Vampires and Slayers - Representation and genre shifting
Initially and famously transferred to filmic format by Fredrick Murnau, the silent classic Nosferatu began the genre that went on to become one of the most iconic and recognised in cinematic history. With its roots firmly embedded in Germany, and the German Expressionism movement, the idea of the bloodsucking un-dead quickly emerged across the waters in a hybrid format; removing the animalistic and contorted features originally impressed upon the vampire, in favour of a dark, mysterious and sensual interpretation.
One of the first and most acknowledged Hollywood vampire movies is Tod Browning's 1931 Dracula (also based on Bram Stoker's original text), with Bela Lugosi taking the lead role. This re-imagining sticks closely to its famous predecessor, but with the all important shift in the protagonist's appearance; which set to shift the Hollywood vision of the vampire into an ethereal being we desire as much as we fear. And you can see how far this ideal has progressed over the last eighty years. You only have to Google Twilight to recognise its immediate cult status; the notion of impossible love between a young innocent woman, and creature of the night. The shift from the gruesome to the unfeasibly beautiful solidifies the idea of Western influences morphing a genre from the horrific into the romantic.
Important as it is for our dark, mysterious (usually male) vampire to a given film, we are also obsessed with his blonde counterpart; the virgin with whom he falls in love. Pre - 1990's, the beautiful helpless victim became the vision of purity. She wore white, was softly spoken and was commonly betrothed but not yet wed. So pure, in fact, she would not see the danger that lurked behind the vampire's demeanour ways. She would be lured away from her perfect innocence, and inevitably die because of it. The moral of the story, quite obviously being, that by giving into temptation and compromising your purity, you will definitely die. However, the idea of the feeble and vulnerable female in the vampire genre was dramatically changed through Joss Whedon's creation Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She embodied all of the characteristics attributed to the generic victim; but with the important distinction that, in fact, she is a superhero whose legacy is to kill vampires.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was, of course, a rejuvenation of a genre that was swiftly becoming laughable, with Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 spoof-like remake of Dracula doing little but to solidify the fact that change was necessary to prevent the whole genre becoming obsolete. Although the 1992 feature film of Buffy was ridiculed and wholly unsuccessful, it provided a kitsch cult following that was massively amplified through Whedon's long running TV series of the same name. This sub-genre of vampire films concentrated upon the vampire hunter. It preserved the original moral principles attributed to vampire flicks, with punishment and redemption as common themes surfacing in almost every vampire based film from the west. The idea of the vampire that refuses to become the monster is a frequent plot feature; take for example the Blade films, where Wesley Snipes plays a half-vampire hero; we are given a protagonist who chooses to be protector, avenging man-kind by hunting evil vampires. Similarly, the character of Michael in The Lost Boys must find redemption by killing the head blood sucker - he gave into his temptation, was punished by the prospect of eternal damnation and only finds himself free through the killing off of the vampire gang.
Possibly the most recognised ‘vampire hunter' is another Bram Stoker creation, Van Helsing - Count Dracula's arch enemy. Although not nearly as close in popularity and filmic representation as Dracula, Van Helsing identifies a similar niche that Buffy did in the 1990's. The character is complex and involved, offering an alternative to the overtly sexual nature of the vampire. Whereas Dracula is led by his primary and bodily instincts (accounting for the overt link with sex), Van Helsing is led by books and learning, he is not tempted by lust or desire; explaining his eventual ability to defeat Dracula - Vampire morality still insists that those who give into their temptations are doomed. Of course, Van Helsing was never to be as popular as Dracula (or any other vampire protagonist), nor ever will be. Our obsession with the dark, sensual and mystical figure stems from just that; he is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and we are emphatically drawn to him despite the mortal danger he is synonymous with. We are not as intrigued by Van Helsing in this way because there is no mystery. His abilities stem only from the books he reads.
Coming back to the whole concept of the vampire in film, conceptions and stereotypes will always be at the forefront of most viewers' minds. However, when looking at a non-Hollywood approach to the genre, a much more diverse, and to an extent, disturbing representation can be found. The most recent successful non-Hollywood vampire movie, the Swedish film Let the Right One In, an entirely unconventional camaraderie is built between a young female vampire and a boy tormented by bullies, based on a common desire for companionship. This departs entirely from the passionate Hollywood rendition of the vampire film; as the all important link between vampire and sex is absent, with a genuine, albeit highly atypical, friendship in its place. It also bemuses the Hollywood stereotype by avoiding the moral sensibilities set out so clearly. By becoming involved with Eli the vampire, Hollywood would expect Oskar to die. He doesn't, rather Eli saves him; the film is romantic and violent without being sexual or driven by morals and generic standards.
In a merging of cinemas, of sorts, it seems that Park Chan-wook's Thirst which recently premiered at Cannes, uses the same ‘vampires are not innately monstrous' theme adopted by teen obsession Twilight. When asked about what he had to offer to the genre, he replied."I thought I could add some changes to this old genre by approaching the subject - vampire-ism, so to speak - without the usual mystery or romanticism but from a realistic perspective - where being a vampire is sort of a disease." Yes, Chan-wook's film involves a killing spree on the part of his protagonist, but the principle remains in the Hollywood spectrum of both valorising and victimising the vampire. It seems, therefore, that for the vampire genre to rejuvenate, films must negotiate their way through past, current and prospective futures in how to represent the vampire, and those who hunt them.
With a remake of Buffy the Vampire Slayer currently in production, and another three instalments in the Twilight saga to go, there is a question mark as to where Hollywood, and cinemas from across the globe, will take the vampire genre. Will movie-makers revert to the grotesque and animalistic representation of the vampire, in preference of the sexual and mysterious depiction that has been popular for more than half a century? Or will the genre as a whole shift further still from its origins in horror, moving more into romance and comedy (as it currently seems to be), and edging its classical roots into the abyss of archives for good. Hopefully near future will bring us a new and exciting take on the vampire/slayer story; as the 2004 version of Van Helsing attempted to do .
