Strangely, as a Goth, this is my first time reading about Carmilla. I’m drawn to her
character, beauty, and infatuation with Laura. I found the first UK version of the film
recommended on the list and watched the entire movie. It differed from the story in many
respects. In the film, Carmilla doesn’t have a mother who needs a favor in letting her daughter
stay at a stranger’s home for 3 months. The film adaptation depicted Carmilla as a victim of a
carriage overturning; she is the sole survivor and appears to be the only passenger.
After everyone has left, Laura curiously observes the carriage wreckage and, among the
scattered luggage, finds a silver crucifix necklace, which she takes. Later in the film, after the
two lovers have made their futile escape, Laura tells Carmilla that she has taken something
from her and places the necklace in her hand. Carmilla says that it is not hers, and this lets the
viewer know, maybe just me, that Carmilla wasn’t the only passenger. It is possible that she was
never a passenger at all and that she attacked the driver, who died, thus turning over the
carriage.
The film doesn’t go over Camilla’s past or the Karnstein ruins. There is no General
Spielsdorf, but there is mention of his niece, Charlotte, who dies from a mysterious illness in the
next town. There seems to have been more focus on the sexual awakening of Laura, who is
arrested in her development by her governess, Mademoiselle De Lafontaine. Mademoiselle
even ties Laura’s left arm behind her back during daily activities to habituate her to using her
right hand. To use one’s left hand is to be guided by the devil. During a breakfast scene, the
morning after a nude nighttime swim and kiss with Carmilla, Laura uses her left hand while
eating, confirming that the devil is now leading her.
Although numerous changes and elements of the original story were omitted, I argue
that this adaptation is more closely related to the original. I wish it had been added to the
storyline about the mother and the Karnstein family. This Carmilla didn’t delve much into her
personality or the supernatural, relying instead on assumptions. In the original, there are
ancient paintings and the wordplay on her name throughout the ages.
The era in which it is presented and the belief in lore as fact are also apparent. Carmilla
is killed with the hatchet by Mme. Lafontaine, and without going much further than a “devilish”
book as evidence of her being a vampire. Yes, Carmilla and Laura share each other’s pricked
blood, but it is not enough to equate her to Dracula. The ending, unlike the story, leads me to
think that Carmilla will rise again, as it does not depict her decapitation.
