Dracula

A detailed Summary of Dracula

For centuries, vampires have served as a source of entertainment and as the subject of nightmares. The haunting image of the vampire has changed only subtly with time, however one transformation has been profound: no longer are vampires evil. Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire, in contrast to Bram Stoker's Dracula, removes the evil from the essence of the vampire.

Physically, there has been little change to the portrayal of the vampire; there has been no need for change. Ghost-white skin, blood-red lips and ivory fangs evoke a sense of fear unlike any other. These features have typified the vampire's image in the past and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future. In Dracula, Jonathan Harker describes the Count's appearance:

"The mouth, so far as I could see it under the heavy mustache, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth; these protruded over the lips, whose remarkable ruddiness showed astonishing vitality in a man of his years. For the rest, his ears were pale and at the top extremely pointed; the chin was broad and strong, and the cheeks firm and thin. The general effect was one of extraordinary pallor." (17-18)

This description became that of the typical vampire and was

All of Jordan's vampires, particularly Louis, are characters with whom the viewer is easily able to relate and sympathize. Because of this emotional attachment, it is impossible for the vampire to be accepted as a totally evil figure. Louis is troubled by the centuries that await him as a vampire. He yearns to watch a sunset, longs for his human life and craves the experience of death. To put it simply, Louis does not want to be a vampire. However, his fate has been sealed for all of eternity; the viewer becomes sensitive to his plight and understanding of his actions. By contrast, the reader has no empathy for the soul of Dracula.

When Jonathan breaks into one such locked room, three vampires come to drink his blood. "I thought at the time that I must be dreaming, for, though the moonlight was behind them, they threw no shadow on the floor" (37). Jonathan believes himself to be dreaming because of the mysterious entrance and departure of these vampires. As they leave he says, "They simply seemed to fade into the rays of moonlight and pass out through the window" (39). This inexplicable encounter instilled in Jonathan, terror unlike any fear he had previously experienced: "Then the horror overcame me, and I sank down unconscious" (39). The evil of Stoker's vampires is entwined within these mysteries.

These mysteries are exposed by Jordan in Interview with the Vampire. The movie focuses entirely on the life of Louis, and several other vampires. The viewer is allowed to see every movement, every emotion and every decision made by the characters. The story is narrated by Louis, therefore allowing a unique insight into the life of a vampire. This insight eliminates the element of the unknown, like that which

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Approximate Word count = 1172
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts