Vampires have undergone a considerable transformation since the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1897. Originally dissociated from society and infamously known for their willful transgressions of accepted social norms, "old-school" vampires sought and enjoyed their human prey without regret or apology. They were proud of their insatiable appetites and content to mingle with the elements of death and decay.
But toward the end of the twentieth century, cinematic and literary vampires began to develop a conscience over their bloody offenses and view their cannibalistic cravings with shame and even disgust. Vampirism evolved into an unfortunate affliction that prevented its sufferers from being welcome and productive participants in society. The "children of the night" no longer considered themselves entitled to their hunger, but victimized by it.
Because vampires are more invested in becoming human these days than in remaining a separate subculture, they have emerged as unlikely spokespeople for traditional values, particularly those involving sex and gender roles. Two recent vampire films promoting these values are Twilight and Let the Right One In, both currently best-selling DVDs on Amazon.
Twilight
Twilight is a rather sanitized, Disney-esque romance that has more in common with The Little Mermaid than it does Nosferatu: the film's narrative rests upon the improbable-but-inevitable success of the heterosexual romance between vampire Edward Cullen and mortal Bella Swan. Edward is a vampire with a moral compass; he drinks only animal blood and denies himself human blood, despite his hankering for it. This changes when he meets Bella, whom he falls in love with and simultaneously longs to devour.
Although the film was helmed by three women and generally portrays its female protagonist as a strong-willed, independently thinking young woman, it deprives Bella of her autonomy. The film routinely suggests she needs Edward's physical protection (as well as protection against him) and validates the antiquated notion that she should eventually relinquish herself (her mortality) in order to be with him. Only then can the couple consummate their relationship. And because it is up to Edward when and if he chooses to "infect" Bella, sex ultimately has to be on his terms, not hers. Until then, they decide to "just hang out," representing an idealized image of teen abstinence.
The film also undermines Bella's autonomy and promotes traditional notions of gender through her compulsive pursuit of Edward, which is altogether incongruent with her otherwise self-reliant repose. For one, she oddly finds herself drawn to Edward at their first meeting, despite his antisocial and contemptuous behavior. In addition, she is not swayed by Edward's own warnings that she would be wise to avoid him, nor by his heinous confessions of having wanted to kill her and his view of her as his "own personal brand of heroin."
In real life, a young woman with Bella's sense of self would never seek out a relationship with the likes of Edward; however, because of the degree at which Twilight idealizes heterosexual coupling, these complications are smoothed over.
Let the Right One In
Like Twilight, the Swedish film Let the Right One In depicts an intimate friendship with potential between adolescents — one vampiric and one human. Twelve-year-olds Oskar and Eli live next door to each other in a dilapidated apartment building. Both are outsiders; delicate and fair-haired Oskar, a child of divorced parents, is routine chum for the school bullies. Eli, he later discovers, is a vampire, and lives with a man who is not her father but her so-called blood supplier.
The film both challenges and works to establish heterosexual norms. It does the former by first designating the young girl Eli as the vampire, and later revealing the fact that she is actually a castrated male. Because the teens are attracted to each other, one might then tend to read their relationship — especially their first kiss — as homosexual.
However, the gender coding of these two characters is merely backward, meaning the romance is indeed heterosexual after all. Oskar is quite feminized: he relies upon Eli for physical protection against the bullies (and eventually his own survival), he is physically awkward and frail, and he lacks self-confidence. In stark contrast, Eli has pronounced stereotypical male characteristics (the actress's voice was even dubbed over with that of a male actor); when her blood supplier dies (and at her own hand), she hunts down her human prey herself with a detached "business is business" attitude. She also possesses superhuman strength and speed, and she is omnipresent.
Another example of the way the film supports heterosexual norms is in Eli's refusal to "go out" with Oskar because she is "not a girl." Instead, she insists their relationship remain platonic, not willing to transgress gender boundaries like vampires of the past once did.
Sources consulted include writings by Robin Wood, E. Ann Kaplan, Raymond T. McNally, and Radu Florescu.
