in Skegness, demanding recognition in 1971.
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