Skip to main content
Kiss of the Vampire Media Studies WJEC A Level Text
-
-
-
-
Production: Produced by Hammer. Intended t to be the squeal to Dracula (1958). In addition to Dracula Hammer has had success with other films in the monster/ horror genre, such as 'Frankenstein' and 'The Mummy'. At the time the 1960s culture was based on woman' rights. This is prominent with a female protagonist, but they are still sexually objectified.
-
Dracula 1958, The Mummy 1959, The Evil of Frankenstein 1964, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.
-
-
-
- Fonts – Capitalised serif font – vintage – Bold. This has connotations of stakes. Blood dripping (from the fangs).
- Film Poster Colours- The colours are a washed grey and dull.This could connote the dusk mystery and the rise of Vampires at night. It also make the poster appear scarier. Red/Black highlights connote blood, but they could further add to the idea of a love/romance within the film.
- Conventions – Clifford Evans (the star) also featured in“Curse of the Werewolf” (Hammer 1961). Stars featured in Billing Box graphic showing it’s produced in colour, therefore suggesting a higher production value.
- Enigma – Who will be the one to stop the Vampires? Who are the Vampires? Who falls in love with a Vampire?
- Semantics – Bats are iconic of Vampires, differences is that there is a female vampire featured.
- Symbolic - Evil
Theories
Genre Theory - Neale - Based on similarities and differences. It's similar in that it promotes; death, killing blood, fangs, bats. However, it is different in the way it presents a female Vampire.
Binary Oppositions – Good vs Evil. ‘Kiss’ Connotes romance and sex and ‘Vampire’ Connotes death. (interesting Juxtaposition).
-
Stereotype- Has the older woman in the view of being passive, victims of men but also makes modern dears of female dominance.
Dress Code- Only the male characters are fully clothed. The men look more vulnerable than the women, however the female characters are more sexualised.
Gesture Code - The woman on the left is dependent on the support of the male character. The male character is seen as a victim as he is on his knees. The antagonists are placed above the victim.
David Gauntlett's theory of identity - The female vampire may represent a freedom of oppression and be seen as a role model.
Stuart Hall's theory of representation- Generic iconography of a horror film which is culturally shared and decoded by the audience.
Van Zoonen's feminist theory - The women's costumers show them to be more objectified in comparison to the men who are fully clothed.
Comments
Post a Comment