Color and Darkness

With halfway to Halloween month quickly rapping up, I can’t help but reflect of how fast time moves. I feel like I say the same thing, to a certain extent every year, but is it that the more life we have behind us somehow the proverbial clock ticks just little bit faster? The first half of this year for me has been spent researching and digging into some truly incredible costume designers for a project that I am not sure I am able to speak of. While following down these different rabbit holes, I have been exposed to the pioneers of my craft in ways I didn’t know about. The work of those that came before me and the work of those still living and working! What a treat it has been. But what has been fixated in my mind is the ideas of immortality. Sure, we all think about how we are going to leave a mark on this world in some way once we depart. What will that look like? Will I be remembered for my work, my character, my familial line, or the bad seeds I’ve sown along the way. I’m hoping to land somewhere within the first three, as I know myself well enough to know that I’m not evil. When thinking of all this, and bringing it back to horror, of course, it made me remember the themes in the newest film Renfield starring Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Holt. The age-old tale of the forever servant for Count Dracula, hypnotized to do his every bidding. What this new retelling of the story gave us, however, was a look further into Renfield’s subconscious, and not the stray-jacket Tom Waits version from 1992 Bram Stokers Dracula. Writers Ryan Ridley and Robert Kirkman brought a softer side to this man. He wants to be good, but his bond with The Count has made him a victim of a co-dependent relationship.

Costume designer Lisa Lovaas brought all the classic vampiric staples to the costume choices while also serving Renfield’s empathetic arch that he takes through the film. Her use of color and texture, paired with the production design by Alec Hammond, really brings this world to a different space then we’ve seen this story go. Vampires have long been the subject of fascination and idolization within different subcultures. Dark, romantic, gothic, mysterious, it’s a breeding ground for harnessing your inner thoughts and desires. Not simply through the vampiric act of drinking blood, but through the clothing that is adorned by each big bad. The original Nosferatu from 1922 was a well-dressed man, although rat like in features, Count Orlok is a man in high standing. Then in 1931, when Bela Lugosi immortalized the role of Dracula in the Universal film of the same name. Vera West pulled a lot of the costume inspiration from the stage adaptations. High collars on capes were used to conceal stage actors and create a reveal. But because Lugosi had portrayed Dracula on stage shortly before doing the film, they brought this element over to Universal. From this point forward Dracula and his victims, including Renfield, become creatures of upper-class society. The ideas of Vampires shift after the removal of the Hays Code in 1968, we get Blacula, the collection of Hammer films starring Christopher Lee, and the incredible Dark Shadows. A soap opera with a gothic flair.

In the 80’s we moved away from stories of Count Dracula and more into just vampires, giving them their own stories and lore. The Lost Boys (1987) ushered in a new era of neck biters. Vampires crossed over into the goth/leather scene and we are treated to leather dusters, tight pants, and a bad boy snarl. In the late 90’s this trend continued with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and although the series was about vampires as a whole Count Dracula only shows up once. Although according to the later seasons of Angel Buffy does start dating the count after the loss of Spike in the series finale. Buffy was the first time we dove into the humanity of these creatures. Seeing their lives and what they’ve lost or given up for a life of immortality and no soul (for some). As we shift into the 21st century and so much of our world has been projected around us all the time, we began to look inward into ourselves. I know that humans for centuries have been having existential breakdowns at having introspective investigations into their lives and their character. But the way we write films is different from 100 years ago. So, to be treated to a Renfield who isn’t just cast off as “insane” but the why was a treat. You can see him truly trying to break the cycle with Count Dracula in this latest telling. The costumes that were used reflect that and are so tongue and cheek with it too. When designing the looks for Renfield gaining his independence, I loved how she completely threw caution to the wind. This told me this man who was 100 years old is trying to look hip without any idea what trends are because he isn’t paying attention to them. This quote from the Variety article I think sums it up perfectly “There’s a kind of naïveté and innocence there, which ties into his character and the sense of hopefulness he has for the future,” Lovaas said. “And there’s nothing like patchwork pastels to bring that all together.”

Lovaas captured the essences and a side of Renfield that we have never seen before this and juxtaposed him with the opulence that will always be Dracula. The Count walks into a room he will always steal the show, then you cast one of the greatest actors in the game, Nic Cage, as him and you know where everyone’s eyes will be. But with all his flash and opulence, you are never pulled away from Renfield. You are seeing them both operate in a shared space, and shared experiences together in the only way they know how, by complementing one another. While there is a naivete that she spoke to I also see elements of a “little brother” syndrome if you can call it that, Dracula is all Renfield has had for these past years. Renfield wants to be able to have the confidence that he sees in his master. By integrating the bold color choices, his character is making these wardrobe choices for himself in a way he thinks that Drac would. There is also the added element of not having to live in full darkness anymore and he wants color and warmth to envelop him. But since he’s never worn color or decorated a space that was his own, he is so unaware of what works together.

To gather my thoughts together and come back to my pages with a light deconstructing of Renfield. I know I will be back to this film to go into more details because I truly think this was one of, if not my favorite film of the year. It had heart, it was funny as ever, and Nic Cage is truly a gem. What Lisa Lovaas has done in designing this film was no small feat. She brought in those classic touches from previous films and made this version of Dracula her own. Now that my thoughts are clear, I can’t wait to come back and unravel the details with you all next time and I hope I keep you Hanging By A Thread.