Pretty Good

Crappy film

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

How do you review a film which is not only over 85 years old but is widely regarded as an utter masterpiece of early Hollywood cinema? I guess you should start at the beginning ... Chances are if you were to do an impression of the Count, you'd be inadvertently mimicking Lugosi's shining role as the vampire in pursuit of fresh blood while playing a cat-and-mouse game with vampire hunter Van Helsing.This was, of course, not the first film to be based on Bram Stoker's novel - Nosferatu (1922) and the lost Russian film Drakula (1920) borrowed plot points and the vampirical villain, but neither were could use the copyrighted contents of the book. The 1931 film was, however, the first talking Dracula film, meaning that Bela Lugosi (originally from modern-day Romania) invented the Count's accent everyone copies today.Lugosi's successful, if ultimately tragic, career in horror (alongside the likes of Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr) can be traced back to the original Broadway adaptation and subsequent film held in such high regard today. Even when Dracula is uncentered in the shot as one of five characters on a balcony at an opera, he still commands the screen (as you can imagine he surely would've done on stage four years before).Dwight Frye also gives an intense performance as solicitor-turned-slave Renfield. His descent into submissive madness might be considered a bit campy these days, but that laugh on the ship gives me goose bumps every single time I hear it.Interestingly, there's no music in the film with the exception of the classic Swan Lake opening titles. When it's meant silent in Lucy or Mina's pitch black bed chamber, it's totally silent and much tenser than it might've been with a soundtrack. A version was released in 1998 with an orchestral score written by Philip Glass - the music in this version of the film (now the most viewed) is subtle and does its job admirably without too much distraction from the original directorial intentions.While the film is not scary anymore (in 1931, it surely would've been) it's worth a watch for the technical advancements it shows (including a simple tracking shot which was revolutionary at a time of static cameras) and its significance to film and the horror genre. No-one can deny its impact.Many of the film's lines have passed into folklore, Dracula's voice is rarely altered, and his slicked-back appearance became the standard for vampires since. It's not just part of our pop culture; it might just be the earliest inclusion in pop culture full-stop ... and it's still relevant nearly a century later. Best Quote: "For one who has not lived even a single lifetime, you're a wise man, Van Helsing."

The original Dracula film still holds up well today. It's amazing how much of an influence this film had on the horror genre and film in general. Well done, Bela Lugosi! Well done, Tod Browning! Well done, Universal!

Copyright Universal A Tod Browning Production, presented by Carl Laemmle. New York opening at 12 February 1931. U.S. release: 14 February 1931. 75 minutes. NOTES: The stage play opened on Broadway at the Fulton on 5 October 1927 and ran for a smash-hit 265 performances before hitting the road. Lugosi, of course, played Dracula, and Edward Van Sloan was Van Helsing. Others in the cast included Dorothy Peterson, Nedda Harrison and Terrence Neill. Ira Hards directed for producer Horace Liveright. Filming began 29 September 1930 and wrapped 15 November 1930. Negative cost: approx. $355,000. COMMENT: At times, this version of Dracula seems very much like a filmed stage play. An engrossing play, but a work of theatre nonetheless. Other than skilful glass work enhancing some sets, there are no special photographic effects to speak of. The bat does not turn into Dracula before our eyes. Instead the inanimate creature dangles around very obviously on wires. Worse, the dialogue-especially in the less capable mouths of Manners and Bunston-tends to be stiff and stilted. Other critics have rightly objected to the considerable alterations made to Stoker's novel. Only the principal characters and the basic outline of the plot itself (plus of course all the legendary vampire lore) have been retained. However, production values are otherwise first-class and the movie actually looks much younger than its age. Browning's direction has tremendous drive and force, thanks in part to the powerful performances delivered by Lugosi, Chandler, Van Sloan, Frye and Dade; and thanks also to Freund's frighteningly atmospheric photography and Hall's superlatively moody, gothic sets. Astute film editing helps increase an already sharp pace, and it's a tribute to Browning's concentrated direction (and some forceful sound effects) that the absence of background music is not particularly noticed. AVAILABLE on DVD through Universal. Quality rating: eight out of ten (I thought some of the scenes were printed a bit too dark. It's sometimes hard to see what's going on).

"Dracula" is a classic character in itself, Bela Lugosi's portrayal of this famous character will continue to be my favorites. This was truly a role he was born to play, the way he carries himself with such sophistication and completely memorizes his audience. The scenery was stunning and Dracula's castle was absolutely breathtaking, and made you get the vibe it was trying to give off. While the acting and scenery were fantastic, it was very slow, and I felt like most parts dragged more then others, and it personally made me lose interest very quickly. However overall, the film was pretty amazing. This film will continue to be a classic and put all the remakes to shame.