Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu has redefined the long-lasting vampire story, however Buffy tackled comparable territory 25 years earlier with its subversive Dracula episode.
“Your energy is rooted in darkness. You should really feel it.”
“No. You recognize what I really feel? Bored.”
This text comprises heavy spoilers for 2024’s Nosferatu and Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Society has been telling vampire tales for over a century, whether or not it’s the austere gothic horror of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula, extra palatable and playful tales, just like the Twilight sequence and The Vampire Diaries, or one thing in between, similar to Fright Evening or The Misplaced Boys. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu harkens again to the vampire’s vicious roots and his interpretation of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 authentic grew to become one in every of 2024’s largest horror films and it’s nonetheless going sturdy. Nosferatu is darkish, disturbing, and devoted to its craft, but amongst all of the dread and despondency is a surprisingly feminist vampire story. Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter spends most of Nosferatu being stalked, manipulated, and chained up, but she nonetheless possesses unbelievable energy – though it’s not absolutely understood, even by herself. Nosferatu’s slant on this story is as stimulating as it’s scary. Nonetheless, there’s one other tackle Dracula from 25 years earlier that presents an analogous story that’s much more subversive and empowering. Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Buffy vs. Dracula,” written by Marti Noxon and directed by David Solomon, makes use of Dracula to assist Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers higher perceive herself, her energy, and her function as a feminist icon.
Each Buffy season is transformative and difficult, however season 5 is very revelatory for the Slayer. Buffy features a sister, loses a mom, and grapples with a number of totally different id crises, all whereas she prepares for battle in opposition to a literal God. Buffy’s fifth season is often thought to be not solely one of many sequence’ finest years, however probably the most spectacular seasons out of any of Joss Whedon’s productions. It’s a masterpiece in serialized storytelling that doesn’t simply sublimely join all of the season’s dots, however brings collectively a number of concepts and themes which have been current since Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s begin. Buffy’s season premieres are sometimes heavy, introspective experiences, so audiences have been understandably caught off-guard with season 5’s “Buffy vs. Dracula.” This season premiere is simply as deep as its predecessors and it elegantly units up broader questions on Buffy’s id and the Slayer’s function in society, but that is thought to be one in every of Buffy’s most polarizing entries due to its cavalier strategy to Dracula (Rudolf Martin) and the episode’s oddly comical slant. Even the title “Buffy vs. Dracula” may be very tongue-in-cheek and undercuts the episode’s critical material. The one factor extra farcical could be if it have been titled “Buffy and the Scooby Gang Meet Dracula!”
“Buffy vs. Dracula” is admittedly tonally dissimilar from many Buffy episodes. It even begins with Buffy and her associates goofing round on a sunny seaside. Nonetheless, Buffy may be very cautious to not make Dracula himself a joke. He triggers comical occasions, similar to Buffy’s starstruck demeanor, Xander’s insect-eating fealty, and Spike’s petty grudges with the vampire and the way he’s made life tougher for his personal sort, however Dracula himself is deathly critical. Dracula as a substitute appears like he’s out of a totally totally different sequence. He talks in flowery gothic prose as a substitute of witty Whedon-speak one-liners. The one “humorous” factor he does is the mist materialization gag that ends the episode, however even that’s largely comical due to Buffy’s response to it. A lot of Buffy’s fifth season entails an altered actuality that darkish monks have created for sinister functions. It nearly appears like Dracula is a byproduct of this alternate universe and that he’s a vestige of Bram Stoker’s novel who’s been plucked out and dropped into Sunnydale.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes use of Dracula to inform a private story that connects to Buffy’s ongoing evolution. That being mentioned, it’s nonetheless entertaining to see this thought-provoking episode take pleasure in most of the traditional Dracula tropes, not in contrast to Eggers’ Nosferatu. “Buffy vs. Dracula” offers Dracula further vampire powers that aren’t sometimes explored within the sequence, similar to his means to show right into a bat, a wolf, and weaponize a hypnotic thrawl on others. Xander fulfills the Renfield function and turns into the episode’s central comedian reduction, whereas Giles turns into Buffy’s resident Jonathan Harker and quickly loses himself to a trio of vampire brides. These are the small print that stand out most when “Buffy vs. Dracula” is damaged down purely on a narrative stage they usually’re enjoyable Dracula fan service. Nonetheless, these touches aren’t actually vital or what the episode is definitely about.
It’s straightforward to get misplaced in Xander’s humorous fealty and the methods during which Dracula ruffles everybody’s feathers. Past this silliness, among the most compelling materials to come back out of “Buffy vs. Dracula” entails how the Darkish Prince prods Buffy relating to her energy. Curiously, Dracula doesn’t decrease Buffy’s energy, however as a substitute tells her that she might be much more magnificent if she grew to become his vampiric bride. This materials would fall flat if it have been to occur in Buffy’s first or second seasons, however it hits with better depth 5 years in. No person expects Buffy to turn into a vampire by the top of the episode, however it’s a heavier proposition for Buffy. On some stage, after all the pieces that she’s skilled, it feels as if there’s some stage of temptation to simply escape on this immortal fantasy. She will’t and he or she gained’t, however Dracula comes alongside on the good time when he’s truly capable of get in Buffy’s head and have her query herself. This makes it all of the extra important that Buffy might be some notorious Vampire Queen and thrive by means of killing, however she as a substitute chooses to be humanity’s thankless protector. It’s a robust theme that programs by means of the season and reaches a devastating breaking level within the season’s finale, the place Buffy makes the final word sacrifice.
In a deleted scene from “Buffy vs. Dracula,” Dracula goes even additional with this stage of dissection. “I do know intimately what it’s to be totally different,” he tells Buffy. “Human, however not fairly. Of the world, however nonetheless an outsider. You see? We perceive one another. Each of us are born of darkness, masters within the artwork of loss of life.” Rely Orlok (Invoice Skarsgård) echoes a comparable line in Nosferatu when he tells Ellen, “Love is inferior to you. I instructed you, you aren’t of humankind.” Buffy and Ellen each purchase into their darkish tempter’s phrases, however it’s an empowering message to Buffy and an imprisoning one to Ellen. Buffy spends a whole season grappling with how she’s a “grasp within the artwork of loss of life,” which pushes her down a darkish path – one which’s not at all times wholesome for her – however one which’s traveled on her personal volition. Dracula’s phrases might actually echo in Buffy’s head in “Buffy vs. Dracula” as he hypnotizes her by means of their blood bond. Nonetheless, it’s merely the seed of suggestion that eats away at her doubts by means of the remainder of the season.
Buffy and Dracula’s ultimate confrontation turns right into a battle of will as Buffy asserts herself in opposition to Dracula’s maintain over her and the darkish life that he guarantees. Buffy does drink Dracula’s blood, however it’s a legacy of Slayer energy that brings her again to her senses and provides her the ability to persevere. It’s not simply Buffy’s energy that overpowers the Darkish Prince, however generations of female-driven Slayer confidence that defeats this predatory risk. Ellen could also be doomed to perish in Nosferatu and turn into a cautionary story. Alternatively, Buffy is ready to channel previous cautionary tales and failed guarantees to turn into an inspirational anomaly.
“Buffy vs. Dracula” explores the concept that the Slayer’s status is simply as outstanding to vampires as Dracula’s is to people. Dracula explicitly involves Sunnydale as a result of he’s heard repeated tales of Buffy’s unbelievable accomplishments. When the mud — or quite the mist — settles right here, Buffy is the one who’s left standing and within the place of energy. 5 years of Slayer duties trumps centuries of darkish acts. Buffy doesn’t simply survive this expertise, however she’s left invigorated and desperate to be taught extra concerning the historical past of the Slayers and the complete extent of what her privileged function represents. She needs to create a vibrant future for herself, and others, by constructing a legacy that’s much more prolific than that of Dracula.
Vampire tales like Nosferatu and “Buffy vs. Dracula” are dense in darkness, not simply visually, however as a drive that’s emblematic of what Ellen and Buffy are preventing in opposition to. These vampire narratives are tonally excessive, but they discover very comparable dialogue on this matter. At one level in Nosferatu, Anna Harding asks Ellen, “What is that this unbearable darkness?” Throughout one other, Ellen questions, “My desires develop darker…Inform me, does evil come from inside us? Or past?” The latter of those statements is kind of the continued mantra for Buffy’s fifth season as Buffy makes an attempt to get to the middle of the Slayers, but additionally herself. Buffy additionally repeatedly subverts the concept of darkness and the ability that it holds. At one level, Buffy boasts to Dracula, “How do you want my darkness now?” It’s a robust, purifying asset to her, quite than a completely corrupting drive. Even earlier, Dracula tells Buffy, “Your energy is rooted in darkness. You should really feel it,” whereas an unphased Buffy retorts, “No. You recognize what I really feel? Bored.” Darkness might management Dracula, Rely Orlok, and Ellen, however not Buffy.
Robert Eggers has spoken candidly about how Depp’s Ellen possesses a novel understanding of the “shadow facet of the world” and that this darkish reward is not only misunderstood – however persecuted – in her world. It’s onerous to not draw parallels right here between Ellen and Buffy, each of whom are pressured to work by means of a world that wants them, but doesn’t have the best instruments to rejoice them. They’re pressured to endure and sacrifice. Buffy is blessed sufficient to have a greater assist system, however she nonetheless faces astronomical hurdles which can be an excessive amount of to beat.
Buffy might not perish at Dracula’s arms, however she nonetheless meets her finish similarly to Ellen. A part of the explanation that Ellen finally “submits” to Orlok and sacrifices herself to take him out is that she feels that she doesn’t belong in a world that’s progressively moved away from magic. Ellen feels that she doesn’t slot in and is an aberration, which on many ranges aligns with Buffy’s determination to sacrifice herself to save lots of the world when this soul-searching season reaches its finish. The message that Buffy carries together with her for over a season – “your reward is loss of life” – is finally empowering. Nonetheless, it nonetheless concludes with Buffy chilly and underground.
Each Buffy and Ellen’s fates are thought to be morose losses for the better good, but it’s solely Buffy that options what one would possibly contemplate to be a contented ending. It’s onerous to think about Ellen with a headstone epitaph that’s a fraction as congratulatory as Buffy Summers’ gravestone. Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Buffy vs. Dracula” each rework the traditional vampiric determine right into a catalyst for feminist development and self-discovery. Nonetheless, Buffy is the one which does extra with this revelation and channels it into a whole season of difficult character improvement that proves {that a} lady is powerful sufficient to not simply defeat Dracula, however a God.
