IN FRAME: The evolution of the cinematic vampire

Since spooky season is now in full swing, it’s time to talk about one of my absolute favorite fictional monsters: the vampire.

I remember watching Universal’s iconic 1931 version of “Dracula” as a kid, but I think it was my obsession with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” that really solidified my passion for the undead. To this day, it’s my favorite television show.

Since I had the pleasure of being a teenager in the early 2000s, I was also a huge “Twilight” fan. My sister and I went through a phase where we tried to recreate every scene from the first movie, playing multiple characters and filming on my dinky little Disney Flix camera. (That footage still exists somewhere and honestly, I’m pretty proud of it.)

My favorite thing about vampires is the mythology behind them and how it’s evolved over time to reflect society’s ever-changing fears and anxieties.

The idea of the vampire has existed for centuries, dating all the way back to Mesopotamia. Stories of blood sucking demons, corpses who crawled out of their graves to terrorize the living, can be found in just about every culture and continent around the world, from Africa to Europe.

According to author Paul Barber, the people of pre-industrial societies used the vampire to explain the painful, sometimes confusing, and disturbing process of death and decomposition.

During the 19th century, it became a metaphor for fear of “the other,” and has more or less stayed that way ever since, although who society chooses to be afraid at any given moment continues to change. Still, the vampire has always been a transgressive figure, one who operates outside the norms of society, who represents the some of the darkest or most shameful parts of ourselves.

The most recognizable version of the literary vampire was likely created in 1819, with the publication of “The Vampyre,” a novella by John William Polidori, which was also the first vampire story published in English.

Fun fact: Polidori was inspired to write the story following a fateful trip to Lake Geneva with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron, in which Byron suggested they have a competition to see who could write the best ghost story.

It was during this time that Shelley’s wife, the writer Mary Shelley, came up with the idea for her masterpiece, “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.”

I just think it’s wild that two of the most enduring horror figures — the vampire and Frankenstein’s Monster — were born at the same time, possibly in the same room.

The next most famous example of vampire fiction came in 1871, with the release of “Carmilla,” first featured in Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu’s collection “In a Glass Darkly.” Carmilla was a huge influence on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” which was published some 20 years later in 1897.

Onscreen vampires began popping up in the early 1910s. However, in these films, the term ‘vampire’ referred to the archetype of the femme fatale, or vamp, who would metaphorically suck the life out of unsuspecting men with her sinful ways, as opposed to being a literal blood sucking monster.

One of silent film star Theda Bara’s only surviving movies “A Fool There Was,” is a example of this.

Then, of course, there was the landmark German Expressionist film “Nosferatu,” released in 1922 by filmmaker F. W. Murnau. It was heavily influenced by Murnau and producer Albin Grau’s experience in WWI and their subsequent obsession with the supernatural.

“Nosferatu” was an unauthorized adaptation of “Dracula,”and Stoker’s estate was not happy about. His widow, Florence, took the filmmakers to court and won. After which, all copies of the film were ordered destroyed.

Against all odds, several prints of the movie survived and “Nosferatu” went on to become one of the most iconic horror films of all time.

Count Orlock being destroyed by sunlight at the end of the movie proved very influential on later films and became a vital part of vampire lore.

The film was remade in 1979 by Werner Herzog and most recently in 2023 by Robert Eggers. However, I don’t think either manage to live up to the suspense and artistic vision of the original.

Universal’s “Dracula” was also a turning point in the evolution of the cinematic vampire. Bela Lugosi’s version represented the harmful stereotype of the foreign invader, intent on the corruption of repressed Victorian society. Along with his Hungarian accent, Lugosi’s Count Dracula became synonymous with the onscreen vampire for decades.

Across the pond in Britain, Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Count Dracula in a series of Hammer horror films during the 1950s and 60s popularized fangs and red contact lens for the onscreen vampire.

Another entry worth noting is Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “Vampyr,” released in 1932 and based on two stories from Le Fanu’s “In a Glass Darkly” — “Carmilla” and “The Room in the Dragon Volant.”

The version of the film that’s available today is incomplete and imperfect, as the original German and French film and sound negatives are thought lost.

Still, it’s an important movie in the history of the cinematic vampire. Its surreal and dizzying special effects are enough to make it worth the watch.

Although its officially based on “Dracula’s Guest,” a 1914 short story by Bram Stoker, Universal’s 1936 “Dracula’s Daughter” bares more of a resemblance to “Carmilla” and is the first time a vampire film dealt with queer themes.

In fact, “Dracula’s Daughter” had a huge impact on Anne Rice, who would go on to write her seminal “Vampire Chronicles” book series, which in turn had a transformative effect on the vampire in fiction.

Although there was always an undercurrent of sexuality to the vampire, the character didn’t fully graduate to romantic Hollywood lead until the 1990s, most prominently with 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Coppola’s film included a reincarnation love story between Dracula (Gary Oldman) and Mina Harker (Winona Ryder) that added a complex and poignant dimension to the character.

That film has remained my absolute favorite adaptation of “Dracula,” and is probably one of my all-time favorite films, period. The lush and colorful production design and lavish costumes are out of this world and it remains one of the most beautiful and romantic movies I’ve ever seen.

I mean, come on. “I have crossed oceans of time to find you.” Who is ever going to top that?

The success of Coppola’s film allowed Neil Jordan to make to the equally lavish and sensual “Interview with the Vampire” in 1994. However, I much prefer AMC’s recent TV adaptation of Rice’s series.

More recent vampire films worthy of a watch this Halloween season include “Let the Right One In (2008),” “Byzantium (2012),” “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014),” “The Invitation (2022),” and “Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023.)”

As you can see, starting from the very birth of movies, vampires were a huge part of cinema, and the image of the vampire has continued to endure onscreen.

I think the most obvious evidence of this is the massive success of this past summer’s “Sinners,” directed by Ryan Coogler. It’s now the third-highest-grossing horror movie ever, as well as the tenth-highest-grossing R-rated movie ever.

“Sinners,” a musical horror film that is sweeping and epic and infectious, uses the myth of the vampire to explore themes of colonialism and racism in 1930s Mississippi.

Its success reminds us that even though the myth of the vampire is as old as time itself, it’s never tired. All it takes is a talented filmmaker to breathe new life into it for a new generation of horror fans to enjoy.

In Frame is a weekly arts and entertainment column focusing on everything from pop culture and new movie releases to the local arts and culture found right here in NEPA. News reporters Sam Zavada and Margaret Roarty contribute to this column.

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