SCREEN-L Archives

January 1996, Week 3

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Date:
Wed, 17 Jan 1996 17:23:17 GMT
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (64 lines)
In message  <[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] writes:
> I'm doing a case study on Vampires and in particular on the film
> Dracula - Francis Ford Coppola and Interview with the Vampire.
>
> I would appreciate any comments on either of those films and
> interpretations of various signs ie why all the blood???
>
>
> Thank You
>
> Annabelle Antao
 
 
Well...bearing in mind they are vampire movies, and
therefore blood is going to be a motif...
 
The blood scenes in Bram Stoker's DRACULA, in particulor
the gushing stone crucifix etc is linked heavily
with the Christian concept that the Blood of
The Lamb (Christ) purifying the world.  Vlad, in
this film, was a Holy Warrior, fighting endless physical
battle for the priests, enduring Holy Wars.  His
'reward', the loss of his beloved, turned him
against the christian ideal, and he refutes the
cleansing Blood of Christ, for the Unholy Blood
of the Unclean devil.  That's the centre piece
of the blood pouring from the 'wounded' cross etc.
In the final scenes, he once again accepts the
Holy Blood of Christ as his saviour,
and he is 'cleansed' by it.  The refuting of
the vampiric evil, and returning to
Holy Mother Church.
 
In 'Vampire' blood concentrates the essence of
what it is to be 'vampire': to be a killer.  Louis's
refusal to accept the brutality of the vampire existance,
becomes centred on the issue of bloodtaking.  He and
Lestat play out quite a few scenes where Louis attempts
to feed off human blood, but not to kill.  In this
sense, the blood becomes a metaphor not for 'evil'
(as in Dracula) but for lust.  The overspilled
excessive blood loss of Lestat's victims, underline
his excessive pleasures and joy for killing: a literal
bloodlust.  In 'Vampire', blood is a fine wine,
a food, and epicurean delight...an excess which leads
to death, murder, betrayal.  In Dracula, it is a
metaphor for a spiritual transgression, an act against
god.
 
 
You might consider looking at _The Hunger_ for your
study.  :)
 
 
--
Morgan
 
"Come to the edge", he said....we said "We are afraid"..."Come to the
edge" he said...we came...he pushed us...and we went splat.
 
----
To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L
in the message.  Problems?  Contact [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2