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Jesús Franco’s Count Dracula from 1970, which was not available in the UK for some time, is considered by many to be the single most loyal interpretation of Bram Stoker’s work. Truth be told, it is an accurate claim if one’s favorite scene from Dracula is watching characters drone on and on about owning property in Transylvania. This version is so bad that it should be considered “Exhibit A” when people start complaining about screenwriters failing to capture the essence of the original work. Understanding that this quarter of the hustle and bustle world possesses readers who wish to watch their books come to life, there is no denying that this masterpiece of horror literature lacked a good dose of life.
There are aspects of this adaptation that are quite positive. If you’ve always been dissatisfied with the liberties that other films have taken with Stoker’s text, then this might be the movie of your choice. It watched like an overzealous pupil who has highlighted everything in a novel and forgot to enjoy it. Christopher Lee is back as the Count and this time he actually gets to say Dracula’s words as it was written in the book. And Lee is, as one would expect, very good, despite having to battle with the slow pace of the film, which is dire; it has genuinely never-ending scenes of him as the Count which do not allow him to use his trademark sinister twinkle. At least it is the first adaptation that featured Count Dracula feeding and getting younger as the film progressed, along with the Prince of Darkness having a rather splendid luxuriant mustache (both attributes have previously been ignored in the adaptations). Of course, Lee has done this monster mash before (and would go on to do so again) the most iconic being Hammer’s Dracula films but his familiar gravitas seems to be lacking here which is probably the fault of the film’s slow and immature tone.
Any hint of life even from a master vampire cannot lift this lethargy triumphed tagline rhythm from a sleep-deprived world in slow motion even with appreciating the golden era fashion ensemble coupled with the grace of capturing lenses.
On the topic of well-known personalities, Herbert Lom in the role of Van Helsing is, well, a known face. Unlike Piter Cushing’s all-action hero interpretation, he is much more Cushing. Lom is more academic and a forgettably dusty history teacher whose deep dry performance puts every student to sleep. Not to say that the film allows him to develop any significant battle with Dracula so that does not do him any favors, either. There is a set list of fights, yet no genuine threat of feeling in that setting.
There is also Klaus Kinski as Renfield. Kinski, who later went on to play Dracula in Herzog’s remake of Nosferatu was a complete understatement with his portrayal of the character. Most people remember him as the man in the monster makeup jumping all over the stage in a fit of madness, this Renfield is much more calm and left entirely baffled. In something more fast-paced and life-filled, this could have been a treat, but here, it is just another way to skip through this listless film.
Franco is well known for his exploitation films, but he does show some restraint here, yet that is where the problem lies. Where is the panache? Where is the signature chaos? Where is the distinctive weirdness that could have made this adaptation leap to life? Franco’s film, unlike the gothic excess of Hammer’s Dracula series or the memorable nightmare of Bela Lugosi in the 1931 Universal classic, seems to be afraid to get its hands dirty. The film’s fidelity to the novel is commendable, but in stripping away the dramatic licenses of other adaptations, it also strips away justifiably a lot of the gusto.
Dracula’s Count is in the end just like a Victorian tea party. Everybody is well-behaved, and the conversation is oh-so polite, yet you cannot help but wonder what you are doing there in the first place. A Victorian tea party, with its ghastly undertones and splendid era, propels other questions too. A fascinating horror drama? I don’t think so.
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