How Dracula Became Sexuality with Fangs
1931
Despite what the first movie interpretations show, vampires have always been symbols of sexuality. In fact, the first recorded evidence of a vampiric image is a picture drawn on a bowl of a man copulating with a beheaded vampire in prehistoric times (Beresford 31). However, in the time period when Stoker penned Dracula, sexuality was something not discussed or displayed publicly and remained so for years. In fact, in the first observable film Nosferatu, there are barely any sexual references at all. Ellen and her husband Hutton sleep in different rooms, Count Orlock finds Ellen attractive but only drinks her blood, and on that note, Count Orlock is far from attractive (1922). However, there has always been a sexual pull when talking about vampires, even ones with the unfortunate appearances such as Count Orlock, as a seductive force lingering in the dark.
Vampires have always been creatures of the night (Peacher 182). They swoop down in the dark, penetrate their victims (normally women, see "Feminist Evolution"), obtain what they want, and then, in most cases, depart satisfied. If this content were to be discussed in a context other than vampires, it would sound like a rape. With that subtext in mind, sexuality isn't hard to connect to the image of the vampire. The deep association with night also brings to mind prostitution, of which the French literally call "Ladies of the Evening" (Peacher 44).
In the literary and film world, Dracula sexuality began as nothing more than some sensual whispers and gazes, where the most sexual interaction is nothing more than a sweep of the fingertips on the throat or arm. As the audience watches the progression of sexuality and sexual reference, it grows at a slow but steady rate until a certain point, then explodes fully, after which it has to revise and refine to match the society of today.
Vampires have always been creatures of the night (Peacher 182). They swoop down in the dark, penetrate their victims (normally women, see "Feminist Evolution"), obtain what they want, and then, in most cases, depart satisfied. If this content were to be discussed in a context other than vampires, it would sound like a rape. With that subtext in mind, sexuality isn't hard to connect to the image of the vampire. The deep association with night also brings to mind prostitution, of which the French literally call "Ladies of the Evening" (Peacher 44).
In the literary and film world, Dracula sexuality began as nothing more than some sensual whispers and gazes, where the most sexual interaction is nothing more than a sweep of the fingertips on the throat or arm. As the audience watches the progression of sexuality and sexual reference, it grows at a slow but steady rate until a certain point, then explodes fully, after which it has to revise and refine to match the society of today.
Viewer Discretion is Advised
The first actual sex scene in a Dracula film didn't occur until 1971 in Dracula vs. Frankenstein, and at this point sexuality absolutely exploded into the film to almost a pornographic level. At this point in time, sexuality was really being explored and publicized, and after Dracula's explosion of visible sexuality on-screen and found its rhythm until recently, whereas most films after Dracula (1992) and Dracula 2000 (2000) (parodies excluded) have developed a more refined and respectful sexuality.
"The underlying sexual theme of vampirism that had slowly been building since Victorian literature and that was barely suppressed in the Hammer Horror Films [1958-76] was finally unleashed in Coppola's Dracula [1992]. This led way for sex to be emphasized much more in future vampire offerings, so much so that it has become rare to find a contemporary vampire film that does not utilize a sexual theme" (Beresford 153).
Through watching the evolution of Count Dracula's sexuality (as well as his attractiveness and interatction with women), it can be said that society's sexuality between the very late nineteenth-century and today evolved very much the same way. Because Dracula and etc. has created its own culture, a macabre culture reflecting off its audience so as to keep said audience. |
The first report in "real world" examples of vampires did not show until 1725, thousands of years after the first recorded vampire cases. The corpse in question was dug up for investigation, and was found to have an erection, but nothing more is mentioned (Beresford 110). Stoker's Dracula, in that way, is very modest about its sexuality, and Beresford capitalizes that, ignoring Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) as a Dracula movie and capitalizing Dracula (1992), featuring Gary Oldman as Dracula, as the first interpretation that fully embraced Dracula's sexuality, including a scene where Dracula in beast form fornicates with Lucy, and another where Dracula and Mina have a lustful blood scene.
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