#Anyways if you don't mind gore watch Renfield

[anyoldfandom]

Actually I've been reblogging a lot of Renfield shit (sorry to my 2 followers) and like. Readmore bc talks about abuse obvi but this film is *much* better when you realize it's not a metaphor for Renfield in an abusive relationship, but *after* an abusive relationship.

Very early on in the plot of movie we see Renfield leave Dracula, actually, and I don't think that's not on purpose. Dracula confronts him after, but doesn't try to get him back - merely tells him that his chance is over. Now all that's left for him is suffering.

Once Renfield tells Dracula it's over, he doesn't try to win him back. He just sets out to ruin his life. Dracula moves from the abuser in the relationship to the abuser *after* the relationship. He destroys the people Renfield cares about, the ones who encouraged him to leave in the first place. He does that out of vindictiveness - cuts Renfield off from his supports not to control him, but to hurt him. He leaves Renfield alone to literally deal with the aftermath, and pursues new victims - in this case, people just as bad as him.

It's not just about an abusive relationship in that way, it's the way Renfield is *after* the relationship that's important. That's why I actually love that the plot is so short - bc the plot is only something used to facilitate the character arc of Renfield.

That's why Quincy is such a static character. She doesn't change, bc she's not really a character for herself, she's a character for Renfield to understand what it means to stand up to people (as much as I don't like that bit - once again reducing the female lead, and a POC female lead, to a method for the male lead to grow). She is steadfast throughout the entire movie bc she is meant to be a beacon of light to him. And that's why Dracula wants her to join him! Bc it would hurt Renfield so much to see that the one person who gave him strength, the person he idolizes for standing up to Dracula, is not as strong as he thinks. It's *just* again all about hurting Renfield bc the story itself is all about abuse.

You hear it in how Renfield not only immediately acts submissive, but talks about himself too. How he's clearly a good person - Dracula manipulated him from the start. It's no coincidence he compared his story to one of romantic abuse. He was never at fault for what happened - he just wanted to make a better life for his family and he thought this was the way. But he was manipulated into thinking he was a bad person over and over again, that he deserves this for being greedy and abandoning his family in the past when he just wanted to get them a good life. Dracula gave him luxury, a life he thought his family deserved, and then isolated him from them.

You see it subtly, really well shown in a few lines too. When he suggests they lay low, Renfield tells Dracula that they can have the life he wanted - and then changes it to we. And then later on he makes himself seem more selfish doing the opposite, when he tells Quincy about his past.

I'm not saying he hasn't fucked up, but he clearly wasn't nearly as bad as he thinks he was, but it's all internalized abuse.