Dracula
U.S.A. / 1931
Directed by Tod Browning
Starring
Bela Lugosi
David Manners
Helen Chandler
B&W / 75 Minutes / Not Rated
Format: DVD (R1 - NTSC)
Universal Studios
Bela's Dracula: a global icon.
Hold your mouse pointer over an image for a pop-up caption
The castle.
"I am... Dracula."
"I never drink... wine."
"Come ...here."
Dracula
Cult Classic
 
Movie Rating  
6
  DVD Rating (August 2001 edition)   8   10 = Highest Rating  
Bela Lugosi became an immortal screen legend in Dracula, the first of Universal Studio's "Monster Cycle" of the '30s. Reams of literature by much better scribes have been written on the film, exploring both its production history and considerable impact on popular culture. So I won't attempt to do that here. (In fact, the uninitiated can look to David J. Skal's excellent The Road to Dracula documentary, included on the DVD, as an essential primer.) Needless to say, the original Dracula is required viewing for any aspiring cult film devotee. Just be prepared to yawn a lot.
    After the first 20 minutes, set mostly at Drac's Transylvanian abode, the film settles down to a glacial crawl. Not a whole lot happens until Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) and the Count have their confrontation in the drawing room
— and then nothing truly interesting goes down after that. Almost all the action takes place off screen. Other than the opening credits Dracula is completely devoid of a musical score, only accentuating its stodgy, stage play origins. (Some have compared it to a silent movie, but many such films contain plenty of goings-on.) Like almost all films of the era it's a showcase for wooden, exaggerated acting and poorly blocked stage direction. Jumping to a close-up within the same scene is about as much movement as you're going to get with Browning at the helm. No getting around it, y'all... For all its (deservedly) classic status, this movie can prove more efficacious than Tylenol PM for inducing slumber.
    Thus, with all its weaknesses,
Dracula is nothing without Bela Lugosi. His electrifying, charismatic turn as the Count — bloodsucking continental charmer in tux, tails and top hat — is the entire reason for the film's status as an enduring classic. (Some juicy lines certainly help, such as the famous "Children of the Night" soliloquy.) If not for Lugosi and his signature performance, the character of Count Dracula may never have become such a universally recognized pop culture icon.
    Note: Given the comments above, some explanation of my '6' film rating is in order. The film is mostly pretty dull, so I give it a '3'. Lugosi's iconic performance is easily worth three points. Bela is The Man!

I'd have loved to award the DVD a "10" for quality. It's certainly packed with stellar extras: an excellent audio commentary by film scholar David J. Skal; the documentary mentioned earlier, The Road to Dracula, hosted by the movie's one surviving cast member (she plays the young woman wearing glasses in the opening stagecoach scene); a poster and photo montage; a specially commissioned, full-length musical score by minimalist composer Philip Glass, performed by the Kronos Quartet, which one can switch on or off as desired. (I rather liked the score, feeling that it helps the movie overall. I know many of you disagree.) Best of all, the disc also includes the 104-minute Spanish version of the film, directed by George Melford, shot simultaneously with Browning's using the same sets. In many ways a more technically proficient work, its main shortcoming is that Carlos Villarias sure ain't no Bela Lugosi.
    My real complaint with Universal's
Dracula DVD is the lack of attention given to the movie itself. After being amazed with the digital restoration of James Whale's Frankenstein (including a marvelously crisp-sounding 2.0 Mono audio track), the transfer proved rather disappointing. They didn't do much of anything to cherry it out. 4/26/01
UPDATE Out-of-print for two years, the film has just been re-released (April 27, 2004) by Universal Home Video in a combo package with the Spanish Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son Of Dracula, and House Of Dracula. All five are also available as part of the multi-disc Classic Monsters Legacy Collection, which includes the Frankenstein and Wolf Man films produced by Universal in the '30s & '40s. - Ed.
Home | Reviews | Top