I will allow myself to borrow a certain political slogan: 鈥楾he vampire lives forever. And that鈥檚 a good thing
鈥� 鈥� our interviewee jokes. Behind this answer, however, lies a serious research question: what makes a figure that has been described in countless books and portrayed in innumerable films continue to attract creators and audiences alike?
Dr Tomasz Fisiak specialises in Gothic literature, particularly that of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In his research, he has followed its protagonists all the way into music videos. This shift in medium makes it possible to see how old stories acquire new meanings while retaining recognisable motifs. In this respect, the vampire is an exceptionally versatile character: it can appear in a love story, evoke disgust, provoke laughter, or represent the experience of someone who struggles to find their place in society.
The Vampire鈥檚 Media Career
Long before the vampire found its way into music videos and video games, its successive incarnations appeared on the pages of literature and on cinema screens. Each medium offered creators different opportunities: a monster described in words acquired a face, a voice and a way of moving, and eventually became a character with whom audiences could actively identify.
The literary history of the vampire did not begin with Dracula. An important predecessor of the Count was Lord Ruthven from 鈥淭he Vampyre鈥� by John Polidori, published in 1819. The character was inspired by Lord Byron. In this lineage, the researcher identifies one of the clues that may explain the enduring fascination with vampires: audiences may be drawn to the character鈥檚 independence, individuality and refusal to submit to prevailing rules.
Bram Stoker鈥檚 novel was published in 1897. Later, the imagination of audiences was shaped, among others, by Nosferatu from the film by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and by Dracula portrayed by B茅la Lugosi. The vampire acquired not only a recognisable appearance but also new ways of reaching audiences.
Thus, we began with the novel, with the text. Later we moved to cinema. Then the vampire migrated into music videos, video games and cosplay
鈥� Fisiak explains.
This journey matters for interpretation. Viewers watching a music video do not need to have read Stoker in order to recognise vampiric imagery. However, they may see more when they know the history of the motif: a cinematic reference, a shift in the hero鈥檚 role or a reversal of a familiar ending. Tracing such connections is one of the tasks of a cultural studies scholar.
Nosferatu or Edward? Two Ways of Capturing Attention
The vampire does not have a single obligatory face. This is clearly demonstrated by comparing Nosferatu with Edward from Twilight, the protagonist of Stephenie Meyer鈥檚 novels. The former primarily unsettles through his appearance. The latter becomes the object of romantic fascination. These radically different portrayals show how many different expectations the same cultural figure can fulfil.
There is a certain ambiguity here. One thing that cannot be denied to the vampire is its charisma, its ability to attract and command attention. And then there is that ever-present element of horror. We know that people enjoy feeling afraid and the popularity of horror films proves it
鈥� says the scholar.
The vampire may therefore repel and intrigue simultaneously. Even when it becomes beautiful and seductive, it remains a potentially dangerous being. The tension between intimacy and threat makes it possible to combine romance with horror. In this configuration, the vampire鈥檚 attractiveness is not a simple denial of its monstrosity. Instead, it complicates it: the character becomes desirable precisely when an encounter with them involves risk. Thus, a change in appearance does not necessarily remove the fundamental conflict embedded in the story. The question of whether the vampire can be trusted becomes just as important as the question of whether it can be defeated.
Fisiak also points to the appeal of imagining life beyond ordinary human time. Eternal youth means more than the absence of wrinkles: it opens up the possibility of fantasising about emotions untouched by ageing. At the same time, the researcher stresses that the popularity of vampires cannot be reduced to a single cause. For some audiences, the pleasure of experiencing horror will be most important; for others, it will be a romantic promise or a fascination with an independent protagonist.
A Romance Older Than 鈥淭wilight鈥�
Erotic fascination with the vampire did not emerge with contemporary bestsellers. To understand how long this motif has accompanied the figure, we should turn to 鈥淐补谤尘颈濒濒补鈥� by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, published in 1872. The title character, a female vampire, and Laura, are at the centre of the story. Their relationship combines intimacy, desire and danger.
鈥淐补谤尘颈濒濒补鈥� by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu was among the nineteenth-century stories that gave the vampire a female form. Illustration by David Henry Friston, 1872. Author and source: David Henry Friston, 1872 / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Fisiak emphasises the significance of choosing two female protagonists. The vampiric narrative created space for depicting a relationship that extended beyond socially accepted norms. This is an important clue for readers: in horror literature, we should ask not only who the monster is, but also which behaviours and desires provoke anxiety within the world of the story.
And perhaps this is also where the vampire鈥檚 popularity comes from, because the vampire broke taboos. The vampire displayed extraordinary independence and refused to submit to the norms of a given period. This applies both to Carmilla and to Dracula himself
鈥� the researcher notes.
In the case of Carmilla, it becomes especially clear that a vampire story can address much more than fear of death. Horror intertwines with questions of intimacy, freedom and the boundaries of acceptable relationships.
This is why a continuity can be traced between a nineteenth-century novella and a contemporary vampire romance. Characters, language and social conventions change, but interest in a figure that simultaneously transgresses prohibitions and attracts attention remains.
Nosferatu Sings in Myslovitz
With this background in mind, it becomes possible to return to a familiar song and see it differently. In the music video for 鈥淒la ciebie鈥� [For You] by Myslovitz, directed by Krzysztof Paw艂owski, Artur Rojek appears in makeup inspired by Nosferatu. Gothic interiors, dramatic interplay between light and shadow, and the cinematic vampire transport the song into a realm familiar from horror cinema.
Artur Rojek as a vampire in the music video for 鈥淒la ciebie鈥� by Myslovitz (2000), directed by Krzysztof Paw艂owski. Screenshot source: YouTube.
There are certain scenes that immediately make us think of Murnau. These are characteristic motifs of German Expressionism. That distinctive play of light and shadow. Artur Rojek styled as Nosferatu
鈥� Fisiak points out.
The music video also features Agnieszka Dygant, while the approaching dawn recalls the ending of Murnau鈥檚 film. Garlic, stakes and crosses belong to the familiar repertoire. For viewers, these are signals indicating what kind of character they are dealing with and what may threaten him. Knowledge of the original source, however, enriches this recognition: it allows audiences to observe how an old story is transformed into a narrative accompanying a song.
Such relationships are the subject of intertextuality, which provides the starting point for Fisiak鈥檚 research on music videos. In this case, the focus lies on the connections between different cultural texts: the novel, the film and the music video. A borrowed motif may retain its familiar appearance while simultaneously acquiring new meanings in a new story.
In the article 鈥淒racula Meets the Music Video鈥�, Fisiak analyses not only Myslovitz but also 鈥淗别补谤迟鈥� by Pet Shop Boys and 鈥淏补迟颈肠补苍辞鈥� by Bad Bunny. This selection makes it possible to move beyond a single musical genre or historical period. During our conversation, the researcher emphasised that he was particularly interested in the geographical range of these references and the creativity of their directors. A motif associated with early cinema remains useful across many different forms of contemporary popular culture.
When the Monster Needs Protection
In 鈥淏补迟颈肠补苍辞鈥�, the direction of perspective changes above all else. We usually wonder what the monster will do to people. Here, the equally important question becomes what the world will do to the monster. Director Stillz combines references to 鈥�狈辞蝉蹿别谤补迟耻鈥� and 鈥�贵谤补苍办别苍蝉迟别颈苍鈥�, while Bad Bunny plays a creature that is simultaneously vampiric and brought to life by a scientist. In Fisiak鈥檚 interpretation, particular importance lies in preparing this character for cruelty, misunderstanding and rejection.
With such a change in perspective, viewers may find themselves sympathising with someone who, at first glance, ought only to inspire fear. Physical difference ceases to be sufficient grounds for labelling the character as evil. Instead, attention shifts to vulnerability and the difficulty of finding one鈥檚 place in the world.
Fisiak interprets this image as a message to people who, for various reasons, feel out of place: because of their financial circumstances, sexuality, beliefs, or other characteristics that separate them from their surroundings. Most important is the possibility of recognising a similar experience in others.
We may indeed feel rejected and lonely, but it helps to know that there is also a support group somewhere, that at some point in our lives we will find the community to which we belong and within which we can find comfort. In this sense, the vampire performs a highly symbolic and socially significant function
鈥� the researcher explains.
This interpretation does not remove horror from the music video, but it demonstrates that horror can coexist with hope. The vampire allows us to tell stories about exclusion without reducing the protagonist to a helpless victim. The character remains extraordinary and captivating, yet that very extraordinariness may help viewers understand their own sense of alienation.
What Else Can Be Said About a Vampire?
After so many books, films and music videos, it might seem that the vampiric repertoire has been exhausted. Yet, Fisiak continues to discover shifts in emphasis that make it possible to return to what appears to be a thoroughly familiar subject.
And yet it can be done. Stories can be rewritten, new contexts and subtexts can be added, that more individualistic dimension can be emphasised, greater attention can be devoted to exclusion, to the search for independence and freedom. The vampire motif is perfectly suited to all of this
鈥� he argues.
These changes may even affect the most recognisable need associated with the vampire. As the scholar notes, contemporary cinema features vampires who use blood banks instead of attacking random people. Such a solution transforms the relationship between the monster and its surroundings while preserving its otherness.
This is not merely a matter of the immortality written into the fate of a fictional character. The vampire鈥檚 cultural longevity is also ensured by its ability to assume new roles. In one work it embodies danger, in another unfulfilled desire, and in yet another the loneliness of someone who has been rejected. The story of the vampire remains recognisable, while the questions asked through it continue to evolve.
The vampire therefore remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration and I do not think that will change any time soon
鈥� concludes Dr Tomasz Fisiak.