"Nosferatu" and "Dracula"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Bram Stoker's horror novel, "Dracula." It describes the plot of the novel and its characters. The paper then looks at the play of "Dracula" that was produced on stage by Hamilton Dean and John Balderston and discusses its plot. It then discusses the 1931 film version of the novel. The paper finally analyzes the 1922 silent production entitled "Nosferatu," produced by German filmmaker F. W. Murnau and compares it to the films of "Dracula."

Table of Contents:
The Novel and the Play
The Plot
Dracula 1931
Nosferatu
Nosferatu and German Expressionism

From the Paper:

"Expressionism focused and emphasized the subjective over the objective (Haney 2005). Its goal was to elicit the strongest possible emotional response. Nosferatu is not only the story of a vampire. It is also the story of plague and pestilence, of evil and greed, and of inequality and sexless marriage. It delved into sexual repression and revealed the vampires out of people in the state of the German soul after World War I in Germany. Bram Stoker's novel was a peek into the subconscious. Murnau brought it out and expressed it in the form of a film. He firmly drew from that awareness that everything present contains meaning and significance. The time of its production and other elements combined to make it an Expressionist film. Though not a completely traditional representation of Expressionism, Murnau made the film unique as compared with other films of its time. The most significant element is location filming, which gave it a strong realistic character. His talent puts his horrific dream teetering at the edge of reality. He meticulously chose the elements of his film and blended them carefully into a whole and single expression of a message (Haney)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berardinelli, James, rev. Dracula 1931. Reel Reviews, 2003. Retrieved on December 20, 2007 from http://www.reelreviews.net/movies/d/dracula31.html
• Biodrowski, Steve, rev. Dracula. Horror Film Review: Hollywood Gothique, 2005. Retrieved on December 20, 2007 from http://www.hollywoodgothique.com/dracula1931.html
• Dirks, Tim, rev. Dracula (1931). Greatest Films, 2007. Retrieved on December 20, 2007 from http://www.filmsite.org/drac.html
• Haney, Elizabeth, rev. Nosferatu: a Harmony of Horror. On Gods and Monsters: Creature Escape, 2005. Retrieved on December 20, 2007 from http://www.creaturescape.com/godsandmonsters/nosfeatu.htm
• Koller, Michael, rev. Nosferatu. Senses of Cinema, 2000. Retrieved on December 20, 2007 from http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contexts/cteq/nosferatu.html

More papers on "Nosferatu" and "Dracula":

• Analytical Essay # 17077 : "Dracula Films"
• Argumentative Essay # 4529 : "Dracula as a Homosexual Victim"
• Comparison Essay # 125948 : "Byronic Heroism in "Frankenstein" and "Dracula"

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