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)
Dracula to Hammer:
Although there are some basic changes, the depiction of
Dracula is still very similar at this point.
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 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.