FMS408DavageBGothicHorror: Research

Dracula Film Poster. (2016). [image] Available at: http://filmgrimoire.com/2014/03/20/bram-stokers-dracula-1992-i-am-the-monster-that-breathing-men-would-kill/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2016].

This film was my first choice for watching a screen adaptation of the Dracula book as it's said to be the closest of all adaptations. I have already decided on my character I wish to design for, Lucy Westenra. I watched how the character was interpreted and concluded my feelings about the way in which she was depicted.
My feelings were nothing short of a disappointment. In the book, Mina and Lucy are such strong female characters, with a large focus and relevancy to the story line. I felt that was was not at all translated in the film, and they were reduced to nothing but sex objects. My chosen character, Lucy, was particularly poorly represented. In the book, Lucy is sensitive but very much in control of her actions, thoughts and feelings. In the film, Lucy was shown to be sloppy, dumb and easily influenced. I felt that there were a lot of completely unnecessary additions to the story line in the film such as the overuse of sex, drug addiction and a random lesbian-suggestion between Lucy and Mina that did nothing to the story line other than focus on the pleasures of the male audience. This was most likely done to keep the interest as the film often moved slowly and included irrelevant parts that seemed to be just filling out time. My one positive though, is that the film itself was visually stunning. Particularly the scene with my chosen character in her full vampire form being discovered for the first time.

Lucy Vampire Scene. (2013). [image] Available at: http://alysondunlop.com/tag/lucy/ [Accessed 27 Jan. 2016].

In terms of make-up design for my character, I felt that Lucy's everyday make-up was far too exaggerated for period that it is set as this amount would only be seen on prostitutes and actresses. Lucy is supposed to be a woman of status, who is admired by men of status, such facts wouldn't apply to the level of make-up. I felt that this was done to make the character appear a harlot, which she is in the film, but is inaccurate. Aside from this, I feel that the make-up for her vampire form was very impressive, as her white base was flawless and the dentures used for the teeth were highly realistic.