this is so interesting!! i haven't seen nosferatu yet but it's fascinating how all these vampire tropes connect in terms of sexuality. i remember seeing the vampire lovers for the first time and being changed psychologically lol !! it really is such a historically significant metaphor for desire
I completely loved this film and found it so heartbreaking in its representation of assault and grooming, it got the point across so well while also being a visually enchanting film (gothic horror is always a favourite aesthetically), it was upsetting to see how the message seemed to go over so many peoples heads and how sexualised it was ! thank for you this beautifully written piece : D
I feel like people get so caught up in the morality of the plot that they don’t realize that’s the POINT. Nosferatu, and most vampire legends, are about consuming someone’s life. They are sexually exploitative. That’s the horror of it
Ah, necrophilia… the necromantic … uhm… revolution? bring out your dead…
I’ll stop. 🙃 but… interesting…
In what one could call the labyrinth of the psyche, there lies a necropolis of unprocessed pain, unspoken truths, and unclaimed power. Fascination, fixation, and relatability tends to come along with this in an as within so without kind of way.
Thank you, and likewise. That was an exceptionally multifaceted and insightful essay/article.
I’ve been reflecting on some similar things as of late. And it’s remarkable… all these things have their collaborations and interplays with symbology and the psyche. A language too, in a manner of speaking (pun not intended but… there we have it 🙃🙂).
I have a bit, but I’m going to elaborate more. Inspired in part by your work here. It reminded me of my own repressed aspects. Like… archetypes. One of which, is “Dracula” but… as a messenger of the unconscious these things are more than meets the eye. What is Dracula as a messenger? Profound dichotomy… wrestling with darkness and light… love and mourning… humanity and what he’d become. Immense power but… condemnation.
I have an article called “revealing, healing, and cleansing your demons” which covers a lot of this as an introduction but I’m going to elaborate on old Vlad a bit more after the story finished unraveling itself 🙃. Usually with integration and whatnot.
I'll definitely go and read the article you talked about tomorrow, probably after work, and I really like a lot about your what you want to elaborate on. I'm intrigued by it
Oh my GOD!!! This was researched well, analyzed well, and so thought provoking and intriguing. It made me think in a different way and made me discover things I didn't already know (Whitman and Wilde were gay??? Now THATS Wilde. I never would have known that if I didn't read this) about vampires, a guilt pleasure of mine. Thank you for writing this. I hope you keep writing in a way that makes your readers think at a different angle.
Thank you! I knew Wilde was gay, but i did not know about Whitman until researching this article, so that was new for me too! Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for being gay, so i knew that one from studying but yeah!
This topic was really down to how the film made me feel afterwards, it provoked a lot of thought that made me want to look into vampirism afterwards, since upon the reflections from Nosferatu, i had a thought about all the rest of the vampire media id ever watched, and decided i had to write about it
tysm for your thoughts, and i hope to write another essay im proud of like this too!
Love this!! I've only read about some of these things as disconnected pieces but you bring it all together so well!! Found your reading of the new Nosferatu really insightful, I haven't watched it yet so I'll talk to friends who have about this!!
Excellent article. To those who were criticizing the movie for the perceived sexual violence , obviously are not real horror fans or fail to understand horror or fail to recognize what vampires are. After all Nosferatu is not Twilight. If they really want to get offended perhaps those people should watch Last House on the Left or Spit on Your Grave. Anyhow you are spot on discussing vampires in sexuality. With my last book which was an erotic vampire horror story, I wanted to explore the sexuality of the vampires in contrast with the human characters. Yes there are scenes that some people consider smut but i tried my best to write those scenes from the perspective of both the male and female characters. I often wonder why is it that you could write a passage where someone is decapitated or mangled and no one blinks an eye but write about a pleasurable experience people lose their minds
This was so good! I've been wanting to re-watch this movie because I feel like there was a lot of symbolism that may have gone over my head. I also remember seeing some discourse on tiktok about the movie and a lot of people just don't get ~it.~
I am not a big horror fan but I loved Nosferatu and you have summed up why I thought it was such a wonderfully unsettling and disturbing film perfectly. A great essay!
This was a very interesting essay!! Aside from the pacing issues and Lily Rose Depp sometimes overacting a bit, the film was well done!! I thought the sexual scenes were, as you say, tastefully done. Unlike her character in The Idol which 100% sexually exploits her. You bring up an excellent point regarding sexuality in vampirism and I did not consider the inherent ties to repressed homosexuality as much. I also did not know Walt Whitman was openly gay! Great essay! 🖤
this is so interesting!! i haven't seen nosferatu yet but it's fascinating how all these vampire tropes connect in terms of sexuality. i remember seeing the vampire lovers for the first time and being changed psychologically lol !! it really is such a historically significant metaphor for desire
I love how much it's coded for so many things, romance, desire, gender, sexuality, control, assault and everything - so encompassing
I completely loved this film and found it so heartbreaking in its representation of assault and grooming, it got the point across so well while also being a visually enchanting film (gothic horror is always a favourite aesthetically), it was upsetting to see how the message seemed to go over so many peoples heads and how sexualised it was ! thank for you this beautifully written piece : D
tysm!!! I agree fully about how the message went over people's heads because they were focused on the surface level content - I adored this film
WOAH!! THIS WAS SO GOOD!! i am so using vampirism as a metaphor for sensuality and intimacy
hey me too!
Are this, new fave. I wish substack would show me more topics likes these
A lot of things sound okay in fiction. People need to realise that fiction doesn't normalise anything. Sometimes the stories are warped and that's ok!
I feel like people get so caught up in the morality of the plot that they don’t realize that’s the POINT. Nosferatu, and most vampire legends, are about consuming someone’s life. They are sexually exploitative. That’s the horror of it
agree wholeheartedly
Ah, necrophilia… the necromantic … uhm… revolution? bring out your dead…
I’ll stop. 🙃 but… interesting…
In what one could call the labyrinth of the psyche, there lies a necropolis of unprocessed pain, unspoken truths, and unclaimed power. Fascination, fixation, and relatability tends to come along with this in an as within so without kind of way.
what a wonderfully worded comment that i dont really understand but kinda do at the same time lol
Thank you, and likewise. That was an exceptionally multifaceted and insightful essay/article.
I’ve been reflecting on some similar things as of late. And it’s remarkable… all these things have their collaborations and interplays with symbology and the psyche. A language too, in a manner of speaking (pun not intended but… there we have it 🙃🙂).
I'll have to have a look at what you're reflecting on if you write anything about it!!
I have a bit, but I’m going to elaborate more. Inspired in part by your work here. It reminded me of my own repressed aspects. Like… archetypes. One of which, is “Dracula” but… as a messenger of the unconscious these things are more than meets the eye. What is Dracula as a messenger? Profound dichotomy… wrestling with darkness and light… love and mourning… humanity and what he’d become. Immense power but… condemnation.
I have an article called “revealing, healing, and cleansing your demons” which covers a lot of this as an introduction but I’m going to elaborate on old Vlad a bit more after the story finished unraveling itself 🙃. Usually with integration and whatnot.
I'll definitely go and read the article you talked about tomorrow, probably after work, and I really like a lot about your what you want to elaborate on. I'm intrigued by it
I wouldn’t be too worried about the Dracula thing, either. Forest Gump has been another one of these archetypal messengers for me so… yknow 😅🙃
Oh my GOD!!! This was researched well, analyzed well, and so thought provoking and intriguing. It made me think in a different way and made me discover things I didn't already know (Whitman and Wilde were gay??? Now THATS Wilde. I never would have known that if I didn't read this) about vampires, a guilt pleasure of mine. Thank you for writing this. I hope you keep writing in a way that makes your readers think at a different angle.
Thank you! I knew Wilde was gay, but i did not know about Whitman until researching this article, so that was new for me too! Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for being gay, so i knew that one from studying but yeah!
This topic was really down to how the film made me feel afterwards, it provoked a lot of thought that made me want to look into vampirism afterwards, since upon the reflections from Nosferatu, i had a thought about all the rest of the vampire media id ever watched, and decided i had to write about it
tysm for your thoughts, and i hope to write another essay im proud of like this too!
Love this!! I've only read about some of these things as disconnected pieces but you bring it all together so well!! Found your reading of the new Nosferatu really insightful, I haven't watched it yet so I'll talk to friends who have about this!!
I really enjoyed the film, it made me think SO much
Excellent article. To those who were criticizing the movie for the perceived sexual violence , obviously are not real horror fans or fail to understand horror or fail to recognize what vampires are. After all Nosferatu is not Twilight. If they really want to get offended perhaps those people should watch Last House on the Left or Spit on Your Grave. Anyhow you are spot on discussing vampires in sexuality. With my last book which was an erotic vampire horror story, I wanted to explore the sexuality of the vampires in contrast with the human characters. Yes there are scenes that some people consider smut but i tried my best to write those scenes from the perspective of both the male and female characters. I often wonder why is it that you could write a passage where someone is decapitated or mangled and no one blinks an eye but write about a pleasurable experience people lose their minds
https://lybiamarie.substack.com/
As a Scorpio, I’m the freaking goddess of vampirism.
This was so good! I've been wanting to re-watch this movie because I feel like there was a lot of symbolism that may have gone over my head. I also remember seeing some discourse on tiktok about the movie and a lot of people just don't get ~it.~
I am not a big horror fan but I loved Nosferatu and you have summed up why I thought it was such a wonderfully unsettling and disturbing film perfectly. A great essay!
thank you!!!
This was a very interesting essay!! Aside from the pacing issues and Lily Rose Depp sometimes overacting a bit, the film was well done!! I thought the sexual scenes were, as you say, tastefully done. Unlike her character in The Idol which 100% sexually exploits her. You bring up an excellent point regarding sexuality in vampirism and I did not consider the inherent ties to repressed homosexuality as much. I also did not know Walt Whitman was openly gay! Great essay! 🖤
I neeed to go see this !!! Love this piece 💕
thank you! I'm really proud of this piece, and the film was a really well made creation