KISS OF THE VAMPIRE Textual Analysis

KISS OF THE VAMPIRE - A Textual Analysis

This poster falls under the horror genre, more specifically the Monster Horror and Gothic Horror genre. This movie came out in 1963, this was the same time that Hammer Horror films (In which this film is part of) and the Universal Monster Horror films were popular and prevalent in popular culture. Notably, Vampire films were a very common sub-genre, with films such as Dracula, Nosferatu, Curse of the Vampire and others being very popular.

The paradigmatic nature of horror films is very easy to replicate because of the key conventions that are very commonly seen in the horror genre. As Gothic Horror was very common at that time, many Gothic conventions are seen here too. The most common of these Gothic conventions are the gloomy lighting, which in this case, drapes over the poster like a cloud. Commonly seen tropes in the Gothic genre are the dark, evil lair that acts as a base for the main villain, as well as the caped villain often seen as a dark and mysterious character. The idea of a villain, especially a vampire is also a very common one, and along with this convention,  popular tropes within this vampire ideology are blood sucking, fangs, a dark and mysterious figure. He also appears as a fiend who can turn into a bat. Other common stereotypes that are seen in this genre are the lighting, it is often at nighttime and the lighting is low-key, it is dark and gloomy, and this is reflected in this poster. The idea of a full moon is also a common one, though it is more often seen in werewolf films that it is vampire films, though it is commonly seen as a convention in the  Gothic Genre.

This films poster conforms to many of the horror conventions. There is the classic idea of a 'damsel in distress'. She is wearing silver heels, a cream dress, long blonde hair, and she can be considered very conventionally attractive. The person holding her in the poster can also be seen in the same light - a dark, brooding, mysterious figure showing an excellent example of the enigma code. This character has slicked back black hair, which has many connotations of evil throughout films in the same genre of this one. He is also stood directly next to the dripping blood in the poster, telling us that he is one of the villains of the movie. We can also infer that he is one of the main threats of this film because he is the character with the most height, as he is the tallest and appears the closest to the title of the poster, we can assume that he is one of the main villains. On the other hand, directly in the middle of the poster (and slightly below the male vampire), there is a female vampire. This was something that was relatively unknown in a genre dominated by characters such as Nosferatu and Dracula. She appears directly in the middle, with similar clothing to the typical 'damsel in distress' character, the major difference being her black, evil hair and her paler and less-full skin.This presentation of a binary opposition through the two female leads of the film presents a clear subversion. Notably, another binary opposition can be seen in the two villains of the film. The male vampire is still dressed in stereotypical vampire clothing - all black complete with collars and grandeur. The female vampire on the other hand, wears much lighter clothes and therefore presents a clear opposition between the two characters, suggesting that there may be a conflict between the two.

Groups are represented quite clearly in this movie poster. You have the idea and the representation of the classic 'damsel in distress; helpless female victim. This is seen through the woman in the far left. This was a very common movie trope at the time of release, and nearly every horror film in a similar vein to this one had a character much like the one described above. Notably, there is both one male victim and one female victim. The title 'Kiss of the Vampire' sounds very feminine, and therefore would be attributed to the female vampire in the center of the poster.




KISS OF THE VAMPIRE CONTEXT
Released 1963
Produced by Hammer Film Productions, distributed by Universal.
Intended to be a sequel to Dracula, makes no reference to Bram Stoker's character though.
Hammer Horror also had success in other monster movies, such as Frankenstein and The Mummy.
In 1963: JFK assassination, Beatlemania, Swinging 60s, Soviet Union sends first woman into space.

MEDIA LANGUAGE:
Dark and dull colours, reflects the mood of the movie
The typeface looks like wood, connotations to the wooden stake you stab a vampire in the heart with. Capitalised and Serif style typeface.
Blood dripping off the 'V' looks similar to a fang.
The use of a illustration main image is highly conventional of films of the period - The fact that its in colour connotes that this is a modern retelling of a classic story.
The gloomy grey, black and brown colour palette reinforces the film's dark, scary conventions while the red highlight colour draws attention to the attacking bats, the vampire and the blood - all key visual signifiers for the genre.

SEMIOTIC CODES
Suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female vampires (emphasised through the 'kiss' of the title) and the fate of their two victims (Barthes' Hermeneutic Code)
The Symbolic Codes (Barthes) of horror, darkness and fear are more widely reinforced through signifiers such as the moon and the male victim's 'submissive sacrifice' gesture code.

REPRESENTATION:
Both women wear pale dresses made of light materials and these dress codes serve to reinforce their femininity by highlighting the curves of their bodies and revealing the flesh of their upper chests and arms.
baring her teeth and with her arm raised almost fist-like as she's being bitten by the bat, the second woman's gesture codes are more aggressive, and the submissive pose of her male victim (in a submissive pose with his neck being exposed) represent her in a non-stereotypically dominant way.

The audience is actively encouraged to decode this familiar generic iconography:
The images of a castle, bats, the vampire's cape and dripping blood form part of the 'shared conceptual road map' that gives meaning to the world of the poster.
David Gauntlet's theory of identity - Perhaps the female vampire acts as a role model for women struggling against male oppression or desperate to be seen as the equals of men, whatever the narrative or environment.