Lo and behold! After many tries, here is the final version of the paper, the one which was handed in and corrected. I'll be waiting for everyone's 
feedback! Hugs, Flor
DRACULA: THE NOVEL AND DRACULA: THE FILM
Love and redemption, or evil for its own sake?
Florencia Deminicis
Horror literature reached new heights and dimensions when the Irish author Bram Stoker wrote his greatest contribution to it: his masterpiece Dracula, published in 1897. This novel, in which Stoker synthesised numerous myths about vampirism and afterlife from the Europe of old and of his time, has become a legend; delightful and at the same time terrifying, which still enthrals and shocks readers and cinema-goers all over the world. Dracula has been adapted for the screen on several occasions, however, the majority of these films have presented a version of the story which has been remarkably altered in many respects; turning Dracula from a black-hearted demon into a tormented man in love. For the sake of simplicity, we will work with only one film in this paper, "Bram Stoker’s Dracula" (1992), by F. Ford Coppola.
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the possible reasons for the changes in the plot. Why did the filmmaker feel it was necessary to alter a story which in its original form has become one of the best-known works of literature? What could he have considered unsatisfactory or missing in the novel that he wished to add or delete in his film? We will focus on three possible reasons: The attraction that a love story may exert on the audience; the will to exploit the sexual implications in a vampires’ tale; and the will to present a more humane Dracula.
In the novel the circumstances in which Dracula turns from man to monster are not described in detail. A nobleman with a mighty brain and an iron resolution, Dracula was during his human life a fierce warrior who fought bravely against the Turks to defend his homeland, Transylvania. He was greatly respected and admired, but also feared. He and his ancestors used to participate in covens and thus they obtained the power of the dark forces. Though never explicitly said, it can be presumed that their motivation for performing such rituals was linked to the attractiveness about being a vampire, namely eternal life, supernatural strength, the ability to metamorphose into different animals and the control of beasts and forces of nature. In the words of Dr Van Helsing: “He must, indeed, have been that Vovoide Dracula who won his name against the Turk (…) The Draculas were a great and noble race, though now and again were scions who were held by their coevals to have had dealings with the Evil One. They learned his secrets in the Scholomance, amongst the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as his due.” (Stoker, 1897). The means to repel these vampires, with the exception of some superstition elements, belong to the Christian (particularly Catholic) tradition, e.g. crucifixes, holy water and consecrated wafers; which reinforces the idea that vampirism derives from the Devil and that such afterlife is sought for and requested by the participants of the séances. Once Un-dead, these beings preserve their semi-life by drinking human blood, a habit which also allows them to spread their kind on the surface of the Earth. They feel neither pity nor regret, their soulless bodies, like animals, aim only at self-preservation and reproduction. “In Stoker’s novel, Dracula is almost entirely a ‘monster’, in the sense that he has little or no perceptible motives other than to stalk and feed upon (subsequently horrifying and killing) his victims. He acts concerned only with his primal urges to survive (though he deals with these urges in sly, pre-meditated, human-like ways). He is hated and feared without a doubt of his monstrosity. In fact, the mask of a human form that he hides behind in can even be seen to add to his sinister traits; that he would take a human form to deceive his victims just makes him that much more dangerous. He is a monster hiding in a man’s body.” (Sherman, 2005). Dracula has planned to establish himself in England to create a true legion of the Un-dead there, and when Dr Van Helsing and his friends begin their hunt, these men unleash Dracula’s fury. Now the Count is not only acting on behalf of his survival, he is taking revenge on the ones who attempt to frustrate his designs, and his thirst for vengeance leads him to attack Mina Harker. Although she admits that she feels no desire to “hinder” him when he comes to her, the shame and the rage that pour out from her after the assault, together with Dracula’s mocking attitude, make the whole act resemble a rape, a bitter and despairing moment which will mark her life until her last day. “In the pause he spoke in a sort of keen, cutting whisper, pointing as he spoke to Jonathan: -‘Silence! If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains before your very eyes.’ I was appalled and too bewildered to say or do anything. With a mocking smile, he placed one hand upon my shoulder, and, holding me tight, (…) And oh, my God, my God, pity me! He placed his reeking lips upon my throat! I felt my strength fading away and I was in a half-swoon. How long this horrible thing lasted I know not; (…) Then he spoke to me mockingly: -‘And so you, like the others, would play your brains against mine. You would help these men to hunt me. You know now, and they know in part already, and will know in full before long, what it is to cross my path. (…) You are to be punished for what you have done. You have aided in thwarting me; now you shall come to my call…’ What have I done to deserve such a fate? God pity me! (…) Unclean, unclean! Even the Almighty shuns my polluted flesh! I shall bear this mark of shame upon my forehead until Judgement Day” (Stoker, 1897). This state of affairs is continued for what is left of the story and though Mina gradually becomes more distant towards her husband and friends and establishes a mental connection with the Count, this is only due to the vampire poison running through her veins.
The film, however, differs greatly from the novel in these respects. Although Dracula is also presented as a once great warrior, the circumstances in which he becomes a vampire are not related to the Devil or witch covens. Dracula is betrothed to a woman named Elisabeta, and his love for her is greater than any other feeling he may experience. While he is away on the Crusades, the vindictive Turks send word to Elisabeta saying that Dracula has been killed in battle. Desperate, she throws herself to a river. Returning home, Dracula receives the news of his fiancée’s death, and while crying by her body he is told by the Bishop that since she has committed suicide her soul will not be saved and she will be condemned. In a fit of madness and rage he destroys the chapel’s sacred elements while he cries: “Is this my reward for defending God’s church? I renounce God! I shall rise from my own death to avenge hers with all the powers of darkness. The blood is the life and it shall be mine!” There is no covenant with evil forces. The transformation is the mere consequence of an act of apostasy performed by a tortured soul mad with grief and the feeling of having been betrayed. From that moment onwards his only aim is to recover the love that he has lost. Mina Harker is the reincarnation of Elisabeta and therefore Dracula´s true lover. They meet several times and she falls deeply in love with him despite the fact that she is to marry Jonathan. The moment in which he enters her bedroom is not a dreadful assault, but the declaration of an immense and everlasting love.
-My precious Mina.
-I wanted this to happen. Now I know it. I want to be with you. Forever.
-You cannot know what you are saying.
-Yes, I do. I feared I would never feel your touch again. I thought you were dead.
-There is no life in this body.
-But you live. You live! What are you? I must know it. You must tell me.
-I am nothing. Lifeless, soulless.
-What do you mean?
-Hated and feared. I am dead for all the world. Listen to me! I am the monster living men would kill. I am Dracula.
-[crying] You killed Lucy! [she hits him repeatedly] I love you. May God forgive me, I do. I want to be what you are, see what you see, love what you love.
-Mina, to walk with me you must die in your breathing life and be reborn into mine.
-You are my love and my life forever.
-Then I give you eternal life. Endless love. The power of the storm and of the beasts of the Earth. Walk with me to be my beloved wife, forever.
-I will. Yes! [Dracula bites Mina on the neck and then makes a cut in his chest]
-Oh, Mina, drink and join me in eternal life. [Mina starts drinking. Then Dracula suddenly pushes her away]
-No! I cannot allow this!
-Please! I do not care. Make me yours.
-My love, you will be condemned as I am to walk among the shadows of death for all eternity… And I love you too much to condemn you.
-Then pull me away from all this death. [Mina drinks his blood] Not only is Mina in love with Dracula, she is also eager to become his companion and another vampire. Unlike what is described in the novel, this “attack” is closer to a sexual relation by mutual consent than it is to a rape. This attitude of open lust and marked sexuality is common to other characters in the film. When the men discover what has happened between Dracula and Mina and decide to chase and destroy him to prevent Mina´s transformation, she turns against them, and uses her increasing power to make them fail in their mission. As in the novel, Dracula is trapped in the entrance of his castle, but the wounds he receives do not cause his immediate death. He enters the castle chapel with Mina and there, with his last breath, he asks to be redeemed.
-Where is my God? He has abandoned me. This is the end.
-No! My love…my love…
-[Mina´s voice, narrating]There, in the presence of God, I finally understood how my love could free us all from the power of darkness. Our love is stronger than death.
-[With a beam of light on his face]Give me peace
[Mina pushes the sword deeper into Dracula’s body and then beheads him]
The differences between the novel and the film are evident, and one of the questions which may arise because of them is “Why? Why has this classic story been altered? ”. One possible reason may be the attraction that a love story may exert on the audience. The love between Mina and Jonathan is deep and true, but also chaste and quiet. The idea of a love story between Dracula and Mina, between the villain and the heroin, could be considered as more spectacular and sensational. Not only is their love forbidden and persecuted, but it is also more passionate and it has lasted for centuries. It is the type of love that an audience would like to feel identified with. “In Coppola’s take there is an alternate sub-plot which has Dracula as a passionate lover with almost super-human emotions. He is still a monster in the sense that he can transform into horrible beasts and kill people with no regret, but he does so to satisfy his longing for love. The viewer can almost sympathize with him as he cries over the loss of his lover, or claims that ‘the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds... true love’” (Sherman, 2005). A second reason may be the will to exploit the sexual implications in a vampires’ tale. As it has been mentioned above, the predominance of sex is much greater in the film that in the novel. It is true that some sexual elements could be traced in the novel: “The novel draws an implied analogy between vampirism and sex. The Count can only go where he is first invited, meaning that his female victims desire him to penetrate them. This act of penetration draws blood, like the 'deflowering' of a virgin bride. After the act, the woman looks unnaturally flushed and healthy, though after repeated penetration, she becomes drained of blood and anemic. The exchange of bodily fluids (blood in the case of vampiric attacks) is another similarity with sex.”¹ However, this analogy is in no way explicit, and the few references to the subject that could be found in the novel highlight the sinful aspect of sex. This story was written in Victorian times, when chastity and purity were among the most valuable virtues. Consequently, this prudish attitude is reflected in Dracula, particularly in the description of women. Both Mina and human Lucy are described as beautiful, sweet, and good, and at the same time chaste and pure. The three Brides and vampire Lucy, on the other hand, are said to possess remarkable beauty, but also a voluptuousness and a sensuality which characterises them as evil and perverted; and the power they exert over men, who cannot resist them, takes them to their doom. The description Dr Seward makes of vampire Lucy is a clear example: “ …as we recognised the features of Lucy Westenra. Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness (…) Lucy’s eyes in form and colour, but Lucy’s eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbes we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing (…) As she looked, her eyes blazed with unholy light and the face became wreathed with a voluptuous smile (…) She still advanced, however, and with a languorous, voluptuous grace, said:-‘Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!’ There was something diabolically sweet in her tones which rang through the brains even of us who heard these words addressed to another. As for Arthur, he seemed under a spell; moving his hands from his face he opened wide his arms. She was leaping for them when Van Helsing sprang forward…” (Stoker, 1897). But the attitude towards sex has changed through the years. “The topic of sexuality was in 1992 and now valued in a different way to how it was valued in 1897. Due to the different timeframes that the novel and the movie were released in, they have to appeal to different audiences.”² Again with regard to identification, today´s viewers, whose sexual behaviour is freer than the one of Victorian readers, may feel more interested and engaged by the appealing and selling power of sex.
Love and redemption, or evil for its own sake?
Florencia Deminicis
Horror literature reached new heights and dimensions when the Irish author Bram Stoker wrote his greatest contribution to it: his masterpiece Dracula, published in 1897. This novel, in which Stoker synthesised numerous myths about vampirism and afterlife from the Europe of old and of his time, has become a legend; delightful and at the same time terrifying, which still enthrals and shocks readers and cinema-goers all over the world. Dracula has been adapted for the screen on several occasions, however, the majority of these films have presented a version of the story which has been remarkably altered in many respects; turning Dracula from a black-hearted demon into a tormented man in love. For the sake of simplicity, we will work with only one film in this paper, "Bram Stoker’s Dracula" (1992), by F. Ford Coppola.
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the possible reasons for the changes in the plot. Why did the filmmaker feel it was necessary to alter a story which in its original form has become one of the best-known works of literature? What could he have considered unsatisfactory or missing in the novel that he wished to add or delete in his film? We will focus on three possible reasons: The attraction that a love story may exert on the audience; the will to exploit the sexual implications in a vampires’ tale; and the will to present a more humane Dracula.
In the novel the circumstances in which Dracula turns from man to monster are not described in detail. A nobleman with a mighty brain and an iron resolution, Dracula was during his human life a fierce warrior who fought bravely against the Turks to defend his homeland, Transylvania. He was greatly respected and admired, but also feared. He and his ancestors used to participate in covens and thus they obtained the power of the dark forces. Though never explicitly said, it can be presumed that their motivation for performing such rituals was linked to the attractiveness about being a vampire, namely eternal life, supernatural strength, the ability to metamorphose into different animals and the control of beasts and forces of nature. In the words of Dr Van Helsing: “He must, indeed, have been that Vovoide Dracula who won his name against the Turk (…) The Draculas were a great and noble race, though now and again were scions who were held by their coevals to have had dealings with the Evil One. They learned his secrets in the Scholomance, amongst the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as his due.” (Stoker, 1897). The means to repel these vampires, with the exception of some superstition elements, belong to the Christian (particularly Catholic) tradition, e.g. crucifixes, holy water and consecrated wafers; which reinforces the idea that vampirism derives from the Devil and that such afterlife is sought for and requested by the participants of the séances. Once Un-dead, these beings preserve their semi-life by drinking human blood, a habit which also allows them to spread their kind on the surface of the Earth. They feel neither pity nor regret, their soulless bodies, like animals, aim only at self-preservation and reproduction. “In Stoker’s novel, Dracula is almost entirely a ‘monster’, in the sense that he has little or no perceptible motives other than to stalk and feed upon (subsequently horrifying and killing) his victims. He acts concerned only with his primal urges to survive (though he deals with these urges in sly, pre-meditated, human-like ways). He is hated and feared without a doubt of his monstrosity. In fact, the mask of a human form that he hides behind in can even be seen to add to his sinister traits; that he would take a human form to deceive his victims just makes him that much more dangerous. He is a monster hiding in a man’s body.” (Sherman, 2005). Dracula has planned to establish himself in England to create a true legion of the Un-dead there, and when Dr Van Helsing and his friends begin their hunt, these men unleash Dracula’s fury. Now the Count is not only acting on behalf of his survival, he is taking revenge on the ones who attempt to frustrate his designs, and his thirst for vengeance leads him to attack Mina Harker. Although she admits that she feels no desire to “hinder” him when he comes to her, the shame and the rage that pour out from her after the assault, together with Dracula’s mocking attitude, make the whole act resemble a rape, a bitter and despairing moment which will mark her life until her last day. “In the pause he spoke in a sort of keen, cutting whisper, pointing as he spoke to Jonathan: -‘Silence! If you make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains before your very eyes.’ I was appalled and too bewildered to say or do anything. With a mocking smile, he placed one hand upon my shoulder, and, holding me tight, (…) And oh, my God, my God, pity me! He placed his reeking lips upon my throat! I felt my strength fading away and I was in a half-swoon. How long this horrible thing lasted I know not; (…) Then he spoke to me mockingly: -‘And so you, like the others, would play your brains against mine. You would help these men to hunt me. You know now, and they know in part already, and will know in full before long, what it is to cross my path. (…) You are to be punished for what you have done. You have aided in thwarting me; now you shall come to my call…’ What have I done to deserve such a fate? God pity me! (…) Unclean, unclean! Even the Almighty shuns my polluted flesh! I shall bear this mark of shame upon my forehead until Judgement Day” (Stoker, 1897). This state of affairs is continued for what is left of the story and though Mina gradually becomes more distant towards her husband and friends and establishes a mental connection with the Count, this is only due to the vampire poison running through her veins.
The film, however, differs greatly from the novel in these respects. Although Dracula is also presented as a once great warrior, the circumstances in which he becomes a vampire are not related to the Devil or witch covens. Dracula is betrothed to a woman named Elisabeta, and his love for her is greater than any other feeling he may experience. While he is away on the Crusades, the vindictive Turks send word to Elisabeta saying that Dracula has been killed in battle. Desperate, she throws herself to a river. Returning home, Dracula receives the news of his fiancée’s death, and while crying by her body he is told by the Bishop that since she has committed suicide her soul will not be saved and she will be condemned. In a fit of madness and rage he destroys the chapel’s sacred elements while he cries: “Is this my reward for defending God’s church? I renounce God! I shall rise from my own death to avenge hers with all the powers of darkness. The blood is the life and it shall be mine!” There is no covenant with evil forces. The transformation is the mere consequence of an act of apostasy performed by a tortured soul mad with grief and the feeling of having been betrayed. From that moment onwards his only aim is to recover the love that he has lost. Mina Harker is the reincarnation of Elisabeta and therefore Dracula´s true lover. They meet several times and she falls deeply in love with him despite the fact that she is to marry Jonathan. The moment in which he enters her bedroom is not a dreadful assault, but the declaration of an immense and everlasting love.
-My precious Mina.
-I wanted this to happen. Now I know it. I want to be with you. Forever.
-You cannot know what you are saying.
-Yes, I do. I feared I would never feel your touch again. I thought you were dead.
-There is no life in this body.
-But you live. You live! What are you? I must know it. You must tell me.
-I am nothing. Lifeless, soulless.
-What do you mean?
-Hated and feared. I am dead for all the world. Listen to me! I am the monster living men would kill. I am Dracula.
-[crying] You killed Lucy! [she hits him repeatedly] I love you. May God forgive me, I do. I want to be what you are, see what you see, love what you love.
-Mina, to walk with me you must die in your breathing life and be reborn into mine.
-You are my love and my life forever.
-Then I give you eternal life. Endless love. The power of the storm and of the beasts of the Earth. Walk with me to be my beloved wife, forever.
-I will. Yes! [Dracula bites Mina on the neck and then makes a cut in his chest]
-Oh, Mina, drink and join me in eternal life. [Mina starts drinking. Then Dracula suddenly pushes her away]
-No! I cannot allow this!
-Please! I do not care. Make me yours.
-My love, you will be condemned as I am to walk among the shadows of death for all eternity… And I love you too much to condemn you.
-Then pull me away from all this death. [Mina drinks his blood] Not only is Mina in love with Dracula, she is also eager to become his companion and another vampire. Unlike what is described in the novel, this “attack” is closer to a sexual relation by mutual consent than it is to a rape. This attitude of open lust and marked sexuality is common to other characters in the film. When the men discover what has happened between Dracula and Mina and decide to chase and destroy him to prevent Mina´s transformation, she turns against them, and uses her increasing power to make them fail in their mission. As in the novel, Dracula is trapped in the entrance of his castle, but the wounds he receives do not cause his immediate death. He enters the castle chapel with Mina and there, with his last breath, he asks to be redeemed.
-Where is my God? He has abandoned me. This is the end.
-No! My love…my love…
-[Mina´s voice, narrating]There, in the presence of God, I finally understood how my love could free us all from the power of darkness. Our love is stronger than death.
-[With a beam of light on his face]Give me peace
[Mina pushes the sword deeper into Dracula’s body and then beheads him]
The differences between the novel and the film are evident, and one of the questions which may arise because of them is “Why? Why has this classic story been altered? ”. One possible reason may be the attraction that a love story may exert on the audience. The love between Mina and Jonathan is deep and true, but also chaste and quiet. The idea of a love story between Dracula and Mina, between the villain and the heroin, could be considered as more spectacular and sensational. Not only is their love forbidden and persecuted, but it is also more passionate and it has lasted for centuries. It is the type of love that an audience would like to feel identified with. “In Coppola’s take there is an alternate sub-plot which has Dracula as a passionate lover with almost super-human emotions. He is still a monster in the sense that he can transform into horrible beasts and kill people with no regret, but he does so to satisfy his longing for love. The viewer can almost sympathize with him as he cries over the loss of his lover, or claims that ‘the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds... true love’” (Sherman, 2005). A second reason may be the will to exploit the sexual implications in a vampires’ tale. As it has been mentioned above, the predominance of sex is much greater in the film that in the novel. It is true that some sexual elements could be traced in the novel: “The novel draws an implied analogy between vampirism and sex. The Count can only go where he is first invited, meaning that his female victims desire him to penetrate them. This act of penetration draws blood, like the 'deflowering' of a virgin bride. After the act, the woman looks unnaturally flushed and healthy, though after repeated penetration, she becomes drained of blood and anemic. The exchange of bodily fluids (blood in the case of vampiric attacks) is another similarity with sex.”¹ However, this analogy is in no way explicit, and the few references to the subject that could be found in the novel highlight the sinful aspect of sex. This story was written in Victorian times, when chastity and purity were among the most valuable virtues. Consequently, this prudish attitude is reflected in Dracula, particularly in the description of women. Both Mina and human Lucy are described as beautiful, sweet, and good, and at the same time chaste and pure. The three Brides and vampire Lucy, on the other hand, are said to possess remarkable beauty, but also a voluptuousness and a sensuality which characterises them as evil and perverted; and the power they exert over men, who cannot resist them, takes them to their doom. The description Dr Seward makes of vampire Lucy is a clear example: “ …as we recognised the features of Lucy Westenra. Lucy Westenra, but yet how changed. The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness (…) Lucy’s eyes in form and colour, but Lucy’s eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbes we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into hate and loathing (…) As she looked, her eyes blazed with unholy light and the face became wreathed with a voluptuous smile (…) She still advanced, however, and with a languorous, voluptuous grace, said:-‘Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you. Come, and we can rest together. Come, my husband, come!’ There was something diabolically sweet in her tones which rang through the brains even of us who heard these words addressed to another. As for Arthur, he seemed under a spell; moving his hands from his face he opened wide his arms. She was leaping for them when Van Helsing sprang forward…” (Stoker, 1897). But the attitude towards sex has changed through the years. “The topic of sexuality was in 1992 and now valued in a different way to how it was valued in 1897. Due to the different timeframes that the novel and the movie were released in, they have to appeal to different audiences.”² Again with regard to identification, today´s viewers, whose sexual behaviour is freer than the one of Victorian readers, may feel more interested and engaged by the appealing and selling power of sex.
A third reason could be the will to present a more humane Dracula whose actions are justified and whose end is softened. In the novel, when Dracula is finally cornered at his castle’s gate, Jonathan and Quincey quickly end his life and everybody witnesses how his old body turns to dust. Dracula dies with a look of peace on his face, but this final act of liberation may not be enough to redeem him after having dealt with Satan by his own free will. No one can be sure of his salvation. The film, however, shows us Dracula’s redemption and his reconciliation with God. Going beyond people’s preference for “happy endings”, it could have been an interesting turning point to have the audience sympathising with the villain. A man who willingly decides to give his soul away, who shows no feelings, who might die condemned is not worthy of viewers’ compassion. A man who loses his soul because of grief, who loves eternally and who dies redeemed, on the contrary, may raise the public’s pity and touch them deeply. “At the end of the film, Dracula's very human dilemma as he strives to hold onto his lost love and make his peace with God, is what hits the heart of viewers and reminds them that they are not just watching another monster flick.” (Rettberg, 1993).
Other differences exist between the novel and the film, however, the ones enumerated in this paper are the most significant, they are the ones that make Dracula by Bram Stoker differ so greatly from "Bram Stoker’s Dracula". Viewers may approve of these adaptations or not, they may justify them or not. But these adaptations are the ones which give Dracula a turning point, the ones which transform a classic horror tale into a love story, which was the filmmaker’s intention. In this paper we have explained the reasons why these changes exist, which may be helpful to understand why one of the greatest horror stories of all has been altered. But in spite of these differences, in any of its forms, Dracula is, and will always be, a classic for people to enjoy.
Bibliography:
-Stoker, Bram: “Dracula” (Penguin Books, London, 1994- pp 252, 253, 288, 342, 343)
-Rettberg, Kimberlee: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (The Green Man Review, Columbia, 1993- http://www.greenmanreview.com/film/film_dracula_stoker.html-27/5/2009)
-Sherman, Nick: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula vs. Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (Monster Madness, 25 July 2005)
¹http://www.novelguide.com/dracula/essayquestions.html
²http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23640.html
-http://www.novelguide.com/dracula/essayquestions.html (25/5/2009)
-http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23640.html (27/5/2009)
-Quotations from the film translated from Spanish into English by the author of the paper.
Other differences exist between the novel and the film, however, the ones enumerated in this paper are the most significant, they are the ones that make Dracula by Bram Stoker differ so greatly from "Bram Stoker’s Dracula". Viewers may approve of these adaptations or not, they may justify them or not. But these adaptations are the ones which give Dracula a turning point, the ones which transform a classic horror tale into a love story, which was the filmmaker’s intention. In this paper we have explained the reasons why these changes exist, which may be helpful to understand why one of the greatest horror stories of all has been altered. But in spite of these differences, in any of its forms, Dracula is, and will always be, a classic for people to enjoy.
Bibliography:
-Stoker, Bram: “Dracula” (Penguin Books, London, 1994- pp 252, 253, 288, 342, 343)
-Rettberg, Kimberlee: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (The Green Man Review, Columbia, 1993- http://www.greenmanreview.com/film/film_dracula_stoker.html-27/5/2009)
-Sherman, Nick: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula vs. Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (Monster Madness, 25 July 2005)
¹http://www.novelguide.com/dracula/essayquestions.html
²http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23640.html
-http://www.novelguide.com/dracula/essayquestions.html (25/5/2009)
-http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/23640.html (27/5/2009)
-Quotations from the film translated from Spanish into English by the author of the paper.
