1977
Director- Philip Saville
Cast- Louis Jourdan, Frank Finlay, Judi Bowker, Susan
Penhaligon, Jack Shepherd, Mark Burns, Bosco Hogan, Richard Barnes
Made by
the BBC for television, this film is the Gold Standard for faithfulness to Bram
Stoker’s novel. At 2 and half hours it successfully crams in almost all the
elements of the book and almost all the characters (only Arthur Holmwood is
missing). More than that, it captures the feeling
of the book.
Some Dracula’s
(I’m thinking the Frank Langella version and the Francis Ford Coppola version)
portray Dracula as an attractive seducer and the relationship between he and
Mina as romantic at least and perhaps even consensual. In the book however,
though it is certainly sexual, Dracula is not romantic. The victims (Lucy and
Mina) experience something akin to being given a date rape drug.
It also
captures the “epicness” of the book, beginning in Transylvania, moving to
Europe, and then back to Castle Dracula, complete with shootout on horseback.
It’s also a very creepy film. The soundtrack is ominous and moody. It moves at
a slow but deliberate pace but never gets boring.
It also
sports an outstanding cast (though perhaps not as great as the Coppola
version). Louis Jordan is always a good villain. The only complaint you can
have is that he is much more attractive than the Count in the book. Frank
Finlay as Van Helsing is probably more convincing than any other Van
Helsing (besides Peter Cushing of
course). Finlay played a not dissimilar role in the space vampire flick, Lifeforce. Judi Bowker (Andromeda in Clash of the Titans) plays Mina
perfectly, giving her both strength and vulnerability. Jack Shepard’s Renfield
is more subtle than most others but is also more convincing, I think.
Count Dracula doesn’t have the style of
the Coppola version, the sheer fun of the Hammer version or the sexiness of
many other versions, but if you want a well-crafted, creepy, and very faithful
adaptation, this should be your first choice.
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