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Der Vampirfilm: Klassiker des Genres in Einzelinterpretationen

2006; Wiley; Linguagem: Inglês

1756-1183

Stefan Keppler, Michael R. Will,

Narrative Theory and Analysis

Keppler, Stefan, and Michael Will, eds. Vampirfilm: Klassiker des Genres in Einzelinterpretationen. Wurzburg: Konigshausen & Neumann, 2006. 206 pp. euro19.80 paperback. More than ever, vampires are well and thriving in popular culture. Though still in need of orthodontic work and a manicure, their horrific, comical or campy presence on stage, in rock music, video games, television and film continues to hold audiences in thrall. Vampirfilm is an excellent introduction and review of the genre. In chronological sequence, seven chapters of the book present commentaries on well-known films from Murnau to Coppola. These contributions generally have the same structure: they provide a plot summary, a discussion based on secondary literature, as well as some interpretive remarks and concluding observations. An introductory chapter and a final chapter on trends in the genre contextualize the essays on specific films. With excellent documentation and a systematic analysis of the historical background of vampirism Stefan Keppler develops a clear context for the remaining chapters. He notes some of the transitional qualities characteristic of vampirism that blur, for example, the boundaries between life and death, the sacred and the profane, the rational and uncanny. But at the center of his discussion is the peculiar affinity of film for this theme. Film, like vampirism, combines the incongruous: the images of film are lifeless, yet they can represent life; in its variety of effects film can be compared to the supreme shape-shifter. Indeed, pointing out various analogies, Keppler concludes: Der Vampir im Kino - das ist das Rendezvous zweier seelenverwandter. This analogy, however, is less than convincing; the horror of vampirism is hardly the spectator's response to mainstream film. While the experience of the initial Lumiere screenings may have been startling and even fearful, they were not likely to provoke the spooky atmosphere characteristic of vampire films. Arguing by analogy thus leads to questionable conclusions. Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) is the best known and most extensively researched vampire film. Clemens Ruthner develops a thorough context for understanding this film. The problematic circumstance of its production is described-it was, after all, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The principal motifs are discussed, possible interpretations are put forth, with special care given to the composition of the uncanny images. Ruthner reveals inconsistencies in the film and reviews common interpretations involving sexuality, social abuse, disease, and alterity. Several chapters deal with early adaptations of the Dracula motif. Elisabeth Bronfen discusses Tod Browning's Dracula (1931), the first sound film of the horror genre and a model for many remakes. …