Nosferatu
-Film Nosferatu (1922): illicitly made adaptation of Stoker's Dracula
-Stoker's widow sued producers. German court ruled in her favor- producers had to pay retribution and destroy all copies of the film
-Thankfully some copies survived
Questions
How does the vampire film archetype evolve from film to film?
How does the viewer identify/react to the hero and the villain?
-In early films, the viewer identified much more with the hero. The vampire was often depicted a monster.
-In subsequent films, the identification marker has moved closer to the villain, as the Dracula vampire has become more sympathetic and more emotionally relatable.
-How are location, lighting, sound, surroundings able to evoke feeling in viewers?
--->First time Nosferatu was shown was in a zoo, so viewers heard animal sounds.
-Suspension of disbelief- the willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible
-What do films do to suspend disbelief? Setting stories in familiar locations. Have viewers identify with a character that share a similar disbelief. Integrate fact with fiction.
-Theory that vampire films are appealing because they air suppressed emotions.
-Vampires of a certain decade may reflect that period's culture or beliefs.
-Film Nosferatu (1922): illicitly made adaptation of Stoker's Dracula
-Stoker's widow sued producers. German court ruled in her favor- producers had to pay retribution and destroy all copies of the film
-Thankfully some copies survived
Questions
How does the vampire film archetype evolve from film to film?
How does the viewer identify/react to the hero and the villain?
-In early films, the viewer identified much more with the hero. The vampire was often depicted a monster.
-In subsequent films, the identification marker has moved closer to the villain, as the Dracula vampire has become more sympathetic and more emotionally relatable.
-How are location, lighting, sound, surroundings able to evoke feeling in viewers?
--->First time Nosferatu was shown was in a zoo, so viewers heard animal sounds.
-Suspension of disbelief- the willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible
-What do films do to suspend disbelief? Setting stories in familiar locations. Have viewers identify with a character that share a similar disbelief. Integrate fact with fiction.
-Theory that vampire films are appealing because they air suppressed emotions.
-Vampires of a certain decade may reflect that period's culture or beliefs.
