Kiss of the Vampire Flashcards
What are the political and social contexts behind KOTV
60’s is seen as the start of women’s sexual liberation with the introduction of the contraceptive pill. Women entered paid work and sixties feminists campaigned for equal pay, end sexual harassment and equality. Older stereotypes of passive women victims of men and more modern stereotypes of women challenging male dominance are both encoded in the poster.
What binary oppositions are evident in the poster
kiss (love) vs vampire (monster), predator vs prey, human vs creature, light vs dark, man vs woman, natural vs supernatural.
what is an example of an enigma code in the text
significance of the bats, the castle and the moon to the narrative.
an example of a semiotic code in the text?
horror genre conventions with monstrous vampires, helpless victims, blood, night-time darkness, mysterious settings, savage bats.
what is a symbolic code in the text
castle (Transylvania), full moon (occult myths), contrast between romance and violence (kiss/vampire). dripping blood on V (stake shape)
what would hall say about the text
Representation, audience actively encouraged to decode familiar generic iconography
what would Gauntlett say about the poster
female vampire acts as a role model for women struggling against male oppression and perusing gender equality.
what would feminist theorist Van Zoonen say
the female vampire assumes co-antagonistic role and is perhaps contributing to social change by representing women in non traditional roles whilst the passive female woman reinforces these.
what is the production context
KOTV made by Hammer Film production.
British film production company based in London. distribution partnerships with US studios such as Warner Bros. KOTV 1963, 2nd sequal to 1958’s Dracula. released during the ‘swinging 60’s’
