For
many children in the 1960s, Dark Shadows represented
a secure world of pure escapism, where one could indulge one's
fantasies and escape from the horrors of the real world.
The
original series was, in its own quaint way, quite violent
given the programming standards of the time. At 3.00pm every
weekday, the audience could tune in to stabbings, fist-fights,
hangings and beatings, a fact that seems quite shocking on
the surface. What Dark Shadows did was to take these
horrific events and make them strangely antiseptic, as if
the acts themselves were unimportant and simply there to tell
a story. In this, they were aided by the starkly artificial
appearance of the show, videotaped, as it was, almost entirely
on cheaply constructed indoor sets. With Collinwood never
looking like a real house, the forests never looking as though
they were out in the open air, and even the occasional stray
boom microphone intruding upon a scene, viewers were constantly
being reminded that they were watching a fantasy. The show's
look has been likened, on numerous occasions, to that of a
stage play, again suggesting a heightened sense of reality,
though one totally divorced from our own world.
The
Dark Shadows approach to violence was simple: it should
be unrealistic, not reflecting that of the real world. In
essence, what emerged was a series format that permitted writers
and performers to shock or frighten viewers in a 'safe' and
acceptable way, for their reactions would be to unreal situations.
Arguably, there is a strong case to be put against this policy,
for it could be suggested that by featuring unrealistic actions
in the show, viewers are encouraged to ignore the serious
implications of these acts. In the original series, someone
could be stabbed and be just as quickly healed by Julia Hoffman,
often with little more than a handy strip of sticking plaster.
This approach was probably linked closely with Dark Shadows
attitude towards death - another theme that was rarely
treated realistically.
Death
in Dark Shadows is often seen as a state of transition,
and with the series' frequent use of reincarnation and ghostly
phenomena as plot devices, death as an issue is rarely addressed
on the show. Characters rarely mourn their losses, and simply
carry on with their lives. It might be more accurate to say
that in Dark Shadows, people do not die, but instead
simply move beyond their current lives. The traditional dramatic
staple of death representing loss writ large is usually conspicuously
absent, Josette's pivotal suicide notwithstanding. Undoubtedly,
this trivial approach precluded much of the show's potential
realism, and may have paved the way for much of the violence
that was to follow. As soon as an issue as big as death is
trivialised, one must invariably lose depth in all issues.
When
Dan Curtis decided to bring Collinwood to cinema audiences,
it was obvious to him that a more realistic tone was required.
However, as it emerged, if the portrayal of violence in House
of Dark Shadows demonstrated any new-found maturity on
Curtis' part, this came only from the atmosphere created by
the brooding visuals, all of which were shot on location.
The main difference between this and the television series
was that violence was no longer a plot device. In a dire effort
to appeal to a mass audience, Curtis had traded the Dark
Shadows magic for a tasteless fest of gore. From the savage
vampire wounds to the gallons of lurid red blood, House
of Dark Shadows is easily the weakest version of Dark
Shadows ever produced. The inappropriate treatment of
the violence is completely atypical of the series and certainly
does not reflect the original concept. House of Dark Shadows
is best regarded as a low-budget horror flick tagged on to
the Dark Shadows banner. In spite of some wonderful
moments, the last 20 minutes of the film could really have
been transplanted from any popularist horror film of the time.
What made Dark Shadows special was its quirky sense
of individuality - a trait completely absent from Curtis'
streamlined cinematic re-creation.
In
1971, Dark Shadows returned to the big screen for Night
of Dark Shadows, and although the film Collinwood would
again prove very different from that of the television series,
it appeared that Dan Curtis' direction had indeed matured.
The excessive employment of tomato ketchup was gone, and,
in its place, the most adult version of Dark Shadows
ever presented. Unlike its predecessor, Night of Dark Shadows
depicted reality; every violent act seen in the film could
be copied by the viewer, thus making the film far more disturbing.
From the brutal drowning scene to the climactic knife-fight,
Night of Dark Shadows brought the format into the real
world, something Dark Shadows had never before attempted.
Whereas the problem with House of Dark Shadows was
its ridiculous gore, Night of Dark Shadows revealed
a gritty Collinwood, filled with truly violent acts. Most
notably, there is a great emphasis given to the painful implications
of the violence, which underpins many scenes of a dangerous,
shocking nature.
For
the viewer, violence in Dark Shadows had previously
been akin to that of cartoons, but with Night of Dark Shadows,
the audience is presented with a world that is all too similar
to their own. Arguably, this may well have alienated the audiences:
by placing Collinwood in our own world, the escapism of the
format is at least partially lost. That this experiment failed
is regrettable, since the production team had battled to move
Dark Shadows away from the perceived childishness of
its television format, into a more mature realisation. What
arose from this intention was a more adult version of the
show, yet one that was continually reminding us of the implications
of the violence it presented. Ironically, the most violent
Dark Shadows incarnation would also show the most maturity
over its subject matter.
As
critics of television and film alike attempt to persuade us
that television serves as the root of all evil in society,
look at Dark Shadows and smile. It has been said that
film can only reflect society - not create it. To me, the
inhabitants of the storm-swept land of Collinsport do reflect
a facet of society, though one sadly very different to that
of today. Dark Shadows' portrayal of violence was often
wonderfully naïve and childlike, and perhaps attempting
to reconcile or apologise for it misses its point. The show
retains its innocence. Do not denigrate the show for this
- celebrate it instead.
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