Dracula

Rating:
Summary: Superb package of materials surrounding the Browning classic
Review: Despite the greatness of Murnau's NOSFERATU before it and Guy Maddin's DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY after it, Tod Browning's Universal classic (the centerpiece of this cd) remains the standard version of Bram Stoker's tale. In large part this is due to Browning's astonishing sets and the superbly textured deep focus cinematography of Karl Freund. The Castle Dracula, and later the vampuire's stronghold in the UK, Carfax Abbey, are masterfully conveyed with giant sets and superb matte paintings. Bela Lugosi's performance is nothing to compare with, say, Boris Karloff's sensitive rendition of Frankenstein's monster in a nearly contemporary Universal film, but you still will see why it made him a screen legend: he is wonderfully charismatic, and he uses his long hands to spectacular effect. The mise-en-scene is often quite static, but it's the tableaux from this fil one remembers: the brides of the vampire swooping down of Renfield in the castle from the foreground; Renfield (Dwight Frye, in a classic performance) staring up, grinning madly, from the belowdecks of the doomed Vesta; Dracula swooping up Mina (Helen Chandler) in the vertical slash of his cloak in the fogbound grounds of the Seward Asylum. The film provides the option of a beautiful, if incredibly obtrusive, contemporary Philip Glass score since the original film was also without music altogether (which to my mind only enhances its creepiness). There's also the full film of the alternative Spanish-language version filmed on the same sets at night (to save money). Although many cineastes consider the Spanish version actually better than Browning's version, thanks to its enhanced eroticism, greater use of mise-en-scene and greater scene-to-scene continuity, this reviewer felt it crucially lacks the creepier static qualities of the Browning version.

Rating:
Summary: The English and Spanish versions of the Universal classic
Review: Bela Lugosi simply is Count Dracula; his brilliant performance in this 1931 classic, the first supernatural-based "talkie," defined the role, and - somewhat unfortunately - the role defined him for the rest of his career. Lugosi was born to play Dracula, and the influence he and this film continue to have in the movie business is really amazing. When you go back and watch the film today, though, a number of problems pop up for those with a discerning eye - these do not lessen the impact of the film, but they do make you conscious of the fact that Dracula could actually have been an even greater film than it was. This fact is brought home even more forcefully when you watch the Spanish version of the film, for it really is a much better film than its English counterpart. If only Paul Kohner had been allowed to produce the English version, combining the virtuoso performances of Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye with the superior story quality and atmospheric powers of the Spanish version, Dracula might well still be in theaters today, enjoying a 73-year run.

Dracula was blessed with a top-notch group of actors and actresses. It's hard to believe that Bela Lugosi was not the first choice for the role of the Count, but at the time he was a relatively unknown immigrant actor. His accent, mannerisms, and unparalleled, unquantifiable presence made him perfect for the role. He had already played Dracula hundreds of times on stage, but Lon Chaney, Sr., would have played the part had he not died of cancer a few months before Dracula started production. By that time, the movie budget was down to almost nothing, and almost nothing is basically what Lugosi got paid for his amazing work. Dwight Frye is superb as poor Renfield, Dracula's reluctant henchman and servant eventually torn between serving his master and saving the life of Mina (Helen Chandler), the damsel in distress. Frye's ability to vividly project the manic madness of Renfield stands as the best supporting acting job I've ever seen; Renfield constantly steals the show from everyone but Dracula himself.

Since this film basically defines Dracula and vampires themselves in the realm of popular culture, it's amazing to go back and see just how big a difference there is between Bram Stoker's novel and this 1931 production (the movie doesn't even begin to compare with the novel). The very opening, for example, wanders far afield from Stoker's vision - here we see Renfield rather than Jonathan Harker making the trip to Dracula's castle in Transylvania in order to finalize the Count's move to jolly old England. This major switch does much to further endear Renfield to our hearts, but it does tend to make Jonathan Harker into an ineffective character. Then you have the very appearance of the villain - Bela Lugosi's suave, hypnotically charming Count Dracula is a far cry from the hideous vampire of Stoker's novel. The film has a few continuity problems and really quite silly gaffes here and there, although these do not get in the way of the story, but there were obvious problems with direction and budgeting. The economic burdens of the Great Depression took a chunk out of the Dracula budget, and you end up with a film of one hour fifteen minutes that should have run a good deal longer. There are minor continuity problems, a few scenes that seem to be cut off prematurely, and several questions and ideas not adequately answered or resolved.

The Spanish version of Dracula is a real treat indeed. Running a half hour longer than the English version, this movie did not leave nearly as many gaps in the storyline and actually added much insight into the work as a whole. The Spanish cast and crew shot their own version of the movie on the same sets, working through the nights to produce their own very different version of Dracula. Lupita Tovar is wonderful as Eva Seward, and the cast and crew really come together to outperform most of their English-speaking counterparts. The men playing Dracula and Van Helsing tend to overact a bit at times (and Carlos Villarias had the misfortune to be someone other than Bela Lugosi attempting to play Count Dracula), but the Spanish version is a superior film that possesses a warmth and sense of humanity somewhat lacking in the rather cold and calculated atmosphere of the American version.

In a sense, you get three versions of 1931's Dracula here: the standard English language version, that same version featuring a new musical score composed by Philip Glass (and played by the Kronos Quartet), and the Spanish language version. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Many fans are not enamored with the Glass score, but I think it works very well at times, particularly in those silent moments when we watch Dracula creeping up to the bed of his next female victim. If you could combine the best of all three versions of the film, you would get not only the ultimate Dracula film but the ultimate horror film of all time. Each version is well worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Dracula Going For The Throat
Review: Bela Lugosi's Dracula was a spectacle I've always enjoyed. Never before has an actor's own personality so merged with a single character. There are three granddaddies of Dracula: Voivode Vladislaus Dracula, Bram Stoker, and Bela Lugosi. There have been Draculas before and since Lugosi, but he is the one that has become a cultural icon. His was a commanding presence, a slight androgeny, and stiff mien of a nobleman or corpse. He had extended fingers which were like the claws of a predator, or a puppeteer. His intonation was slow and deliberate like a hypnotist, which he had played earlier in the German movie Sklaven Fremdes Willens (Slaves of a Foreign Will). Lugosi was no cuddly evil like Chaney Sr., or Karloff, he figurtively went for the throat.

Rating:
Summary: Hollywood's Dracula.
Review: An Englishman named Renfield travels to the remote castle of Count Dracula in Transylvania to secure the Count's signature on the lease of an Abbey in London. Shortly after Count Dracula installs himself in the Abbey, London experiences a rash of mysterious deaths due to exsanguination. Meanwhile, Renfield has returned from his trip in a state of seeming insanity. And the doctor who runs the sanatarium next door to the Abbey is concerned about his daughter Mina's harrowing nightmares and unusual behavior. A friend and colleague of the doctor's, Professor Van Helsing, believes he has solved the mystery of the deaths and peculiar behavior that have beset the city and has a plan to combat them.

"Dracula" was the first Hollywood production of a film based on Bram Stoker's great novel of the same name. The film is only loosely based on the novel, although its story is closer to Bram Stoker's than the novel's first film adaptation, F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent expressionist masterpiece "Nosferatu". 1931's "Dracula" is not as gripping or as thematically complex as "Nosferatu". And I didn't find it as alluring as Francis Coppola's more faithful 1992 adaptation "Bram Stoker's Dracula". But this version of "Dracula" is memorable, and it established the image that Count Dracula and vampires in general would have in Hollywood and in our popular culture for decades to come: that of a suave, well-dressed, Old World aristocrat. This DVD contains two versions of the film: The famous English version starring Bela Lugosi and a Spanish version that was filmed on the same sets with a different cast, director, and crew. The English version was filmed during the day, while the Spanish version filmed in the evening. I have to agree with the critical consensus that the Spanish version of "Dracula" is somewhat better than the English version. But it isn't better in every way. I recommend watching both versions. It is interesting to note the differences between the two and compare their failures and successes. English and French subtitles are available for both versions.

Most notable about director Todd Browning's English "Dracula" is Bela Lugosi's performance. This movie destroyed Bela Lugosi's career. He was an accomplished character actor before he was Count Dracula. But his performance here forever changed the way cinema saw vampires. They would no longer be the grotesque creatures brought brilliantly to life by Max Schreck and F.W. Murnau in "Nosferatu". Bela Lugosi's Dracula is as suave as he could be, the embodiment of tall, dark, and handsome. His seduction isn't subconscious or covert. It's obvious. He is at home in polite society and charming to young ladies. His Eastern European accent completes the picture of the mysterious and exotic stranger. Bela Lugosi was a perfect choice for the role since he was Austro-Hungarian himself, a native of what is now Romania.

The Spanish version of "Dracula" was directed by George Melford, who did not speak Spanish. Although it was filmed on the same sets at the same time with a very similar script, it is considerably longer than the English version at 104 minutes. The English "Dracula" is 75 minutes long. Carlos Villarias plays Count Dracula in this version. He isn't as good as Bela Lugosi, and this film's opening act in Transylvania doesn't compare with the English version either. There are some interesting differences in the script, the blocking, and the camera work between the two versions. And the Spanish version is more overtly sexual that the English one, as might be expected. But a longer film with a lesser leading man wouldn't seem to make for a better movie. Oddly, it does. The supporting cast deserves the credit for more passionate and interesting performances. And director George Melford wisely gave them the screen time to develop their characters, as well as time for the film to build some suspense. Eva (Lupita Tovar), who is the "Mina" character, and Van Helsing (Eduardo Arozamena) are simply better-drawn characters than their English counterparts. But the real stand-out performance is by Pablo Alvarez Rubio, who plays Renfield. I was never quite convinced by Renfield's cravings in the English film. But Rubio is entirely convincing: He is mad, but he has great insight. He is racked with guilt at the same time he craves blood. He simultaneously wants to be damned and redeemed. Rubio makes Renfield complex, crazy, entertaining and sympathetic. It is worth watching the film for his performance.

Rating:
Summary: Worth Seeing
Review: Don't look for special effects in this film. The eerieness is created by the black and white and actor facial expressions, especially at the beginning at Dracula's castle. Excellent performances by Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye. The same actor who played Dr. Waldman in Frankenstein, plays Van Helsing.

The main confrontation between Van Helsing and Dracula is not as spectacular as some of the later versions of the film though. The ultimate destruction of Dracula is done off-screen and loses dramatic effect.

Not having read Brahm Stoker's novel, I am not sure how true to the book this one is (there was a movie called Brahm Stoker's Dracula that was very different from this one) but just seeing Bela do Dracula is worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Dont judge it because it's so old
Review: Not many thrilling special effects here, but none are needed. So sad to see how Bela Lugosi forever embedded himself into this character. This is the orginal & just as scary,if you ignore the bat on a string !

Rating:
Summary: NEVER BEEN EQUALED NEVER BEEN EQUALED!!!
Review: Ask just about any vampire fan, and they will tell you, NO ONE has ever played Dracula better than Bella Lugosi. He remains a "cult" favorite, and this version of Dracula remains the most popular of all time. In this story, a young man goes on a business journey to see Count Dracula. The Count wishes to move to England and settle there. Upon arrival in the new land, Dracula begins his reign of terror, bringing more and more people into his family of vampires. After a short time, a man discovers what Count Dracula really is and works to try and kill the Count and all of his vampires. Does he succeed? Get the movie and find out. Horror, suspense, drama, are rampant in this one of a kind film.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best DVDs I own - A Masterpiece of Gothic Horror
Review: "Dracula," aside from being one of my favorite movies, is one of the best DVDs that I own. It is really incredible that so much is packed onto a single disk, and shows up the "2-disk Special Editions" as the marketing ploys that they really are.

Incredibly, there are two full versions of the film "Dracula," the famous Bela Lugosi/Tod Browning version, and the Spanish-language version that was filmed at the same time. In addition to this, a complete alternate score is included, composed by Philip Glass and played by the Kronos Quartet. If that were not enough, there is a featurette by David J. Skal, that is a very interesting history of Dracula on film, along with a complete commentary by Skal.

While others may argue differently, to me the superior version, indeed the best Dracula of all times, is the Bela Lugosi/Tod Browning version with the updated score. Glass supplies exactly what was missing from the original filming, and transforms a potentially hokey, outdated film into a masterpiece of Gothic Horror. It is amazing to see what a new score can do for a film.

Rating:
Summary: Missing Chaney
Review: Lon Chaney was booked to star in the title role of this film, but unfortunately died just prior to shooting. Bela Lugosi, who had starred in the stage production of Dracula was brought in right before shooting started. The movie suffers for this. Lugosi does not have time to learn how to act for the camera. I don't know what kind of plans director Todd Browning had for the Chaney version, but the final Lugosi version looks like a mere filming of the stage play. Set up the camera in front of the proscenium, and flip it on, and then leave it on autopilot. There is no innovation, and no significant script changes made to take advantage of the film medium.

This film is still worth seeing, just don't go in with the high expectations this film's reputation may lead you to have. If you are expecting to be overwhelmed by the drama, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting to be scared out of your skin, you will be disappointed. If you want a good, scary vampire film, try either version of Nosferatu, or the Frank Langella version of Dracula.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic Early Horror Film
Review: Dracula was made during the great monster movie period of the early 1930s and stars the impeccable Bela Lugosi in the title role. Lugosi may be remembered by some horror movie enthusiasts for turning down the role of Frankenstein, which ultimately went to Boris Karloff, but he gives a timelsess performance as the mysterious Count Dracula.

The early scenes of the film, which include excellent shots of Dracula's castle and the eerie Carpathian mountains, set the tone for the rest of the movie. Dracula's castle is perhaps the best, with its long spider webs and dark passageways.

As the movie begins, Renfield, played by horror movie veteran Dwight Frye (who also stars in Frankenstein), is travelling to Dracula's castle. He is the caretaker of some legal documents requiring Dracula's signature. Upon arriving, Renfield falls under Dracula's spell and is bitten by the Count. After being bitten, Renfield goes mad and begins feeding on the blood of insects and small rodents. They then both set sail for London, where Renfield is put into a mental hospital under the care of Dr. Jack Seward (Herbert Bunston).

Dracula is introduced to Mina Seward (Helen Chandler), Jonathan Harker (David Manners), and Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan). Dracula is immediately drawn to Mina's beauty, but little by little, Van Helsing is able to deduce that Dracula is really a vampire. The clincher comes when Van Helsing is looking in a mirror, but Dracula fails to give off a reflection. With the help of Harker, Van Helsing tracks Dracula back to his lair.

I tend to prefer the older horror movies of this period to today's blood and guts slasher films. The psychological terror is more entertaining to watch than some slasher cutting up unsuspecting teenagers. Lugosi and Frye give excellent performances, and the supporting actors give good performances as well. Turn out the lights, make some popcorn, and enjoy this classic period film.