kiss of the vampire

• Posters


  • Used a similar range of paradigmatic choices in order to construct representations of men and women
  • Choices in clothing, gesture and expression
• Women in posters


  • Defined by their clothing
  • Audiences will recognise the shared connotations of these codes
• In Kiss of the Vampire (KOTV)

  • Women are wearing pale, silk dresses resembling nightwear to emphasize their vulnerability
  • One woman has fainted, representing her as submissive
  • She is wearing heels and has blonde hair, these codes signify femininity
  • The clothing is revealing and puts focus on their bodies
• In Vampire Academy (VA)

  • One woman is blonde and wearing a white dress which reinforces femininity
  • The woman in black shares similarities with the black-haired woman in KOTV
  • The darker colour palette could create a strength + power view from audiences
• At the time of KOTV

  • Audiences might feel empowered by the representation of the dark-haired female as she subverts the stereotypical representation of gender
  • She has a male victim and codes of gesture suggests she is more aggressive
  • This may challenge men as their role has been taken over by women
• Audiences viewing VA


  May feel empowered by the representations of female characters being constructed in a strong way
• David Gauntlett's theory of identity


  Both posters offer role models to females
• The female vampire in KOTV

  Acts as a role model for women in patriarchal society, signalling against male oppression
• Modern audiences may interpret representations of women in KOTV as stereotypical and see women as sexually objectified through their clothing and submissive gestures
• Some female and male audiences


  • Will accept and find the representations of femininity in the VA poster empowering
  • Others may feel the characters are sexually objectified and stereotypical and don't reflect modern society
• Both females conform to societal norms of beauty, e.g. slim body shape, overall physical appearance, and are all white
• In the 1960s, some men


  • Felt their authority was in danger and were challenged by female positions in society
  • The vampire in KOTV comes across as terrified or threatened by the female vampire, reflecting the position of some men during that time
• Men may interpret the representations in VA as more negatively 


  • Whilst audiences may interpret the representations in VA as more realistic, reflecting positive changes in society
  • One of the women is positioned as the main character, engaging in a direct mode of address
  • This reflects the dominance of female roles in this subgenre and how it has developed over time
• The second woman in VA is dressed in white but subverts expectations as her code and expression is strong and determined, showing changes in expectations of how gender roles are defined
• The meaning of gender roles varies according to cultural and historical context, and is a reflection of society at the time
• As van zoonen says, In the horror film genre, women were objects to be looked at, so examples of new powerful women who challenge the idea of expected roles is very positive.