Kiss of a Vampire - Representation Flashcards
How does the female character’s costume construct the representation of women?
Kiss of the Vampire
- Both women wear pale dresses made of light materials and these dress codes serve to reinforce theor femininity by highlighting the curves of their bodies and revealing the flesh of their upper chests and arms. (objectifying them sexually).
How does the woman on the left of the poster create a representation of women?
- The gesture code of the woman on the left is that of the stereotypical passive victim of the ‘monster’, his power highlighted by the fact that he’s holding her by just one arm.
How does the illustration of the woman of the right of the poster create a representation of women?
- The second womens gesture codes are more aggressive with her bared teeth and with her raised almost fist-like as she’s being bitten by the bat and the submissive pose of her male ‘victim; (including being on his head back and throat exposed) represent her in a non-stereotypically dominant way.
How does the imagery created by the representation of the two women on the poster link to the context of the time?
Through this imagery is is obvious that the poster itself challenges dominant ideologies (in 1963) in regards to gender as it is symbolic of the evolving gender politics at the time. Is the physical fight for domination between male and female vampire in the poster symobolic of 1960s societal struggles between the sexes?
How does the gesture codes of the male vampire perhaps subvert stereotypical gender ideologies of the 1960s?
- The vampire himself seems uncharacteristically fearful in his gesture codes with his arm thrown across his body in a defensive gesture, perhaps protecting himself fro the female vampire.
How does the illustration of the male vampire connote fear and how does this link to historical context of the 1960s?
- The vampires eye contact is both fearful and fixed purely on the female vampire, suggesting both her dominance and his ‘lack of control’ over her, signifying the rise of female expression in a previous male dominated/controlled society.
What does the proximity of the male and female vampire suggest and what is this symbolic of?
- The vampire is also leaning back to escape her ferocious and empowered nature - he is no longer comfortable being in her close proximity. The times are changing and this andent beast (representing man perhaps) is not comfortable with the scenario.
Relevant Theory: Stuart Hall’s Theory of Representation
- The images of a castle, basts , the vampire’s cape and dripping blood from part of the “shared conceptual road map” that give meaning to the “world” of the poster.
- The audience is actively encouaged to decode this familiar generic iconography.
Relevant Theory: David Gauntlett’s Theory of Identity
- The female vampire may act as a role mode for women struggling against male oppression or desperate to be seen as the equals of men in whatever narrative or environment.
Relevant Theory: Liesbet Van Zoonen’s Feminist Theory
- By assuming this co-atagonist role, the female vampire is perhaps contributing to social change by representing women in non-traditional roles.
- However the passive female victim does perpetuate stereotypes of weakness and fragility in women.
Relevant Theory: Judith Butler’s Gender Perfomativity
- Evidence of fluid gender roles - males become the victims and female the villian/monster.
- Theres is an adaptation of male performance traits within the representation of the female vampire in the form of physical and sexual active aggression.
Relevant Theory: Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze
- The poster is clearly meant to be read as if from the postioning of a heterosexual male.
- This is clearly illustrated by the sexualisation/objectification of both female characters within the pster.
- Even in the case of the ‘scary’ female antagonist, she is more defined by bher lack of clothing than her aggressive behaviour.
- How she is dressed and her posture all aid in emphasising her naked shoulders and noticeable breast area.
