It would not be a terribly inaccurate statement to say there is not a person on Earth who does not know Dracula. In some way, shape, or form, everyone has at least heard the famous story of the vampire that popularized Gothic horror for centuries to come.
This is all to say that there are thousands of different ways the story has been spun, but has it been overdone? Is there anything original to be said about the story without deviating from the original book so much that it’s no longer the same story?
“Vampire stories are still worthy because they explore powerful themes like loneliness and temptation, but suck when they rely on clichés,” said OH junior Hannah Eminger.
At what point does an idea become overused? And is that the case with the newest addition to Dracula? Released on Feb. 6, the newest release, Dracula directed by Luc Besson, takes a more romantic approach to the legend, focusing on the reunion of two lovers over many centuries. This direction has been taken many times before and will be taken many times more. It’s difficult for anyone to really say the idea is a new one.
“The more they rewrite [Dracula,] the worse it gets,” said OH junior Annabella Lovero.
Many people have begun to grow tired of the trope to the point that even fans of the vampire idea are beginning to think it’s gotten stale. Either it’s a horror story about hunters finding and killing the vampires, or it’s a love story about an ordinary human girl falling in love with the ancient but weirdly hot vampire man.
There’s a common theme of desire and primal love in many vampire stories, especially in the story of Dracula. The original Dracula by Bram Stoker suggested these themes less directly, focusing more on the horror aspect that the classic vampire stories tended to drift towards during the time.
“Vampire stories tend to romanticize toxic relationships, like, how is violence okay?” said Eminger.
The unfortunate truth is that the movie introduces nothing new to the scene of vampires or Dracula itself.
While being a staple of many genres, from horror to romance, the movie Dracula simply rehashes the idea that’s already been done, and fails to produce anything meaningful that makes the story innovative or interesting.
We can only hope that, in the near future, the trope introduces a new and creative angle, or dies off entirely to make room for new ones.
My name is Pierre Vargas, I am a senior at OHS and this is my first year as a journalist and go by any pronouns. I am an artist, I particularly enjoy drawing cartoons, and I participate in art club and independently. You can email me through 42fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. Feedback regarding our publications are encouraged!!
Hi, I'm Nadirah. This is my first year in 42Fifty and I'm currently a Sophomore. I do color guard after school and I really like reading! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
