Dracula Paola Longo

8/7/2019 Dracula Paola Longo

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Universidad: Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias

Carrera: Licenciatura en Ingls

Comisin: 5 Lomas de Zamora

Ao acadmico: 2008

Asignatura: Literatura Inglesa II

Profesoras: Prof. Claudia Ferradas Moi, MA,

Lic. Vernica Storni Fricke,

Prof. Mara Cristina Llorente

Ttulo del trabajo:

Dracula:Cross cutting and mise-en-scne in film narratology

Alumna: Paola Longo

Fecha de entrega del trabajo: agosto 2008.


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Index

1. Introduction2. Introduction to film narratology3. Some concepts from semiotics4. Dracula: cross-cutting editing5. Mise-en-scne6. Characters7. Colours8. Lightning9. Dialogue and music10.Shots and framing11.Conclusion12.Bibliography

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Introduction

There are many ways to approach the analysis of a film depending on what it is that

we want to focus. However, it is always necessary to pay attention to the visual and

the aural code. For semiotician Daniel Chandler (1994):

Although exposure over time leads 'visual language' to seem

'natural', we need to learn how to 'read' even visual and audio-

visual texts () The conventions of such forms need to be learned

before we can make sense of them.1

The main purpose of this paper will be to analyze the role of mise-en-scne in the

construction of a narrative. It is not the intention of this analysis to approach the

film from an ideologically-loaded perspective (which would require further

research) but to identify some of the elements present in the construction of this

audiovisual material within the film narratology perspective. However, it will be

also necessary to use some concepts from the field of semiotics since the codes to be

analysed require an interdisciplinary approach. Semiotics will, then, be a tool in

deconstructing the audiovisual signifiers within the narrative of this film.

The chosen corpus to be analysed is a scene from the film Dracula by Francis Ford

Coppola. Two important aspects of films will be taken into account: editing and

mise-en-scne. Editing - the particular way in which the narration has been

constructed as a sequence - will be very important in knowing how the story is build

up whereas mise-en-scne will make us pay attention to different aspects of the

construction of the audiovisual material.

1 Chandler, Daniel Semiotics for beginners (1994) hypertext at

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem08.html

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Introduction to film narratology

Before discussing narratology as an approach to films, it is necessary to define

narrative: its main object of study. We, as human beings are surrounded by

narratives because they are the way in which we construct stories and sequences of

events.

Much of the worlds information has always been delivered in story

form, whether recounted as personal experience, historical events,

imagined fiction, or a mix of all three. () Narrative is generally

accepted as possessing two components: the story presented and theprocess of its telling, or narration, often referred to as narrative

discourse. A story is a series of represented events, characters (or

agents for some), and actions out of which the audience constructs

a fictional time, place, and causeeffect world, or diegesis.

(Encyclopedia of Schrimer 2007:195)

One way to analyse films is through the film narratology perspective, which can

defined as the study of how stories work and the way in which we make sense of all

the materials contained in a story (how we put them together and construct a

coherent whole). It also analyses the different narrative structures, storytelling

strategies, aesthetic conventions, genres and their symbolic implications.

According to Daniel Chandler, audiovisual images follow common conventions

often referred to as grammar of the audiovisual material. This grammar is used

to convey meaning not only when it is followed but also when it is flouted. There

are many elements to take into consideration when analysing a film: some belong to

the visual code, such as distance and angle of the shot, lightning, camera

movements, editing techniques, etc.; others belong to the aural code, such as music,

dialogue, background noises, narration voices and even the lack of them all

silence. It is at this point, that it is relevant to introduce the concept of Mise-en-

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scne which denotes the use of some of these elements in order to convey meaning.

According to Susan Hayward (1999:220-221),

Mise-en-scne is Originally a theatre term meaning

staging. It crossed over to signify the film productionpractices involved in the framing of shots. Thus, first it

connotes setting, costumes and lightning, second, movement

within the frame. () Mise-en-scne is the expressive tool at the

film makers disposal which a critic can read to determine the

specificity of the cinematographic work.2

In analysing a film, it is not only important to pay attention to the content of the

audiovisual material but also to the way in which the shots are put together.

Mise-en-scne is what we see in a film; editing is what we do not. Theseare s simplified definitions, but they emphasize two essential things: the

basic building blocks of a filmthe shot and the cutand the

complexities of each that allow a film to achieve its texture and

resonance. Mise-en-scne concerns the shot, though we need to keep in

the back of our mind that editingputting two shots togetheraffects

not only how a films narrative is structured but how the shots are

subsequently understood by viewers.3

(Schrimer Encyclopaedia of Film

2007:163)

Picture 1. Mise-en- scne as a narrative agent

2 Hayward Susan (1999). Key Concepts in Cinema Studies. Routledge. New York.3 Schrimer Encyclopedia of Film, Barry Keith Grant EDITOR IN CHIEF Thompson Gale (2007)

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Some concepts from semiotics

Since this paper aims at analysing the signs within the narrative discourse, it is

necessary to extend the approach to include a science which studies signs as part of a

universe of meaning. For D. Chandler (1994:1):

Contemporary semioticians study signs not in isolation but as part of

semiotic 'sign systems' (such as a medium or genre). They study how

meanings are made: as such, being concerned not only with

communication but also with the construction and maintenance of

reality.

Semiotics studies how signs signify and takes into account many aspects of the text

itself such: the context (social knowledge); the medium and the genre (textual

knowledge). Therefore, we see that signs are culturally and contextually bound. To

understand what semiotics is, we need to clarify the definition of sign. For

semiotician Charles Pierce, sign is almost everything: even our own dreams and

thoughts since they all signify. For D. Chandler:

Signs take the form of words, images, sounds, odours, flavours, acts or

objects, but such things have no intrinsic meaning and become signs

only when we invest them with meaning.

In this definition, the sign is viewed as a two-element whole: the sign itself (the

signifier) and what that sign stands for (the signified). These two elements are

borrowed from the field of semiotics. Even when semiotics has a strong linguistic

background, it also is useful to approach an audiovisual text because we can identify

signifiers and, then, interpret their relationship with their signified. These two

components of a sign are related to each other in three different manners according

to D. Chandler (1994:3):

Symbol/symbolic: a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but

which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional - so that the relationship

must be learnt: e.g. language in general.

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Icon/iconic: a mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating

the signified (recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it).

Index/indexical: a mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly

connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified - this link can be

observed or inferred: e.g. 'natural signs' (smoke, thunder, footprints, echoes, non-

synthetic odours and flavours).

These divisions, however, must not be taken as pure categories since some

semioticians believe that there are no pure signs and that every sign has some

characteristics of two or more of these groups. For example, Lucys bright red hair

is an index of fire since these two elements share common characteristics (the colour

red) but it is also a symbol since red could be read in the Western world as passion,

love or anger.

According to semiotics, all these signs are ruled by codes and, in the case of films,

we have to talk about audiovisual codes. These codes are acquired by the spectator

very early in their life and could be understood that these conventions are indeed

natural. It is, by means of the semiotic analysis, that signs and codes are brought to

the foreground and deconstructed making emphasis on their naturalization process.

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Dracula: cross-cutting editing

We could define editing as one of the cinematic codes present in a film. Montage

comes from the French verb monter ('to assemble') and it is used to refer to the

process of editing shots into a sequence or to editing sequences into the form of a

complete film. It also refers to the transition that takes place between one shot and

the following. Editing can be categorised as a lineal sequence or a parallel one.

In the first case, we are in the presence of continuity editing in which thetime and space relationships are logical and progressive.

In the second one, however, cross-cutting editing assembles two sceneswhich run in a parallel manner and take place at the same time but in

different places.

It is the former type of editing which was chosen in Dracula to tell the marriage of

Mina and Jonathan and the encounter of Lucy and Dracula. This type of editing

shows parallel opposite situations and pushes the spectator to make a connection

between them.

Eisenstein, a Russian filmmaker, believed that editing or montage was the essence of

cinema, and with Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925), he created an editing style called

dialectical montage. The massacre on the Odessa Steps in Potyomkin

exemplifies the principles of dialectical montage: Eisensteins editing in this

sequence captures the emotional and physical violence of the massacre, and he also

aims at using editing to suggest ideas, a style he defined intellectual montage.

This same principle can be applied to the scene analyzed in Dracula: there is a latent

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http://filmic_codes/#filmic_codeshttp://filmic_codes/#filmic_codes


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conflict between the two situations and the effect created by overlapping them is

utterly different than if they had been placed one after the other.

Editing, in this scene, becomes a key element in the signification process. The

audience cannot watch the peaceful marriage of Mina without being bombarded by

images of what is happening to Lucy. In this way, some of the violent characteristics

of Lucys and Draculas encounter invade Minas marriage and, thus, the audience

perceive that both events are violent.

Picture 2 and 3. Cross-cutting editing: Minas marriage to Jonathan and Draculas attack onLucy.

We are confronted with a dichotomy between good and evil, passion and content,

holy matrimony and sinful sexual copulation. Editing has been used to link

significant events creating a sharp dichotomy between the two actions, and

encourages the viewer to compare the two scenes. Often, this contrast is used for

strong emotional effect, and frequently at the climax of a film. The rhythm of the

cross-cuts increases by the end of the scene accompanied by the crescendo of its

music setting the tone of the scene.

In this way, the use of parallel editing technique has re-signified the scene: the

spectator is not only watching two separate sequences but they are watching the

relationship between them.

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Picture 4 and 5. Exposition to the narrative

Picture 6 and 7. Rising action

Picture 8 and 9. Climax

Picture 10 and 11. Resolution

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ActionsSpeed of editing Music

Part of the

narrative

(following

Freytag's

analysis ofdramatic

structure)

Lucy sleeps in her room -

the men guard the house -

Dracula approaches the

mansion

Setting of the churchwhere Mina and Jonathan

are getting married

Exposition

Lucy senses Dracula

Dracula attacked the men

Jonathan and Mina are at

the altar

Dracula speaks to Lucy

Jonathan lifts Minas veil.Risingaction

Dracula attacks Lucy.

Jonathan and Mina kiss

climax

Bloodbath at Lucys room

Jonathan and Mina final

kiss

The rhythm of

editing increases

and shots become

shorter by the end

of the sequence.

Music picks up the

pace of the images

in a steady

crescendo.

resolution

Table 1: Use of parallel editing in Dracula

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Mise-en-scne

The second element to be taken into account is mise-en-scene. The term mise-en-

scne was firstly used in the theatre and it is used to refer to how directors and

producers carry out the process of filmmaking. According to the Schrimer

Encyclopaedia of Film (2007:193),

Cinematic mise-en-scne refers to how directors, working in concert

with their cinematographers and production designers, articulate

indeed, createthe spatial elements and coordinates in the shot and

succeed in composing well-defined, coherent, fictional worlds.Composition and the articulation of space within a film carry as much

narrative power and meaning as its characters dialogue. Mise-en-

scne is thus part of a films narrative, but it can tell a larger story,

indicating things about the events and characters that go beyond any

words they utter.

For Susan Hayward, Mise-en-scne is composed by different elements,

among which we can name setting, costumes, lighting and camera

movement. The director decides which elements he is going to include in a

shot (furniture, actors, etc.) and he also decides how the actors are to perform

their characters and which position they must hold while shooting. Lighting

and colours are also decided at this point. All these elements are put in the

stage to produce a specific effect in the spectator.

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Picture 12. Mise-en-scene as a narrative agent inthe construction of the story

To sum up, Nick Lacey4 lists the elements present in mise-en-scne:

Production design: sets, props and costumes;

Colour (present in both production design and lighting);

Lighting;

Actors performance (including casting and make-up) and movement;

Diegetic sound (that is, sound that emanates from the scene);

Framing, including position, depth of field, height and angle (but not movement);

For the purpose if this analysis the following elements of mise-en-scne will be dealt

with:

Characters Colours

Lightning

Dialogue and music Shots and framing

4 Lacey Nick, Introduction to Film (2005) Palgrave Macmillan. London.

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Characters

The actors performance and the construction of characters is also a part of mise-en-

scne. Following Nick Laceys (14) guide to analyse a performance, these elements

should be take into account:

1. Gestures;2. Tone of voice, accent and type of language used;3. Body posture and movements (body language);4. Make-up and hair (and costume).

Gesture: In the scene under analysis, there are four main characters (although there

are some others which play a secondary role and will not be analysed in this paper):

Dracula and Lucy; Jonathan and Mina. The former couple shows visual and aural

signifiers which point to a more savage, impulsive and passion-driven pair whereas

the later couples signs construct more formal, logical characters.

Tone of voice, accent and type of language: Actually, the only character that

speaks in this scene is Dracula: he talks to Lucy before he attacks her (his voice is

guttural and very manly). In his speech, the words blood and power are

highlighted and, thus, become very meaningful in the construction of this very

powerful character (in contrast to Jonathans character who does not utter a single

word). This manner of speaking could be read as indexical aural signifier of an

alpha male (this is reinforced by the fact that Dracula transforms himself later on

into a wolf). The other character that utters some kind of sound is Lucy who moans

and screams at the very presence of Dracula. These sounds could also be read as

indexes of an animal in heat or in danger (in the case of her screams). Both

characters through their aural signifiers construct the image of savages.

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Body posture and movements: In terms of movement, whereas we see that Mina

approaches Jonathan at the altar (an obedient woman that follows her man), Dracula

is the one coming to Lucy (a beast that takes his female). The dichotomy between

savage and civilised is again reinforced.

15

Picture 13. Lucys body language as an

indicator of her sexual desire

Regarding body posture, there is also a

difference in the way in which these

characters carry their bodies. To begin

with, Lucy, who is always lying in bed,

moves freely, contorting her body when she senses that Dracula is near. This

represents the freedom of her desire winning

space over the social constrains even when her

arms and legs are outstretched without

restrains. However, she stays always in bed as

if that space would be the only place allowed

for such freedom.

Dracula is also versatile in terms of body

movements since he can transform himself into

different animals (a wolf, a monster, rats)

gaining different postures (four-legged vs.

two-legged).

Pictures 14, 15 and 16. Body postures adoptedby Dracula in his different transformations.


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In clear contrast, Jonathan and Mina stand bolt upright expressing almost no facial

gestures. Their moves are gentle and their performances give the ceremony a very

formal tone to the ceremony.

Make-up and hair (and costume): According to Nick Lacey (2005:8), costumes

can be iconic of some film genres (such as the cowboy costume is an icon of

Western films). Costumes also build the identity of the characters and help us place

them in time. In the case of Dracula, costumes are iconic of Victorian times, in

which women wore long, rich dresses which covered almost their entire bodies.

This is also indexical of their sexuality: their bodies were covered as well as their

desire - to reveal them would be seen as not appropriate and would probably be

punished (as it happens with Lucy).

Pictures 17, 18 and 19: Hair, dressing and make up as visual signifiers

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Let us analyse these elements in each of the characters:

Lucy Mina Dracula Jonathan

Costume pink nightgown (her

breast and

shoulders

naked)

Wedding dressin grey and

white colours.

Long-sleeved.

She also wears

a long veil.

Whenappearing as a

man he wears

a long black

gown

A dark tuxedo

Hair Wavy bright

red hair

loose and

dishevelled

Long straight

dark hair

neatly

arranged and

held by a cap

Loose white

hair with a

receding

hairline.

Short black

straight hair.

Some grey

hair has

appeared since

the last scene.

Make-up No apparent

make up but

there is a glow

in her face

which

transpires

passion. She

will show,

when

transforming,long teeth.

No apparent

make up

His make up

shows a man

of old age,

whitish

complexion.

He will show,

when

transforming,

long teeth.

Whitish

complexion

Table 2: table comparing costume, hair and make up in the four characters of the scene.

In terms of identity, also hair, make-up and costume help build the character

coherently. According to the Dictionary of Symbols (1969: 569):

The style and cut of the hair has always been a means of

determining not only personality, but also social and spiritual

status. () Hair is one of womans main weapons and therefore the

fact the fact of its being concealed or displayed, plaited or hanging

loose, is often the sign of a womans availability, surrender or

modesty.

Lucys hair is symbolic of the passion and rebelliousness she represents. Her

clothes reinforce this visual signifier by adding warm colours (the night gown) and

the looseness with which she wears it. However, strong presence of the colour red

also indicates the presence of blood, danger and ultimately death. Mina, on the

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contrary, wears a wedding dress that covers almost her entire body which could be

interpreted as the expression of her sexuality (even her face is covered by a heavy

veil). She represents domesticity of women during the Victorian age.

Jonathan and Dracula also show a contrast. Whereas Jonathan wears his hair

straight and neatly trimmed, Dracula wears it loose and long. Also, Dracula has

complete white hair (which is indexical of his age and ultimately wisdom) whereas

Jonathan wears salt and pepper hair (which makes him a seasoned man to some

extent). The wildness of each character is expressed by their hair as a strong visual

signifier: while Dracula is strong, experiences and savage, Jonathan is younger and

more inclined to comply with societys precept of the time. According to the

Dictionary of Symbols (16969: 570), hair in men represents their virility and power.

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Colours

Colour was first added to black-and-white movies through tinting and stencilling. By

1906, the principles of colour separation were used to produce "full colour" moving

images. Early processes were cumbersome and expensive and were not really used

widely until the introduction of the three-colour Technicolor technology in 1932.

Since then, colour has been an important element in filmmaking. At first, colour

could only achieve an artificial impression until the technique was fully developed.

From then on, filmmakers have used colours, the lack of them and also their

saturation to convey meaning and moods. According to Bernard F. Dick:

Colour can embellish, suggest, characterize, and forge symbolic

connections: so can black and white. An astute filmgoer will know

when colour is decorative or functional and when monochrome is

perfunctory or motivated.5

In the chosen scene, the use of colours is indeed intentional. Whereas Lucys room

is decorated with bright colours, the church where Mina is getting married is flooded

with pale and grey colours. Not only Lucys room filled with reddish colours -

conveys the sexual tension of the scene but also her night gown (which is of a warm

colour) and specially her hair (of a bright red tone).

For Western culture, red is a strong colour that conjures a range of conflicting

emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. According to the Penguin

Dictionary of Symbols6:

Red, the colour of and regarded universally as the basic symbol

of life-principle, with its dazzling strength and power. () There

is, however, a big ambivalence in the blood-red colour: when

hidden (as in the womb of a woman or the blood in our veins) it is

what conditions life; when exposed it expressed death.

5 Bernard F. Dick (1998) Anatomy of Film. St. Martins Press. Third edition. New York6 Jean Chevalier (1969) Dictionary of Symbols. Second edition. Penguin.

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Pictures 20 and 21. Warm-colourer scene vs. a sumptuous cooler-colourer scene.

Red is Cupid and the Devil. It is indeed the hottest of the warm colours. The

expression seeing red, for example, indicates anger and may stem not only from the

stimulus of the colour but from the natural flush (redness) of the cheeks, a physical

reaction to anger, increased blood pressure, or physical exertion. Lucys red wavy

hair gives the character most of these characteristics: she is passionate, impulsive

and even savagely sexual.

Minas character, on the contrary, wears a grey and white wedding dress, her make

up is hardly noticeable features that encompass the lack of colour present in the

church. Like black, grey is used as a colour of mourning as well as a colour of

formality. Dark grey carries with it some of the strength and mystery of black: it is a

sophisticated colour without much of the negative attributes of black. The use of

white symbolises cleanliness or purity or softness and some cultures view white as

the colour of royalty or of deities. Angels are also typically depicted as wearing

white. In addition, in early Westerns the good guy wore white while the bad guy

wore black. According to Chevaliers Dictionary of Symbols (1969:1108):

The positive qualities now acquired by white are also linked to the

phenomenon of initiation. White is not the attribute of the postulant

or candidate who walks to his death, but of the person who rises

again, reborn and victorious from the ordeal.

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It s also interesting to note that the church has a sumptuous quality to it: The golden

columns and altar add to the formal tone of the ceremony.

The binary opposition between Minas marriage and Lucys attack is brought into

focus by the use of cross-cutting editing which makes these two utterly opposite

situations come to a confrontation, as shown in the following table:

Colours present connotation

Mina and Jonathans

marriage

White, grey, gold Purity

Boredom

sumptuousness

Lucy and Draculaencounter

Red, pink, orangeBlack

Blood, life-death, passionDeath, danger

Table 3: connotation of the colours present in both sequences

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Lightning

Lighting has come to be an important component of cinemas visual design. It is

widely recognized that in film it can create a substantial emotional impact. A

primordial response to darkness and light is a deep-seated element of human

psychology that filmmakers use in order to influence the ways viewers respond to

narrative development. On the one hand, deep shadows can make a character seem

untrustworthy or conceal a host of horrors. On the other hand, bright, diffused

lighting can provide comfort and reassurance or create the impression of an angelic

countenance. In this sense, lightning has the power to signify by itself, adding

emotions such as fear, comfort, etc. as explained by Bernard F. Dick (1997:86),

Lightning can be categorized as high key and low key. A low-

contrast ratio of key and fill light will result in an image of almost

uniform brightness, or what is called high-key lightning. ()

Conversely, a high-contrast ratio of key and fill light will result in

low-key lightning and create a shadowy effect and a night time aura.

In this scene, we see again a contrast in terms of lightning. Whereas the church

where Jonathan and Mina are getting married is invaded by the light coming through

big windows, Lucys room shows a low key ambience. We know for sure that

Minas attack takes place during the night and it is, therefore, concealed by shadows

(which were believed to be the place where the Devil and demons dwell in the

shadows). In the case of the sequence taking place in Rumania, whether the coming

lights source is the sun or the moonlight, it is important to note that there is an

abundance of it and, since it symbolises the spark of life and divinity, it directly

contrasts with the low key lightning of the alternate sequence, which stands as a

symbol of death and the Devil.

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According to Schrimers Encyclopedia of Film (2007:92):

Lighting has come to be an important component of cinemas

visual design. It is widely recognized that in film, as elsewhere, it

can create a substantial emotional impact. A primordial

response to darkness and light is a deep-seated element ofhuman psychology that filmmakers have harnessed in order to

influence the ways viewers respond to narrative development. On

the one hand, deep shadows can make a character seem

untrustworthy or conceal a host of horrors. On the other, bright,

diffused lighting can provide comfort and reassurance or create

the impression of an angelic countenance.

The lightning is one of the most important aspect of the photographic composition

of a film since it is lightning which determines ultimately the shade and feeling of

the colours used. It is completely different the feeling and value of white in a low

key ambience than the same colour in a high key one. For example, the values of

white and grey in Minas wedding dress are reinforced by the high key ambience

conveying the idea of purity and life.

Pictures 22 and 23. Low-key and high-key lightning

In Lucys sequence, red acquires a deadly value by being exposed to the dark

surrounding and the low key environment. The low key used in Lucys sequence

also reinforces the idea of gothic horror films which are characterised by the use of

dark scenes where horrific acts are performed.

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Dialogue and music

Even though films were born silent, today we understand that sound is a paramount

element in the construction of the story. This is so much so that films are defined as

an audiovisual art. However, sound needs to be decomposed because it is made up

of a number of elements such as music, dialogues, sound effects (all non vocal

noises) and silence. According to the Schrimer Encyclopaedia of Film (2007:198)

It is the interaction of sound with image that gives films much of

their depth and solidity, emotion and meaning. The paradox offilm sound is that it takes great artifice to produce the sounds that

apparently emanate from sources onscreen, seeming so natural

that we take them for granted.

Following Jahn Manfred7

distinction of sound sources, we could talk of:

Diegetic sound: Noise, speech or music coming from an identifiable sourcein the current scene ('diegetic' refers to 'diegesis', i.e., the narrative world).

Nondiegetic sound: Noise, speech or music which does notcome from asource located in the current scene. For instance, music adding melancholy to

a scene. Nondiegetic sound usually creates mood and atmosphere.

In the scene chosen from Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, diegetic sound plays an

important role in the opposition between Minas marriage and Lucys encounter

with Dracula. Whereas in Minas marriage we hear nothing but the chanting of the

orthodox priests (in a language unknown both: for the audience and for the couple),

in the scene where Lucy meets Dracula we find not only a monologue but also

music, moaning, screams and wolf grunts. It is implied that there is an opposition

7 Jahn, Manfred. 2003. A Guide to Narratological Film Analysis. Poems, Plays, and Prose: A Guide

to the Theory of Literary Genres. English Department, University of Cologne.

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between a civilized ceremony and a savage encounter: the sealing of a marriage at

church vs. a savage sexual encounter outside wedlock.

Minas marriage Lucys encounter

Music Monotonous church music Music in crescendoSound effects - Panting

- Scream

- Panting

- Grunts

- Moaning

No sound effects

Dialogue - Chanting from the

priests

- No dialogue among

Mina and Jonathan

Draculas words to Lucy

Table 4: Audio codes used in both scenes

The fact that Minas marriage is carried out in a foreign language (Latin) implies the

distance and the coldness of the ceremony, contrary to what happens to Lucy, scene

which transpires sexuality and desire. The aural code helps reinforce the opposition

also marked by the visual code.

Dialogue also helps create the development of the narrative by informing the

audience what is going to happen next, the reason for it and the attitude of the

characters. As expressed by Nick Lacey, diegetic and non-diegetic sounds in a film

aid the development of the narrative and act as one of the narrative agents present in

every film. Analysing Draculas monologue (I will consider it a monologue since

Lucy only utters moans and screams), we can perceive it as statements uttered by an

active (aggressive) character who is addressing a passive (weaker) one which has

not the capacity to respond. Let us analyse the monologue:

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THAT NIGHT

R O M A N I A / E N G L A N D

A Church in Romania/Lucy's Bedroom at Hillingham

Mina and Harker stand before the altar

Dracula stands before the patio doors to Lucy's bedroom

DRACULA: Your impotent men with their foolish spells cannot

protect you from my power. I condemn you to living death, to

eternal hunger for living blood!

Mina and Harker drink wine in marriage

Dracula drinks Lucy's blood in marriage

Table 5: Script of the chosen scene from Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola

As we can see, Draculas monologue acts as a narrative agent by informing the

audience of the development of the story:

What happened before? The impotent men tried to protect Lucy from Dracula

What is happening next? Dracula condemns her to living death

Why? Because they could not protect her

What will happen next? Lucy will become a living dead

In this monologue, we can also construct Draculas attitude: he considers himself

more powerful than those impotent men who tried to protect Lucy. As a response

to this declaration, Lucy only utters some moans (diegetic sounds) which reinforce

her position as a weaker and subdued character.

Regarding the use of non-diegetic sound, only one piece of music has been used

with the following purposes:

1. Adding a feeling of danger, progressive action in a rising manner;2. Helping the continuity of editing;3. Emphasising the contrast between both sequences.

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As explained before (in the section referring to parallel editing), the chosen score

gives a rising progression to the narrative and follows the pace of the montage

anticipating the climax of the scene: shorter cuts and faster editing are accompanied

by louder music in crescendo (starts with a mezzo piano, develops into fortissimo

and continues steadily in a crescendo).

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Shots

In cinema, shotis a term used to describe the minimum unit of meaning. Mise-en-

scne plays an important role in its composition since the filmmaker has to

choreograph all the elements which compose the narrative of that shot in order to

tell the story. According to Schrimer Encyclopedia of Film (2007:69):

A shot corresponds to the

length of film that is exposed

during production as it is run

through the camera from thetime the camera is turned on

until it is turned off. In this

way, the shot forms one unit

of a larger scene or sequence

that, in turn, is made up of

numerous shots. To create a

shot, therefore, requires that

the location be lit, that the

actors be placed within the

frame and their movements

choreographed, and thatother elements of set design

and costuming be in place for

the duration of the shot.

Regarding the framing of the shot,

there is a commonly used

classification of shots. Each of the

following can be chosen by the

filmmaker to convey different

feelings of moods on the audience:

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Extreme close-up: makes the audience pay attention to a detail otherwiseimperceptible to the eye;

Close-up: shows the reaction of characters to a certain event; Medium close-up (head and shoulders): Allows the audience to read the

reaction of the character (including body language);

Medium shot (most of a body): Introduces the context in relationship withthe character;

Medium long shot (the whole body); Long shot (two or three peoples whole): shows the character in relation to

other characters;

Extreme long shot or establishing shot (landscape): established the scene,not paying attention to the elements but on the context.

The choice of framing is directly determined by the narrative: the audience sees

what the filmmaker wants them to see as Nick Lacey (2005:23) puts it:

The narrative is the superordinate determinant of conventional

film form, as it determines where the camera is placed, how and

where it moves, and how shots are put together. The most

noticeable element is the position of the camera in relation to the

frames contents, which can range from an extreme close-up to an

extreme long shot, which might be used to show landscape or the

universe.

In the chosen scene, the narrative starts with some context-describing shots (medium

long shots and medium shots) to situate the audience. Once we know that these two

sequences take place in Lucys room and in the church in Rumania and, once the

introduction has already been established, there is a series of very close shots which

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what is happening in the attack. It could also be said that the choice of medium shots

at the beginning of the scene and the use of close-ups later on has been specifically

taken to develop the narrative in a particular manner: from describing the situation to

bringing the audience closer to the danger and passion constructed in the narrative.

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Conclusion

The main purpose of this paper was to analyse the different audiovisual signifiers

present in a scene from Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola identifying some of the

elements present in the construction of this audiovisual material within the film from

a narratology perspective. In order to do so, it has proven necessary to use some

concepts from the field of semiotics because some of the codes analysed required a

more detail approach. Semiotics was, then, used as an analytical tool in the

deconstruction of the audiovisual signifiers within the narrative of this film.

Two important aspects of films were taken into account: editing and mise-en-scne.

Editing proved to be very important in knowing how the story was constructed and

mise-en-scne help me to pay attention to different aspects of the construction of the

audiovisual material. It was possible, finally, from a narratological perspective but

also introducing some concepts from the field of semiotics, to analyse and

denaturalize the signifiers composed in the story and identify the single elements

which constructed the narrative.

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