Comparison of Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula Essay -- Comparison Co

Compare/Contrast Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula A noticeable disagreement in the way movies have changed over the years is evident when comparing and contrasting two films of different eras which belong to the equivalent genre and contain the same subject matter. Two vampire movies, Dracula and Bram Stokers Dracula, present an interesting example of this type of study. Comparing the 1931 reading of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, with Frances Ford Coppolas Bram Stokers Dracula 1993 version yields several(prenominal) similarities. Both films are of the same genre Horror. Both films are set around the same time period. likewise, both deal with a vampire approach path to England and causing disruptions in peoples lives. Beyond these few similarities are numerous contrasts. An obvious difference in these films is that the 1931 version played to a Depression audience and that the Coppola version played to a modern audience. (I am being extremely careful because, obviously, the 1931 audience was modern in 1931 however, we like to think of ourselves as being to a greater extent modern than past generations. There are differences in the audiences which viewed the respective versions in their time, and I hope to prove this point as the paper unfolds.) When we compare the depiction of characters in the areas of gender, race, and age, we find striking contrasts. In the 1931 version, mens roles are well-defined they are the protectors. For example, Jonathan hovers over Mina in many scenes, giving us the feel that Mina is a helpless creature. In Coppolas version, Jonathan is by no means a protector. He barely splinters Draculas castle Mina has to go to him--to protect him. Also interesting, are the differences in the portrayal of the women in these film... ... audience handle this, or is it because they demand realism? Possibly, this demand for realistic interpretation of subject matter is a major cause of the differences between these films however, as was shown in this paper, there are also other reasons for the variations. 1931 was a time of poverty for many Americans who needed escape into a film where traditional values were upheld where God wins where men and womens roles are well-defined and where order reigns. Coppolas version has been released in a time where the patriarchal frame has begun to break down where prejudice is no longer acceptable (still practiced, but not acceptable) and where we require everything to be extreme. BibliographyBram Stokers Dracula. Dir. Frances Ford Coppola. Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1993. Dracula. Dir. Tod Browning. customary Pictures Corporation, 1931.