I've probably written about these films more then any other yet I notice something new every time I watch. This time, I realized "Dracula" is set in the modern day. During the flower girl scene, you hear a car horn and see modern street lamps. Another question I ask for the first time: Why did Dracula disguise himself as the carriage driver? Why hide his face? Despite this question, it is one of the most atmospheric scenes in a film built primarily on atmosphere.
Modern critiques tend to say Lugosi is the sole graceful factor in a stagy film. True but don't undersell. Karl Freund's camera is not stationary. A pan around Renfield's shoulder, a slow move up steps, a panorama of Seward's sanatorium. Renfield leering from the ship or the shadow of the captain lashed to the wheel are just two chilling scenes. The use of shadows is toned down from Universal's silents and it's generally agreed that Freund's artistry was held back by Todd Browning. Wither Browning had trouble adapting to sound or was still grieving for Lon Chaney (and the version of "Dracula" they had planned on making) is debated.
Either way, you can't deny the power of these images. The early shots of Dracula's castle, the brides awaking in the catacombs, the illogical armadillos, beetles in tiny coffins, Lugosi's glaring eyes. These images are the base upon which all American horror films are built. They still send chills up a viewer's spine seventy years later. The set design is incredible, particularly the dusty staircase of Castle Dracula or the ruins of Carfax Abbey. Supporting the sets are fantastic glass painted backgrounds.
I won't waste words on why Lugosi is the iconic Dracula. He exudes an authority over everyone simply with his body language. Shots of him doing nothing but standing in shadow-swept doorways manage to be creepy.
Given Dracula's sway over the opposite sex, it's easy to understand while the vampire is a fantasized character for men. But why is the vampire a sex symbol for women? The film is split on the issue. The scene of Dracula cornering the flower girl brings to mind nothing but sexual assault. I believe Dracula leaning over the sleeping bodies of his prey aren't meant to be provocative but rather to invoke classical nightmare imagery. We are all vulnerable when we sleep and many horror films prey on that innate vulnerably. (Yep, I just traced a line from Dracula to Freddy.) Dracula is feared by his female victims, yet still oddly attractive. Lucy doesn't seem totally asleep when Dracula comes for her. A later scene, where Mina walks into the count's arms, his cape wrapped around her, blending in with the shadows, is undoubtedly romantic. The vampire is a man with complete control over his females, psychic and sexual. Why women would desire such a mate is a topic unsuited for this blog. The seductive female vampire is a horror concept not yet solidified. Mina, once turned, seems less like a willing seductress and more like a drug addict, uncontrollably forced to attack her beloved husband.
The movie is flawed, no doubt. Who the heck is the main character? The count is unknowable. Harker or Seward don't do anything besides wring their hands. Van Helsing comes in too late, Lucy exits too early, while Mina is a damsel in distress. Nope, it's gotta' be Renfield. We follow him from the beginning and he features in most of the scenes. A book must exists that explores his character more. There's a lot of untapped potential there. Dwight Fry had enough range to play a straight-laced businessman perfectly, even if his unhinged insanity is what we remember. When his spider is thrown away, you almost feel for the guy. His monologue about Dracula presenting him with a feast of rats is great and I wonder why no other adaptation has gone into more detail about that. Why does Dracula even keep the guy around? He doesn't serve him much and is even responsible for revealing the count's hiding place.
The pacing drags in the latter half, as the staged qualities take over. There's a number of narrative question marks. Lucy's story arc is oddly abbreviated. We hear about her escapades as the Woman in White but Van Helsing disposes of her off-screen. Why does Dracula have Mina just hanging around the abbey at the very end? What purpose did that serve? Renfield preys on the unconscious maid in one scene but we never find out why. The guy sure gets out of his cell easy. Dr. Seward should probably hire a new staff. Dracula's final confrontation with Van Helsing is anticlimactic. Even the weaker second half of the film has its moments, such as Dracula making eye-contact with Mina's maid or smashing the mirror out of Van Helsing's hand.
I'm not begrudgingly calling it a great movie. It remains the best adaptation of Stoker's novel in many ways and is the most important of the Universal Monster cycle in countless ways.
Modern critiques tend to say Lugosi is the sole graceful factor in a stagy film. True but don't undersell. Karl Freund's camera is not stationary. A pan around Renfield's shoulder, a slow move up steps, a panorama of Seward's sanatorium. Renfield leering from the ship or the shadow of the captain lashed to the wheel are just two chilling scenes. The use of shadows is toned down from Universal's silents and it's generally agreed that Freund's artistry was held back by Todd Browning. Wither Browning had trouble adapting to sound or was still grieving for Lon Chaney (and the version of "Dracula" they had planned on making) is debated.
Either way, you can't deny the power of these images. The early shots of Dracula's castle, the brides awaking in the catacombs, the illogical armadillos, beetles in tiny coffins, Lugosi's glaring eyes. These images are the base upon which all American horror films are built. They still send chills up a viewer's spine seventy years later. The set design is incredible, particularly the dusty staircase of Castle Dracula or the ruins of Carfax Abbey. Supporting the sets are fantastic glass painted backgrounds.
I won't waste words on why Lugosi is the iconic Dracula. He exudes an authority over everyone simply with his body language. Shots of him doing nothing but standing in shadow-swept doorways manage to be creepy.
Given Dracula's sway over the opposite sex, it's easy to understand while the vampire is a fantasized character for men. But why is the vampire a sex symbol for women? The film is split on the issue. The scene of Dracula cornering the flower girl brings to mind nothing but sexual assault. I believe Dracula leaning over the sleeping bodies of his prey aren't meant to be provocative but rather to invoke classical nightmare imagery. We are all vulnerable when we sleep and many horror films prey on that innate vulnerably. (Yep, I just traced a line from Dracula to Freddy.) Dracula is feared by his female victims, yet still oddly attractive. Lucy doesn't seem totally asleep when Dracula comes for her. A later scene, where Mina walks into the count's arms, his cape wrapped around her, blending in with the shadows, is undoubtedly romantic. The vampire is a man with complete control over his females, psychic and sexual. Why women would desire such a mate is a topic unsuited for this blog. The seductive female vampire is a horror concept not yet solidified. Mina, once turned, seems less like a willing seductress and more like a drug addict, uncontrollably forced to attack her beloved husband.
The movie is flawed, no doubt. Who the heck is the main character? The count is unknowable. Harker or Seward don't do anything besides wring their hands. Van Helsing comes in too late, Lucy exits too early, while Mina is a damsel in distress. Nope, it's gotta' be Renfield. We follow him from the beginning and he features in most of the scenes. A book must exists that explores his character more. There's a lot of untapped potential there. Dwight Fry had enough range to play a straight-laced businessman perfectly, even if his unhinged insanity is what we remember. When his spider is thrown away, you almost feel for the guy. His monologue about Dracula presenting him with a feast of rats is great and I wonder why no other adaptation has gone into more detail about that. Why does Dracula even keep the guy around? He doesn't serve him much and is even responsible for revealing the count's hiding place.
The pacing drags in the latter half, as the staged qualities take over. There's a number of narrative question marks. Lucy's story arc is oddly abbreviated. We hear about her escapades as the Woman in White but Van Helsing disposes of her off-screen. Why does Dracula have Mina just hanging around the abbey at the very end? What purpose did that serve? Renfield preys on the unconscious maid in one scene but we never find out why. The guy sure gets out of his cell easy. Dr. Seward should probably hire a new staff. Dracula's final confrontation with Van Helsing is anticlimactic. Even the weaker second half of the film has its moments, such as Dracula making eye-contact with Mina's maid or smashing the mirror out of Van Helsing's hand.
I'm not begrudgingly calling it a great movie. It remains the best adaptation of Stoker's novel in many ways and is the most important of the Universal Monster cycle in countless ways.