The Vampire

From Black and White to Shades of

Humanity
Nosferatu (1922)
Earliest adaptation of
Bram Stokers
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 (50s & 60s)
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)

Although there are some basic changes, the depiction of
Dracula is still very similar at this point.
Dracula to Hammer:
The Lost Boys
Teen vampires appear to be human until a voluntary change occurs
Although they appear human in many cases, the monster still lies
below the surface.
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)
Vampires take a step back
only creatures to be slayed

Protagonists immediately
become antagonists when
victimized
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 vampires sacrifice of the
human for personal gain to the vampires
sacrifice of self for human gain
Vampires may not yet be our
friends
But they are no longer the
monsters they once were.