thankfully copies survived). However, the films predominant changes come from it’s shying away from the novels underlining emphasis on promiscuous sexuality. Dracula shows us the fine line between sexual desire and violence, it is a concept that has been explored in mythology, way before the word ‘Vampire’ had come into existence. Indeed, the act of drinking blood has long been something associated with Demons, and even Lilith, the first wife of Adam in the Garden of Eden. According to Jewish texts, Lilith was created from the Earth, just as Adam was, and she refused to be dominated by him, regarding herself as man’s equal. Her rejection of Adam led her to leave the Garden, and to be replaced by the more submissive Eve who, after all, was made from one of Adam’s ribs, and would therefore always be a part of him. Lilith became a Demon, and her sexuality made her all the more powerful. God destroyed many of her Demon offspring, and in retaliation she slaughtered human babies. This myth perhaps helped to explain the large amount of infant mortality in the times that it was written. Lilith was a seductress, and blood drinker, and perhaps one of the earliest ‘Vampires’ in mythology.
This understanding of a common ground between lust and evil is the basis for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, however this issue is totally sidestepped by Nosferatu. In a very real way, the story was censored for the big screen, perhaps in order to quash any allure to the dark fantasy of Vampirism. Did the filmmakers believe that audiences would be confused, seduced and even corrupted by the true Vampires? Sexuality is a powerful weapon, and it was important the audience would understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, and so it helped that evil was portrayed as ugly, deformed and physically repulsive. After all, if evil were attractive, seductive and sexual, who could resist it?
{ Next Issue } Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a mass identity crisis, politics, and the Monster within.
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