The Gothic on Screen - UK-Online - Universität zu Köln

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Gothic</strong> on Screen
20 July 2009
4544a
Tobias Schmidt
Universität zu Köln
Englisches Seminar
Sommersemester 2009
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<strong>The</strong>oretical Perspectives
• “<strong>The</strong> Uncanny” (Freud)
• “On the Supernatural in Poetry” (Radcliffe)
• “<strong>The</strong> Fantastic” (Todorov)
• “<strong>The</strong> Sublime” (Burke)
• Transgressions (Scientific / Religious / Moral)

Movies
- <strong>The</strong> Sandman - Sweeney Todd
- Nosferatu - Bram Stoker‟s Dracula
- Dracula - Buffy, <strong>The</strong> Vampire Slayer
- Frankenstein - Van Helsing
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Batman, <strong>The</strong> Dark Knight
- Horror of Dracula

• Uncanny atmosphere
– Darkness
<strong>The</strong> Sandman
– Corporeal mutation (becoming a bird)
– Violent/disturbing imagery
• Textual relation (Hoffmann)
• Mix between marvelous and fantastic tension

• Technical aspects of filming
Nosferatu
• Uncanniness due to technical limitations (cf. silent
movies)
• Parallel characters in the story (Graf Orlok/Ellen)
• Differences with respect to the original novel
(e.g. names)
• Historical components (e.g. antisemitism)
• Literary connections (e.g. Murnau/Kafka)

Dracula
• Iconic Dracula (Lugosi)
• Clear distinction between right and wrong
Van Helsing VS. Dracula
• Clear references to Stoker„s novel
• Ending could be seen as „open“ ?!
• Classic transformation
– Vampire � bat

Frankenstein
• „Monster“ as victim of social ignorance
• Violence as „accident“ or „cruelty“
• Scientific transgression
• „Disturbing“ ending
• Expressionistic set-design
• Cultural references (cf. Fuseli„s „<strong>The</strong> Nightmare“)
• Criminal brain as reason/justification

Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde
• Good VS. bad aspects of character
• Good VS. evil?
• Scientific experimentation/transgression as starting
point (human hybris)
• London as the city of sin (appearance VS. reality)
• Differences in representation of similar settings
(e.g. laboratory)
• Role of the women (Ivy VS. Beatrix)

Horror of Dracula
• Another iconic Dracula
• Sexual desire in Dracula„s (female) victims
• Aspects of comic relief (e.g. tollkeeper)
• Aspects of gaze/perspective
• Scenic analysis (hierarchical positions)
• Evil clearly defeated in the end (although a lot
of „Hammer Productions“-sequels followed)

Gaze 1a

Gaze 1b

Gaze 2a

Gaze 2b

Gaze 3

Gaze 4a

Gaze 4b

Direction of Gaze/Perspective/Power
H H H D
D D H H
[1st part] [2nd part] [3rd part] [4th part]
informa- domina- change agression/
tion tion fear

Sweeney
Todd
• Difference in Genre (Musical)
• Dark atmosphere
• Visual connections with contemporary music scene
• Tim Burton as director of <strong>Gothic</strong> films
• Contrasts between „real darkness“ and uncanny
„bright dreams“
• Musical importance for the effect of elements
of horror and terror

Bram Stoker‟s
Dracula
• Limited iconisation of Dracula (Oldman) due to
biographical/psychological background
• Scientific inventions (e.g. cinema)
• Blurred boundaries between right and wrong
• Sexuality (e.g. brides) VS. Romantic love
(e.g. Dracula/Mina)
• Transformations of Dracula„s body
� rats / green fog / wolf

Buffy,
<strong>The</strong> Vampire
Slayer
• Metaphorical readings (e.g. High School as hell)
• (Pop-)cultural references (e.g. Scooby Gang)
• Character-development throughout the series
• Good and evil and constantly changing – every
character shows different aspects
• Questioning of all rules established in the series
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd wave feminism

Van Helsing
• Moral/religious conflict of the hero
• Potpourri of monsters from the <strong>Gothic</strong> literary
tradition
• Ultimate evil (Dracula) can only be killed by
monster (Werewolf), not pure good
• Background of unclear power-relations between
vampires and human beings (cf. Daybreakers)
• Comic/Computer game graphics and set-up

Batman,
<strong>The</strong> Dark Knight
• Free connections to (literary <strong>Gothic</strong>) tradition
– Gotham City
– Bat � Dracula as bat
– Two-Face as Jekyll/Hyde figure
• Batman as scapegoat (not hero)
„the hero Gotham deserves“
• Blurred boundaries between good
and evil
• Different kind of comic relief
• Lack of (traditional) motivation for evil in Joker

Some Other Movies …

<strong>The</strong> End