Select a Film of Specific Genre and analyse how the film both uses and

subverts its genre conventions

How do the makers of Dracula Untold use and subvert the usual conventions of a
dark fantasy, epic genres? I will begin with the characters of the film and how
they subvert the genre. The conventional characters of a film of the genres are
the hero, the villain and a damsel in distress. The hero usually is a normal person
who has a task of doing something; the villain is character some who has an
upper hand over the hero and the damsel in distress in a female who needs the
assistance of the hero. In Dracula Untold the roles are partially reversed .Vlad is
the protagonist of the plot who becomes a vampire and villain is played by a King
known as Sultan Mehmed II, the damsel in distress is portrayed by wife of Vlad.
Vlad is shown as a good person; this is shown in the movie when Vlad goes to
Broken Tooth Mountain and becomes a vampire when Sultan Mehmed demands
1,000 children for soldiers from Vlads kingdom. This is a characteristic of a good
guy who is willing to sacrifice himself for the people of his kingdom, when he
enters into a Faustian bargain with the Master vampire where he gains power for
three days and has to resist his thirst for human blood or he is to be cursed to
dwell in darkness for eternity also free the master vampire from his cave. Sultan
Mehmed has all the characteristics of a conventional bad guy. He goes on war
with Vlad when he denies giving up 1,000 children even when they call each
other as brother,he has no mercy and instantly thinks of death and killing,both
evil traits common to conventional villains.Mirena the wife of Vlad doesnt play
the part of damsel in distress but damsel pointing at distress. This done in the
film when she acknowledges Vlad the promise their son would not suffer the
same fate as him.
Imitation is demonstrated at title of the film when it comes on screen in a way of
a horror film, similar to Insidious along with a similar background sound. The film
also subverts it genre when the protagonist Dracula, is portrayed as a hero,
whereas in past appearance of the same character he his portrayed as a villain.
Bran Strokers Dracula is shown as someone who preys upon humans and causes
havoc .In Dracula Untold Vlad forms an army of vampires to defeat the
Sultan,but in Van Helsing Dracula is shown to make an army to cause harm to
humans in the surrounding. Also Vlad towards the end destroys himself and his
army of vampires to avoid any further damage in future.Vlad is also shown to
resist the opportunity to drink human blood, while most vampires in the past are
shown blood thirsty. The reason he consumes blood when his three days are
about to end and he needs it to save his son to be taken away from him.