Hello again, moviegoers!
For today's offering, I checked out Tod Browning's 1931 classic, 'Dracula.'
Of course, the story's pretty well- known: Count Dracula (Played by the legendary Bela Lugosi) hires Renfield (Dwight Frye) to help him secure Carfax Abbey in London, so he can use it as his base/ nest to begin feeding on everyone in London. In the process, he turns Renfield into a deranged, insect- eating lunatic eager to do the Count's bidding when he's not locked up in Dr. Seward's insane asylum. He takes a liking to the virtuous Mina Harker (Helen Chandler), after having killed her friend Lucy Westenra, so it's up to her husband John (David Manners) and professor/ vampire hunter extraordinaire Abraham Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) to save her by destroying the Count for good.
For the few things I disliked about 'Dracula':
First (And this is a rather common problem with most versions of 'Dracula'), while they show Renfield falling into the Count's clutches, it doesn't show how Renfield became the Count's insane minion. He goes from just a normal guy, who faints at the sight of a giant bat, to a deranged, Gollum- esque lunatic in just a couple minutes of screen- time. Second, in this particular version, the whole subplot involving Lucy becoming a vampire is left unfinished. We see that she's become a vampire and taken to biting children, but unlike in the book and certain other versions of the movie, we never see Van Helsing and the others staking her and consecrating her body to bring her peace. Lastly, it is rather unfortunate that there is no music in this movie at all, other than playing a bit of "Swan Lake" over the opening credits. However, this is understandable, as movies had only just gained sound a few years earlier, so they were probably still trying and experimenting to get more music into films. 11 years or so ago, a new VHS rerelease set of the classic Universal monster films came out, and in that set, 'Dracula' had a brand- new music score, composed by Philip Glass. I only heard a few seconds of it, but it sounded creepy enough, and seemed to fit with the movie.
Now, for all that I liked about the movie. First, the collection of sets used is quite impressive, from the iconic Castle Dracula in the beginning, to the ship that transports the Count to London and a few scenes on the streets of London, to Dr. Seward's asylum and large house, to Dracula's new lair in Carfax Abbey. Now, for the performances. Of course, Bela Lugosi is amazing as Dracula. His often- imitated, never- duplicated style for playing this legendary villain cannot be topped, from his voice to his stare to his physical mannerisms (Especially when confronted with things he's not fond of, such as mirrors and crucifixes), all is perfect. Dwight Frye (Who would also play the assistant Fritz in 'Frankenstein') plays Renfield with true madness, and the deranged glee always seen on his face, especially in his eyes, is creepy as hell. Edward Van Sloan plays Van Helsing with the trademark brilliance and quiet strength that have always been associated with the character. Another supporting performance I rather liked was Charles Gerrard as "Martin," an orderly at Seward's asylum. His rather incredulous reactions to everything that happens are all quite amusing, always able to put a smile on my face.
So, that's 'Dracula.' Check it out, if you haven't already.
I'm tired now, see you all tomorrow with another film!
