The Vampire as the Mythological Creature in the Cinematography of South Slavic Countries: Vampire in Films “Leptirica” and “Holy Place” - Folkloric Juxtaposition

Abstract

Mythological creatures have enchanted and intrigued human beings for ages, and humans unconsciously stimulated their fears and insecurities. People have created a vampire-paranormal obsession that is reflected in everything that human creativity has touched, especially in film adaptations. In this article, readers will see the representation of the mythological creature Vampire on the Serbian film screen. The article dissects two selected films, “She-Butterfly” and “The Holy Place” from the vampire-induced horrors of the South Slavic cinematography. They will representatively be the focus of the study. These examples will reveal how the film of that time conjured up the horror, fear, and general aura of the mythological creature Vampire that has haunted the human race for centuries. In contrast to film representations, the author places a vampire from folklore as a pillar for comparison or a test sample to analyze the similarities, differences, and credibility of the representations in the film. Regarding the supportive material, we will extensively rely on the "Serbian Mythological Dictionary" as it provides a solid collection of various folk explanations and descriptions, which we will use for comparison. The methodological approach includes a description of the film plot with important elements, the analysis of the mentioned elements of interest within separate important parts of the plot, and a comparison with a folklore vampire within the analysis.