Kiss of the vampire - Comp 1 Flashcards
How is the female character on the left being represented?
carried and supported by the man - floppy body language and closed eyes - makes seem weak and vulnerable and victimised - damsel and distress
What adds to the women being vulnerable on the left?
silk tight dress, bare neck and exposed upper chest - represents her in a sexualised way - looks like she was unconscious
How is the other lady sexualised?
her dress looks like it is made of silk -sexy - wearing high heels -objectified view of women
How does the representation of women link to context?
made in the 1960’s - women becoming more objectified in the media - time of new divorce laws - 1969, the contraceptive pill - 1961, more abortion laws - 1967 - less restricted to being wife’s and mothers and were more sexualised as a result in the media
How is the representation of women being weak and vulnerable conventional for the time period?
Convention for time period running up to the 1960’s - often representations of women being the damsel in distress and seen as needing to be rescued by the “hero” characters - second feminism wave in 1960’s - become more powerful and demanding equal rights - The poster represents the women in an old fashioned , objectified and victimised manner - evident by the women on the left particularly
Why might the kiss of the vampire poster represent women in an old fashioned way?
might have been done to appeal a male target audience - most horror films have a male target audience - made by a mainstream horror company (hammer studios) more likely to represent women in a more mainstream way - feminism seen as “alternative”
What are the representations of the male character?
powerful - he is carrying the women - vampire teeth makes him seem dangerous and aggressive and wearing cape - seen as a villain - also evident by the black and red colours - adds to the symbolic code of him being a vampire as further shown by the use of the colour red - Roland Barthes semiotic theory symbolic code - reflects the patriarchal ideas that men are dominant and powerful
How is the man also represented in an alternative fashion?
His arm is back like he is trying to protect himself maybe from the bats - his wide eyes and defensive body language makes him seem like the victim and connotes he may be scared and vulnerable
How is the male character on the bottom right hand side of the poster represented?
in an unconscious state - the mans body language and positioning make him seem vulnerable and submissive - representations of men being seen as weaker and victimised might reflect the shift in gender roles and gender expectations that was happening within the 1960’s
Where can the shift of gender roles also be seen in the poster? (the women)
The women in the centre of the poster - looks aggressive and has her fist raised her teeth are bared - vampire fangs - being represented as powerful due to body positioning above the man kneeling and baring teeth and raised arm
How does representing the women as a potential killer and aggressor reflect the 1960’s?
unconventional prior to the 1960’s, but in the 1960’s it could have been seen as reflecting the shift in society that was happening in terms of feminism
what is balanced on the film poster?
balance of characters and roles on the film poster, might suggest the new trend for equality, gender is not simply being represented in an old fashioned binary way on the poster
What does the credit block suggest on the poster?
it suggest due to there only being one female name that women were seen as less important behind the scenes - all of the crew member names seem to be male - heavy representations of men within the film industry
