#I can't use human torch as a tag cause he's not in any of these

[the-crooked-library]

Human vs Vampire Violence in Nosferatu

I've talked about this in the tags of another post already but i can't stop thinking about this so here it goes:

The majority of Ellen's suffering is due to mundane and socially acceptable forms of violence (e.g. medical) and that is not an accident. The script intends this. It is the primary underlying theme of Nosferatu (2024), it is the undercurrent to all her motivations, and the film wants the viewers to be aware of this, at least on some level.

Over the course of the story, Ellen Hutter is forcibly isolated by her father, dismissed and infantilized by her husband, drugged and tied to her bed by a doctor and her husband's friends, pierced through the arm by another doctor just to demonstrate that her soul "isn't there," insulted and kicked out from the Hardings' house (while still having psychic fits nightly), left to care for her sick husband alone without any support, never listened to - and all these things are excused!..

There's always some sort of justification, and it's usually either misogynistic or medical or both.

Her father isolated her because her psychic abilities frightened him, because she was too abnormal, and he thought that she wasn't fit to be around other people. Thomas dismissed her nightmares and ignored her emotional needs because he thought her anxieties were childish, that she prioritized the wrong things in life (love over financial advancement), and that she was incapable of good judgement; it's also the reason he is unaware that she doesn't like cut flowers, or that Harding hates her (even though she is very well aware of that, she evidently didn't feel like she could tell her husband). Similarly, Dr. Sievers believed that he had to do what he did, because Ellen was mad and had to be controlled. Harding, naturally, let him do it, and then did worse, and justified it all with “logic” and family values.

The point is that every single character harms Ellen on some level, despite what they might consider best intentions; and I think that a significant drive behind some of the more vitriolic online responses to this film is that many people are uncomfortable with that aspect of the story. Nosferatu demands that the viewer confront a fundamental truth of human imperfection - that someone who looks soft and Normal is, in fact, capable of causing pain regardless; and that invites a deeper sort of self-reflection. Perhaps, even accountability.

Our recently-resurgent purity culture shares this discomfort with Ellen's societal setting. For Thomas, for Sievers, for Harding, for us, it is much easier to blame harm and sin on a Monster From Somewhere Else, and pretend that a witch-hunt would entirely eradicate the problem.

However, the film demonstrates the inherent falseness behind this assumption. Even if Ellen had not followed Orlok into death, she would not have suddenly become happy with her human life - because his destruction would not have changed how she is perceived. She would have continued to endure far more insidious, systemic, violent abuse as a disabled, arguably queer wife and woman.

This is why the sensuality of her death/wedding is so crucial to the presentation of the film.

in Orlok, she embraces her own perceived "darkness," the aspects of her that her society believes are harmful and grotesque - her lack of deference to her husband (he terrorizes Thomas), her queerness (he drains Anna and destroys Harding's family), her psychic disability (he kisses Ellen's heart and drinks from her, reverent and tender). it is a scene steeped in both terror and ecstasy. She is joining Orlok in sin and in death - a twisted version of his proposed eternity; and in doing so, she is ascended.

It is incredibly poignant that, when her power over him is actually shown, it is far more emotional and commonplace than could be expected. There are no torches or stakes, no physical explicit battle; Ellen's unique, magnificent, holy power is merely the ability to ask for "more!.. More!" - and be granted that wish without question. Here, in a monster's embrace, she is valued more than a promotion, or propriety, or even Orlok's own life.

All that to say - Ellen's personal journey through the film does not culminate in a straightforward battle of "victim vs abuser." Despite what a cursory overview might imply, the Final Struggle is a minor aspect; instead, the overwhelming majority of her story revolves around a build-up to a Final Choice. Similar to I Saw The TV Glow, or NBC's Hannibal, or a multitude of other narratives, it explores the balance between the horror of transformation and the horror of staying the same. A monster might grant the first one if you ask, and it will feel like dying - but society's already forced you into the second.

All there is left to do is make damn sure it kills you.

[squids-comics]

Mr. Fantastic has to be the most relatable super hero of all time. Like I make this exact face every time I answer the phone:

I also make this face every time I wake up in the morning:

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖      

Chapter 8 - Runaway. Episode 6.

Evan: *I glared a the cig as he took another drag. You see, Andy used to have this, let's call it 'power'. In the beginning of A's and Andy's relationship, A had bitten Andy, and since then he could always sense or smell where Andy was, tracking him easily. After some time A agreed to let Andy get some of his blood as well, cause Andy wanted to be able to 'feel him closer' when A often was gone for longer periods. Doing whatever shady stuff he could come up with. Although it was only a small ammount of blood, Andy started being able to do certain things. He somehow found a way to tab into A's blood and use it to awaken things already installed in his own DNA. As Asmo once had told him, humans has powers too, we are just not aware of how to unleash them. Andy was made aware through A's blood, and when he later also got some of A's sons blood, Andy became a hybrid so to speak. A human with powers. A however, late last fall, decided to take these powers away from Andy, yet another way to punish him for god knows what he at that time had done wrong in A's never satisfied eyes. So he injected Andy with a serum to kill all A's blood cells in Andy's body, alongside the blood of his son. Before this happened, Andy had trained hard for months, almost fully being able to levitate smaller objects, and even on occasions himself. He could also heal minor injuries in only few days. But the biggest one was his control of fire, which I must admit often worried the rest of us a bit. He could light things without ever touching them, and few times he had even let himself on fire, without causing any damage to himself. Most times it was spontanious and caused by great deal of anger or pain. But since A against Andy's will, and without a proper warning had injected him with that serum, Andy's powers had qickly faded away, and we hadn't seen anything to them since the beginning of December. Now, mid May, at least one of them seemed to have resurfaced. But how? I opened my mouth, but didnt know what to say, so I just grabbed his cigs and lit one myself, the naural way.* Andy: *He sighed deeply* Look, I dont know anything, I swear. I just felt strange in my whole body after finding that post from Asmo, and I suddenly remembered when I last felt that way. It was the day at that beach I told you about. I had just watched A getting yet another of his 'I'm better than anybody else' fits, and once again walk away from me. So I burst into flames, ending up toasting all my clothes, not to mention a radius of 3 meters of sand around me. So I had to get out… imagine if I had turned into a torch again around any of you…. or any of our furnitures. For fuck sake Evan, one time I lit a whole bathroom on fire. True it was before I even knew what the fire was or how to control it. But I haven't had any interaction with it since early December, so you can concider me pretty rusty. So I guess now you understand why I left. I had no time to explain, I felt like a ticking bomb! Evan: *I nodded softly, still pretty stunned* I just don't get why it's back? On its own? Andy: *He shook his head and sighed softly* I don't know either, but trust me, I tend to find out! Evan: *I grabbed his hand tight again* please don't contact A, or any of his family members. I just can't handle round two of this… and neither can Congo.