The Immortal Legend of Count Dracula
Dracula in Modern Society and Pop Culture
Dracula was first published in 1897, a time during which film was first emerging as a medium.1 It makes sense, then, that Dracula quickly became the source of inspiration for a multitude of films, and that film would eventually become the medium in which Dracula would most frequently appear. In fact, Dracula has been featured as a prominent character in over 200 films, making him one of the most prolific film characters of all time, along with Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes.2
One of the earliest film adaptations of Dracula was the 1922 silent German expressionist film Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens, directed by F. W. Murnau. Here, the Count, as played by Max Schreck, closely resembles Stoker’s description (pale and black-clad, with a large forehead, thick eyebrows, pointed ears, and sharp teeth and nails), and is portrayed as vermin-like.3 In 1931, Universal Studios released its highly influential Dracula (directed by Tod Browning), in which the title character became more human in appearance and demeanor.4 Played by Bela Lugosi, this Dracula was a suave, attractive aristocrat who brought back much of the sensuality that Murnau’s film minimized.5 Lugosi also introduced the stereotypical “Dracula drawl” with his slow, deliberate delivery and thick Hungarian accent.6 Though not quite as influential and iconic as Lugosi’s, Christopher Lee’s performances as Dracula in the Hammer Studios series are also worth mentioning. In these films, which began in 1958 with Terence Fisher’s Horror of Dracula, Lee manages to play the character as overtly violent, sexual, and aggressive, despite having hardly any lines at all.7
Max Schrek as Count Orlok in Nosferatu (1922)
Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens. Directed by F. W. Murnau. Germany: Prana Film, 1922. Web.
Bela Lugosi in as Count Dracula in Dracula (1931)
Dracula. Directed by Tod Browning. United States: Universal Pictures, 1931. Web.
http://public.media.smithsonianmag.com/legacy_blog/dracula-2.jpg
Christopher Lee in as Count Dracula in Horror of Dracula (1958)
Horror of Dracula. Directed by Terence Fisher. United Kingdom: Hammer Studios, 1958. Web.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/morbius19/10849214294
The 1970s saw a great number of Dracula films, many of which were drastic departures from Stoker’s novel. For instance Blacula (1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974) offered over-the-top camp, and retained little to none of the original story, while Count Dracula’s Great Love (1972, dir. Javier Aguirre) and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1973, dir. Dan Curtis) portrayed Dracula as tragic and sympathetic.8 This trend of romanticizing Dracula has become particularly popular in recent years. In 1992, director Francis Ford Coppola released his own film entitled Bram Stoker’s Dracula. This film takes a postmodern approach to the story, and paints Dracula, played by Gary Oldman, as a Byronic character who fulfills the dual roles of lover and monster.9 Here Dracula is shown to be the same persona as Vlad the Impaler, with Vlad turning to vampirism and becoming Dracula after the suicide of his true love, believing that the immortality it affords him would allow him enough time to find love again.10
Bram Stoker’s Dracula has also inspired numerous novels in the forms of retellings, prequels, sequels, parodies, tributes, and even children’s books. Some significant examples include Jeanne Kalogridis’ The Diaries of the Family Dracul series, Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula series, and Shane K.P. O’Neil’s The Dracula Chronicles series.11 Dracula the Un-dead is another notable example, as it was written by Stoker’s great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker, who claims it to be based on Stoker’s own notes and material that was omitted from the original novel.12
Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder as Count Dracula and Mina Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. United States: Columbia Pictures, 1992. Web.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/guadalajaracinemafest/5532869805
The popularity of Dracula, combined with the notoriety of Vlad the Impaler, has also had a great impact on modern Romania and its culture. Many Romanians dislike the brand of attention that has come from Dracula, as it tends to exotify and simplify their culture, and has led many foreigners to have no concept of what Romania is other than what they have learned from Dracula and the mythology that now surrounds it.13 However, other Romanians have decided to capitalize on Dracula’s popularity, and the resulting effect on Romania’s tourism industry has been profound.14 Currently, Romania is home to countless Dracula-themed attractions, such as hotels and restaurants, and it is estimated that this “Dracula tourism” brings in over 250,000 visitors a year.15
Dracula’s popularity has not been limited to film, literature, and tourism, however. He makes frequent appearances across all forms of modern popular culture, including television, video games, comic books, children’s media, pornography, and even breakfast cereal.16 Throughout all of these appearances, Dracula’s depiction varies greatly, and it is perhaps because of this that he has remained such a popular character to this day. Dracula has become a character that can be molded to fill many roles, such as villain, lover, and even comedic figure. In this way, he has been able to stay relevant even through changing times, as he--as a character--can change along with them.
Footnotes
