Kiss of the vampire Flashcards
what did the ‘sexual revolution’ in the 60s lead to the introduction of?
- divorce laws
- contraceptive pill
- new abortion laws
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do? (in relation to women) What did this do?
-prohibited discrimination in employment in the basis of sex/gender
-increased the no of women with jobs
why was there a move away from women being just housewives, therefore leading to their sexualisation in the media?
-Civil Rights Act meant there were more women with jobs
-Women were allowed to vote
-women started to go to college to obtain more than a husband
Traditionally how were women represented? How does KOTV subvert this? How does KOTV conform to this and why?
- as ‘damsels in distress’ who needed saving by a ‘hero’ (usually male)
- by portraying a strong women (vampire) who is seen as an equal to the male vampire next to her
- by portraying a sexualised vulnerable women who is being carried by the male vampire : the horror genre was popular among male audiences, so these representations would appeal to them
what happened in the 60s (to do with feminism) ?
there was a second wave of feminism where women started to become more powerful and fight for more equal rights, demanding a change in the way they were treated and represented
how is the human woman presented?
- she is seemingly unconscious or dead
- she is being carried by the male vampire
- exposed chest, and body language implies vulnerability, but also shows her to be sexualised
- wearing heels and a little satin dress : sexualised
- light hair portrays innocence
- typical ‘damsel in distress’
how is the vampire woman presented?
- still sexualised : neck and chest are exposed, fallen shoulder of dress, silk dress
- bared teeth and position above kneeling man : presented as dominant and powerful
- standing equal to the male vampire
- dark hair : aggression, violence, power
- bared teeth shoes the aggression of the feminist movement
- would have been unconventional
how is the vampire man presented?
- is carrying the woman : presents him as powerful
- his teeth and the colour of his clothes makes him seem dangerous and aggressive
- his representation reflects historical patriarchal ideas that men were the dominant and powerful ones
- his wide eyes and defensive position makes him seem scared of the female vampire
- highest person on the poster
how is the human man presented?
- body language makes him seem submissive and vulnerable
- neck is exposed suggesting he is in danger
- white worker clothes suggest innocence and purity
- lowest character on the poster
how does Levi-Strauss’ Structuralism theory relate to KOTV?
it uses binary opposites
- vampires vs humans (power vs vulnerability)
- male vs female
- light vs fake colours
- light title vs dark background
- ‘kiss’ vs ‘vampire’
- victim vs killer
how does Barthes Semiotics theory relate to KOTV?
Hermeneutic code - suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationships between vampires and their victims
Semantic code - images of bats and their conventional associations with vampirism and horror
Symbolic code - horror, darkness and fear are signified by the moon and the male victim’s submissive sacrifice
how does Neales Genre theory relate to KOTV?
- it repeats much if the symbolism associated with hammer horror and the wider ‘monster’ genres
- but adds difference through the empowerment of the female protagonist and the implied romantic narrative
how does Van Zoonen’s Femisnist theory related to KOTV?
- by assuming the co-antagonist role, the female vampire is contributing to social change by representing women in non traditional roles - but even she is sexualised ( the fallen dress shoulder ) to align with patriarchal views at the times
- but the passive female victim reinforces her theory as she is represented as weak and vulnerable, suggesting the passivity of women under a strong masculine presence
- both characters are constructed to satisfy male spectatorship
how does hooks feminism and race theory relate to KOTV?
- white masculinity dominates hierarchies in the west : the male vampire is the highest in the poster and embodies power and danger
- black women are absent from this products does to their economic and social powerlessness
how does david gauntletts identity theory relate to KOTV?
- hammer horror has changed from the traditional binary gender representations
- the female vampire is, yes sexualised, but also shown to be as strong and powerful as the male vampire, while the human man is on his knees ok a vulnerable position
