Bram Stoker’s Dracula portrays the popular thoughts and beliefs of the conservative Victorian era whereas, Coppola’s film Dracula depicts the views of the liberal time. The characters and the plot in Bram Stoker’s Dracula contained hidden sexuality as men and woman in the Victorian era had to follow certain expectations. However, the film based on the novel Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola created in the liberal time emphasized on expressing the sexuality that was hidden in the novel.
The most significant difference
between the Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Coppola’s film Dracula is in the
relationship and interactions between the Dracula and Mina. In Bram Stoker’s
Dracula, there is no love or affection between Dracula and Mina. Whereas, in
Coppola’s film Dracula and Mina love each other because they believe Mina is
the reincarnation of Dracula’s dead beloved, Elisabeta. The theme of the
original novel is the fight between the good souls and evil power. However, the
alteration of the story to a love story in the film to impress the audience
resulted in the loss of the original theme. Similarly, in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula, Mina is forced to drink Dracula’s blood and is portrayed as helpless
and terrified. However, in the movie, Mina is given a choice to decide whether
or not to drink his blood and she chooses to drink Dracula’s blood. Moreover,
Dracula reveals that he loves Mina so much to let her be condemned to live the
life he does. Thus, the movie shows the unconditional love between Dracula and
Mina. Furthermore, Mina is portrayed as easily seduced in the movie. On the
other hand, the novel portrays Mina as loyal to Jonathan and she hated Dracula
for what he did to Lucy.
Moreover, a woman kissing or having a
sexual desire with more than one man was unacceptable during the Victorian era.
Bram Stoker displays Mina as a devoted and loyal wife who studies shorthand to
help Harker and helps Harker recover from his illness. Mina uses her natural
maternal instinct to make the men around her feel better. Bram Stoker also
portrays Lucy as one who desires to marry three men but is only legally allowed
to marry one as seen “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men or as many as
want her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it”
(Stoker 91). Whereas, Coppola portrays both Mina and Lucy as women with sexual
desires with more than one man. Mina is shown to have an affair with both
Harker and the count. In one scene, Mina’s extreme sexual desires were
displayed when she says “Yes my love, you’ve found me. I have wanted this to
happen, I know that now. I want to be with you always.”
Victorian readers wouldn’t have accepted
Coppola’s ideas. They would’ve considered both Mina and Lucy as unfaithful.
However, Coppola’s audience of the Liberal time will accept both Mina and Lucy
from the film as women who has their own opinions and act on their will.
I very much agree with your commentary on the relationship between Dracula and Mina. In addition to this relationship, you may also want to include the relationship between Mina and Lucy. This relationship is completely different if you compare the novel to the movie. In the beginning of the film, Mina and Lucy are pictured at looking at Mina’s “sexual” book. One, this does not happen at all in book at all. Two, this would not happen in the Victorian era at all. Reading was primarily reserved for men, just as typewriting. In addition to this scene, the film also has a scene where Mina and Lucy share a kiss. This would definitely not happen in the Victorian era. The relationship between Dracula and Mina is only one instance where the viewer can see the difference between the Victorian era and liberal views.
ReplyDelete