Review of Dracula (1958) by Paul D — 20 Jan 2014

A divine movie, serving not only as a catalyst for British horror cinema but also as the absolute best telling of Bram Stoker's classic novel ever. Jimmy Sangster and Terence Fisher, the respective writing/directing duo behind Hammer's first delve into gothic adaptation THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), bring a style and mood to the film that is wholly British; while Universal's American picture from 1931 brought its tension out of gothic shadows and expressionistic sets, Sangster and Fisher build their tension out of strong character drama and luxuriously haunting color.

But the real key to the film's success is its cast, which is nothing short of perfect. Peter Cushing delivers the performance of his career here as Dr. Van Helsing (and one of my favorite performances of all time), and Christopher Lee becomes Count Dracula even more fully than Bela Lugosi, embodying more fully the character's aged scorn and practiced charm.

Both seem to have studied Stoker's source material and extract the very essences of their characters, wisely filling in pieces of Stoker's massive novel with the power of their presence, allowing the movie's truncated plot to work.

And while this adaptation continues the cinema's tradition of not being able to fully realize the complete events of the book, it certainly makes the best effort yet at transferring those events to screen by utilizing an incredible twist in the first act.

This is truly a classic, a film I can watch over and over again, only to love it more.