Other Interpritations of Carmilla and Vampires.

Whilst trying to gain research on my novel Carmilla I found it very hard to get information on my character as there is no real analysis that has been done on the book. So I have decided to look at other interpretations of Carmilla and also other vampires in books and TV to get some ideas for my makeup designs.

The Moth Diaries (2011)

The moth diaries directly references Le Fanu's novel multiple times, there is also many similarities between the characters in the novel and those in the film. The film is set as a modern day interpretation of the novel. The film references the gothic and gives reference to anxieties about female power and female sexuality, and also refers to vampires as being very lonely figures that want something to be all theirs, this is a close reference to how Carmilla is possessive. I really like the use of Lily Cole to play this part as she has a strange beauty to her, this makes her look unnatural, and is how I imagine Carmilla to look, I also like the porcelain skin and also the dark stained lips. I think this is a technique I will use in my makeup design because it looks very natural. I think this makeup and hair is a nice nod towards how I would like to do my makeup, but I will need to make mine period accurate.

Styria (2014)

Styria is an adaptation of the novel set in the late 1980's and it depicts the intense and fragmented relationship between a lonely teenager and a beautiful stranger. The film is pretty accurate to the novel, but is brought up to date as Carmilla is found after a car crash instead of a carriage crash. I really do not like this interpretation of the book in the way of styling and makeup and hair, as you can see Carmilla is pictured left and Laura to the right, in the novel there is constant references to Carmilla being dark haired and featured and Laura being blonde and blue eyed, and because this has been changed in this movie it proved it hard for me to wrap my head round. However I do believe that the ideals of the time would influence  how the writer perceived the characters.

Carmilla (Web Series)

Carmilla is a Canadian web series that is based on the Le Fanu's novel, these mini episodes are filmed in the style of a vlog, and follow a student investigating the mystery of her missing roommate when she gets assigned a new one named Carmilla. I think this is a really unusual how they interpreted the story, they have managed to make it really modern and it will appeal to a younger audience, however I don't feel that I will take much reference to this web series when creating my makeup and hair designs because I feel it looks a little bit unprofessional and far too modern. However I do like how they have stuck to the descriptions of the characters in the novel, and how they have fleshed out the characters through styling and mannerisms is interesting.





Interview with a Vampire (1994)

Interview with a vampire is a film based on the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice where a vampire in the modern day recounts his life story to an interviewer. The flashbacks date back to 1791 when he is changed into a vampire. I like the strong reference to the period In this film, this Is something I would really like to capture with my makeup design too, however the makeup in this film is a little bit hit and miss, it often looks heavily applied and it is noticeably too pale (although this was done on purpose, you can tell that it is heavily applied) however I do like how the vampires features are sculpted, and also how tiny veins are painted onto the faces. I also like how the vampires look very human, as this is how I want Carmilla to look.

30 Days of Night (2007)

30 days of night is an American vampire film that was based on a comic book mini series. I have chosen to include this film because it has quite a different interpretation of vampires. The makeup is really creepy in the way that they still look human, but they have a full set of sharp teeth, black eyes and are often depicted with scars and blood spatters all around their face and mouth. During the film they seem to morph into something that looks a lot more reptile or alien with eyes slanted up however I did not like this because it looks too fake. I do like the makeup that I have shown on the left, but I think it is a little bit too intricate for our current brief and it would be hard to maintain continuity.


The Moth Diaries (2011) Harron, M (Film) Canada, Ireland.

Styria  (2014) Chernovetzky, M & Devenforf, M (Film) Unknown.

Interview with a Vampire (1994) Jordan, N,  (Film) United States.

30 Days of Night (2007) Slade, D (Film) United States.

KindaTV (2014) Carmilla Season 1 Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4QzRfvkJZ4&list=PLbvYWjKFvS5rX2yv-k5AJ8oxPoZ9zHcpe (Accessed : 29th Feb)