Kiss of the vampire

Question 1

when was the poster produced?

Answer 1

1963

Question 2

who was the poster produced by?

Answer 2

Hammer film productions and distributed by J.Arthur Rank and universal

Question 3

what was the point of the poster?

Answer 3

to advertise the sequel to the 1958 movie, Dracula

Question 4

how does the text show Barthes semiotics?

Answer 4

The capitalised Serif font of the title creates connotations linked to the vampire film genre
-the gloomy, grey black and brown colour palette reinforces the films dark and scary conventions whilst the red highlight draws attention to the attacking bats, the vampire and the blood
-suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female vampires- ‘kiss’
-symbolic codes of barthes of horror, darkness and fear are reinforced through signifiers such as the moon and the male victims ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code

Question 5

what is the political/social context?

Answer 5

-the 1960s is seen as the start of sexual liberation for women such as the introduction of the birth control pill in 1960
-more women were entering the paid workforce
-sixties feminist were campaigning for equal pay, an end to sexual harrassement and equal rights between men and women.
-In America, equal pay legislation was passed in 1963

Question 6

what was happening to women in the 1960s?

Answer 6

The poster was made in the 1960s, a time when women were starting to become more and more objectified within the media, the 1960s was a period of sexual revolution with the introduction of laws such as abortion laws, divorce laws as well as greater access to contraceptives such as birth control. This meant that women were less restricted to simply being reduced to being wives and mothers, and were increasingly sexualised as a result in the media.

Question 7

what happened during the second wave of feminism and why might the poster still portray women in a ‘victimised’ and ‘sexualised’ manner?

Answer 7

During the 1960s, there was also a second wave of feminism and female sexual liberation, where women were starting to demand some more equal rights in terms of the home, the workplace as well as education- however the poster still represents women in a fairly fashioned, objectified and victimised manner- this might be due to the fact that horror movies have a traditionally male audience, and they might perhaps be interested in women being represented in this traditional manner. However, this representation of women may also be because it was produced by a mainstream horror production company (Hammer studios) and therefore their representations are more likely to be mainstream, and represent women in a more ‘mainstream’ way. (feminist was still seen as ‘alternative’ at the beginning of the 1960s)

Question 8

How is the female character on the left of the poster shown to be vulnerable?

Answer 8

The female character on the left of the poster is shown to be supported by a male character- she seems as though she is unconscious. Her floppy body language and closed eyes can be a clear indication that she is represented as weak, vulnerable, and victimised, whilst the vampire’s power is highlighted through the way that he holds her in one arm.

Question 9

how is the female character on the left of the poster sexualised?

Answer 9

The female character on the left has her neck back, exposing her neck and other parts of her body which adds to her vulnerability, but also makes her incredibly sexualised- her skin tight and silky dress (which is also a nude colour, signifying the idea of her bare skin), bare neck and exposed upper chest area represent her in a sexualised way

Question 10

How is the female vampire sexualised within the poster?

Answer 10

The other female in the poster (the female vampire), is also sexualised, just as the woman on the left hand side of the poster- her dress is quite form fitting, particularly on the bust, and is also a colour that matches her skin tone, possibly giving the appearance of ‘bare skin’

Question 11

The poster creates…

Answer 11

quite an objectified look of women in the poster- this is conventional due to the time period in which the poster was created

Question 12

traditionally women were…

Answer 12

(and still are) portrayed as ‘damsels in distress’, and needing rescuing by a hero type character

Question 13

how is the male vampire represented as powerful?

Answer 13

The man on the left is represented as powerful due to him carrying the women. His fangs make him seem aggressive, as do the black and red colours- this reflects historical and 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 makes him seem scared and vulnerable in some ways too.

Question 14

How is the man at the bottom of the poster represented?

Answer 14

There is a man towards the bottom of the poster who is clearly in a semi-conscious state- this man’s body language and positioning (through him kneeling) make him seem submissive and vulnerable

Question 15

what might the representations of men be reflective of?

Answer 15

These representations of men seeming weaker, and victimised, might reflect the shift in gender roles and expectations that was just happening in the 1960s.

Question 16

how is the female vampire represented?

Answer 16

The female character in the centre of the poster looks aggressive, her fist is raised and her teeth are bare- this female character is represented as aggressive and powerful due to her body positioning above the man kneeling, and her bared teeth and raised arm- this represents her in a dominant way also, unconventional in the decades leading up to this poster- Having a female villain would have been quite unconventional of the time and perhaps reflects the way that gender roles were shifting during the 1960s

Question 17

having an equal number of…

Answer 17

male and female characters appearing in the pictures on the film poster, which suggests some equality in terms of gender- the balance of characters and their roles on the poster might suggest the new trend for equality. Gender is not simply presented in an old fashion binary way on the poster

Question 18

what does the credit block at the bottom of the poster suggest?

Answer 18

The credit block at the bottom of the poster suggests, due to there only being one female name, that women were seen as less important behind the scenes- it was more important to give male actors credit than female actors- as well as this, The crew names from the credit block at the bottom of the poster all seem to be male from face value, which suggests that there might have been a heavy representation of men within the film industry in terms of roles.

Question 19

what does the women’s dress code reflect?

Answer 19

Both women wear pale dresses made of light materials- these dress codes serve to reinforce their femininity by highlighting the curves of their bodies and revealing the flesh on their upper chests and arms

Question 20

What does the font of the title suggest?

Answer 20

The capitalised serif, gothic font of the title creates connotations linked to the vampire film genre with it’s wooden ‘styling’ (possibly referencing a vampire’s coffin) and the blood dripping from the letter V’s ‘fang’.

Question 21

what is the effect of the painted central image?

Answer 21

The use of the ‘painted’ main image is highly conventional of films during the time period and links to the poster of Christopher Lee’s ‘Dracula’- however, the fact that it is a coloured painted image suggests that kiss of the vampire is a modern retelling of the story of Dracula.

Question 22

what does the colour palatte signify?

Answer 22

The gloomy grey, black and brown colour palette reinforces the film’s dark, scary conventions whilst the red highlight colour draws attention to the attacking bats, the vampire and the blood- all visual signifies for the genre.

Question 23

what is Roland Barthes semiotic and semantic theory?

Answer 23

Roland Barthes- Semiotics and semantics theory: According to Barthes, anything in culture can be a sign and send a specific message to the audience-

Question 24

how does the poster follow roland barthes semiotic and semantic theory?

Answer 24

Roland Barthes- Semiotics and semantics theory: According to Barthes, anything in culture can be a sign and send a specific message to the audience- the symbolic codes of horror, darkness and fear in the poster are more widely reinforced through signifies such as the moon and the male victim’s ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code. Semiotics- suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female vampires (emphasised by the ‘kiss’ of the title)

Question 25

what is levis Strauss’ structuralism theory?

Answer 25

Levis Strauss- Structuralism theory: Strauss suggests that all media texts have areas of binary opposition

Question 26

how does the poster show levis Strauss’ structuralism theory?

Answer 26

Levis Strauss- Structuralism theory: Strauss suggests that all media texts have areas of binary opposition- this is evident in ‘kiss of the vampire’ through the opposing representations of vampires and their victims (domination and authority vs submissiveness), as well as the romantic connotations of ‘kiss’ in the title of the poster in opposition to the stereotypical ‘vampire’ monster.

Question 27

what is Gauntlett’s theory of identity and how does the poster reflect this theory?

Answer 27

David Gauntlett- Theory of identity- Gauntlett suggests that audiences may use media content to construct their own identities- 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.

Question 28

What is Van Zoonen’s feminist theory and how is it shown in the poster?

Answer 28

Van Zoonen- Feminist theory: This feminist theory suggests that the media portrays images of stereotypical women and this behaviour reinforces societal views. The theory also suggests that women are often sexualised in the media, particularly through the use of camera angles-the poster conforms to the idea that women are sexualised in the media through the depiction of the eroticised female figure on the left hand side of the frame. The poster may be challenging Van Zoonen’s theory- the female vampire is perhaps contributing to social change by representing women in non-traditional roles. (though the passive victim does reinforce Zoonen’s theory)