Dracula Appropriation

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“How does ‘Shadow of a Vampire’ appropriate the earlier texts of Nosferatu and Dracula and create something new?” Shadow of a Vampire (2000), directed by Elias Merhige, is a film that recreates the making of the 1922 film ‘Nosferatu’. Shadow of a Vampire distorts the reality of what actually went on whilst filming Nosferatu yet appropriates the text to make it entertaining and scary. As Nosferatu is based on Dracula by Bram Stoker, Shadow of a Vampire also becomes an appropriation of this text, mainly using the elements of gothic to create what is essentially a horror movie. An appropriation that adds to the scary nature is the behaviour of Nosferatu director Friedrich Murnau. Murnau’s behaviour is questionable from the early stages of the film. It is evident that…show more content…
In Dracula, The Count is described as having sharp features, sharp teeth that protrude down over his bottom lip, long nails and hair that abnormally grows in the middle of his palms. Count Orlock in Shadow of a Vampire has a more rodent like appearance. His hair is slick, has long nails but the main differences come in the face and in particular the teeth. Orlock’s teeth are still quite large only his teeth that are large are right at the front whereas Dracula’s are a little further back and appear to look more like fangs. There is also a clear distinction between the mannerisms and weaknesses of the different Counts. Orlock’s movements are more mysterious due to the way that Shadow of a Vampire is made; it generally focuses more on Murnau and the other members of the crew. This is a contrast to Dracula, as even though Bram Stoker doesn’t always say exactly where Dracula is, as a reader we still know where he is, due to the events that keep transpiring. Orlock dies as a result of exposure to sunlight, yet in Dracula at times he is walking around the streets of London in broad
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