The Vampire From Black and White to Shades of Humanity

The Vampire

• From Black and White to Shades of Humanity

Nosferatu (1922)

• Earliest adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

• Derived from Slavic “nosufur-atu,” or plague-carrier.

• Resembles more creature than human.

Dracula (1931)

• More human in appearance

• Dark, cobwebbed castle

• Awkward in speech and action

• Kills entire crew of ship in hunger

• Tries to steal Mina

Hammer Films (‘50’s & ’60’s)

• Rich color of blood made deaths of victims less clean and clinical

• More comparable to life appearance than previous

• Battle between Good and evil less “black and white” (distinct)

The Lost Boys

• Teen vampires appear to be human until a voluntary “change” occurs

The Lost Boys

• The protagonist begins his transformation - sympathy

• The group has a family structure

• “Half-vampires” exhibit qualities that the later vampires will: human with a curse.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Buffy: the Television Adaptation

• Blurred line between Good and Evil with invention of Angel

• Vampires became very human protagonists (Angel) and likeable antagonists (Spike)

• Romances between humans/vampires

Vampire character is still visible as a sign of anger, fear, or evil The “beast” is inside, often benign, unlike Dracula

Interview with the Vampire

• Vampires do evil deeds by choice

• Main characters struggle against desires and needs

• Human qualities of isolation, loneliness

Queen of the Damned

• Vampire protagonists

• Sacrifice of self for humans

• Loneliness and isolation

• Love for human innocence/life

Underworld

• Vampires are a family

• Do not drink blood from humans – manufactured

• Protagonist vampire breaks her own bonds to help a human

• Human/vampire romance

• Very Human in appearance

Full Circle…

• From the vampire’s sacrifice of the human for personal gain to the vampire’s sacrifice of self for human gain

Vampires may not yet be our friends…

But they are no longer the monsters they once were.