Kiss Of The Vampire Flashcards
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Cultural contexts
The 1960s audience for this advert could be familiar with the codes and conventions of ‘monster movie’ film posters
E.g. its, fonts and representations of ‘the monster’ and its (usually female) victims.
the sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behaviour related to sexuality and interpersonal relationship.
Interesting intertexts for comparative study might include:
The evils of Frankenstein
Product context
- Produced by Hammer Film Productions and distributed by J. Rank and Universal,
- Kiss of the Vampire is a sequel to the second sequel to Dracula, although the film’s script actually makes no reference to Stoker’s character.
- In addition to Dracula, with other ‘monster movie’ franchises such as Frankenstein. Distributers Universal also saw early success with films in this genre.
Semiotics Barthes
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Suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female vampires (emphasised by the “kiss” of the title)
& the fate of their two victims (Barthes’ Hermeneutic Code). - Barthes’ Semantic Code could be applied to images of the bats and their conventional association with vampirism and horror in general.
- The Symbolic Codes (Barthes) of horror, darkness and fear are more reinforced through signifiers such as the moon and the male victim’s ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code.
Levi-strauss- structucalism
- The idea that texts are constructed through the use of binary oppositions could be applied to the opposing representations of the vampires and their victims, and the romantic connotations of “kiss” opposed in the film’s title to the stereotypical “vampire” monster.
- there is also ideological significance - clear binary opposition of men & women
Stuart Hall theory of representation
he believed that stereotyping is a form of representation.
The images of a castle, bats, the vampire’s cape and dripping blood form part of the “shared conceptual road map” that give meaning to the “world” of the poster.
The audience is actively encouraged to decode this familiar generic iconography.
In the case of Gender:
- women are reduced through their subservient stereotyping & powerful females are ‘othered’ through connections of the supernatural. - modern society - dont accept alpha women
- There is also inequalities of power - male dominated industry/production. - see this at the bottom of the poster - even though women are gaining equality -men will still dominate
Gauntlett’s theory of identity
– perhaps the female vampire acts as a role model for women struggling against male oppression or desperate to be seen as the equals of men, whatever the environment or narrative.
- during the time where the sexual revolution occurred/ equal pay act,contraceptive pill - start of liberation
- the start for when Women are moving away from the idea of being a housewife/domesticity and now becoming more dependent.
Van Zoonen’s feminist theory
- The idea that the displays of women’s bodies are seen as objects in the patriarchal society.
- Even as the co-antagonist is in the position of power, she is still sexualised (which reduces the way we may percieve her.)
- the female vampire is perhaps contributing to social change by representing women in non- traditional roles though the passive female victim.
- reflect the start Women are moving away from the idea of being a housewife/domesticity and now becoming more dependent.
Political& social contexts - representation
- The 1960s is often seen as the start of women’s sexual liberation = aided by events such as the introduction of the contraceptive pill in 1960.
- More women than ever were entering the paid workforce and sixties feminists were campaigning for equal pay, an end to sexual harassment and more equality between men and women in wider society.
- In America, equal pay legislation was passed in 1963. ‘Older’ stereotypes of women as passive victims of men
- more modern ‘male fears’ of women challenging male dominance could both be seen to be encoded in this film poster.
- The woman are the manifestation of male fear and paranoia
How females representation is constructed in KOTV
- Both women wear pale dresses made of light materials and these dress codes serve to reinforce their femininity by highlighting the curves of their bodies and revealing the flesh of their upper chests and arms.
(objectified) - Her floppy body language and closed eyes make her seem weak, vulnerable and victimised.
- Typical Damsel in Distress/old-fashioned.
- The gesture code of the woman on the left is that of the stereotypical passive victim of the ‘monster’, his power highlighted by the fact that he’s holding her by just one arm.
- Baring her teeth and with her arm raised almost fist-like as she’s being bitten by the bat, the second woman’s gesture codes are more aggressive, and the submissive pose of her male ‘victim’ (including being on his knees with his head back and throat exposed) represent her in a non-stereotypically dominant way.
1960’s
- legal changes: divorce laws, the contraceptive pill, new abortion laws etc.
- which meant women were less restricted to simply being wives and mothers, and were increasingly sexualised as a result the media.
= allows females to feel more free/equal
Traditional representation
Traditionally, women were (and often still are) represented as ‘damsel in distress’ , and needing rescuing by a hero character
Male representation
- The man on the left is represented as powerful due to him carrying the woman - he portrays a clear representation of female weakness & masculine dominance.
- His teeth make him seem dangerous and aggressive, as do the black and red colours. = connotation of danger and threat.
- This reflects historical patriarchal ideas that men were dominant and powerful.
however:
- His wide eyes and defensive body language connote that he may also be a victim, and protecting himself.
- makes him seem scared and vulnerable in some ways too
- This male victim body language and positioning make him seem submissive and vulnerable
..but in a way the potion of the male victim makes his sacrifice honorable as he is giving himself up - His vein is distinctively showing which makes him seen masculine than purity of the female victim.
These representation of men seeming weaker, and victimised, might reflect the shift in gender roles and gender expectations. Males at the time were fearful for female dominance - they believed it threatened the patriarchal order
Female villain
- represented as aggressive, powerful and deviant due to her body positioning above the man kneeling, and her bared teeth and raised arm.
- Representing a woman as an potential killer would have been unconventional prior to the 1960’s.
- it could be seen as reflecting the shift in society that was happening in terms of the influence of feminism
Gender
The balance of characters and their roles on the poster, might suggest the new trend for equality.
Gender is not simply presented in a old fashioned binary way on the poster.
However the credit block suggests, due to there only being one female name, that women were seen as less important behind the scenes.
Hall reception theory
- The ‘preferred audience’ i.e. males: believe that the co-antagonist is connected to the supernatural (a bat is biting her hand) = she becomes othered (something else). m- refusimg her dominace and power
- if she holds power in a human form, then the audience has to accept the possibility of female power.
- But if the audience can reject to the supernatural then they can reject her female dominance.
- However, the negotiated audience i.e. (females) can read this poster as think that the Villian is an** aspiration figure**who asserts her dominance.
