Blog Post #1 : Dracula - Opening Scene Analysis

Bram Stoker's Dracula- Theatrical Representation 

Yoo Hyung Justina Lee

         Francis Coppola’s film Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) opens with an overly exaggerated scene of both war and religious strife. Providing great visual imagery with the use of both vivid colors and prominent contrasts in lighting, Coppola unveils the events that lead to Dracula’s deeply flawed nature and emotional breakdown. Deviating from the norm, the dark and gloomy atmosphere present in the chapel contradicts the usual bright and tranquil ambiance of a consecrated place. In addition, the portrayal of the War in a two-dimensional format rather than a three-dimensional one creates a disconnect between the film and the audience. This is explained by German expressionism, which originated from paintings and theatre, to show the inner psychology of the characters, rather than an external description. The presence of only black and red figures, the audiences see the war as objectively as they can. The viewers cannot distinguish between the characters in silhouettes; they are forced to only acknowledge the plain cruelty of the war. With the stabbing of the holy cross, Dracula declares his renouncement of faith and also the “death of God.” In its entirety, Bram Stoker’s Dracula’s opening scene foreshadows a new dark and cold life of Dracula, in which religion has lost its influence.

The cross is a recurring symbol that appears throughout the entire opening scene. The cross is shown from the very beginning scene. Even from the inception of the film, the shattering of the cross foreshadowed the religious conflict that is to come. In addition, the couple pledged themselves in front of the cross and the first thing the Dracula was holding right after the war was also the cross. Showing the importance of the religion, the first thing the camera focuses on when Dracula enters the chapel is the giant cross in the middle of the screen, rather than Elisabeta’s corpse. Initially, Count Dracula was not skeptical of God’s sovereign grace. Not only did he declare his love for his wife under God, he also went to war for God as well. He did not blame God when he saw his deceased wife, but became furious with the fact that her soul could not be saved, for suicide was an unforgiveable sin. Until the unsettling scene, in which Dracula pierces the holy cross with his sword, Dracula seemed to be the most faithful of believers.

The destruction of the cross, representing the death of God in Dracula’s life foreshadows his mortal to immortal metamorphosis. Naturally, people die. It is the law of nature, and for some people, it is law of the God. For Dracula, however, death is not possible, which seems to defy the law of nature and God. To show the drastic transformation from one of the most devotional followers of God to a so-called demon, the cross appears frequently throughout the opening scene.