Horror of Dracula (1958)

 

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Horror of Dracula is that type of horror movie that they just don’t make anymore. This is one of the films that helped put Hammer Studios on the map, and from the very beginning, it isn’t hard to see why. They had been making movies since the 1930s However, most of their films from the late 1950s onwards are what people tend to remember the most. The production design of the count’s castle is gorgeous. It has a sort of style that could only work for this movie. Christopher Lee as Dracula manages to make a performance that feels very close to the Dracula of the original source material, while still making a unique stamp on the character that is very much his own. Meanwhile Peter Cushing portrays Abraham Van Helsing with some badass swagger and charisma. The music is big and bombastic, fitting of a horror film from the 1950s. On the note of the music, it, along with the direction and Christopher Lee’s fantastic performance make him look damned intimidating when he needs to. What’s interesting is that Lee himself is to this movie what Anthony Hopkins was to Silence of the Lambs. He’s not in the film very much, despite being the most memorable aspect. I will say that this movie is a very loose adaptation of the original novel. It does follow a lot of the original book’s story elements, but changes a lot of things here and there. Some examples include Johnathon Harker’s profession, his reason for being there, and his ultimate fate. Some things haven’t aged particularly well. For example, during many of the outdoors shots, it’s obvious that the filmmaking is taking place in a studio. The film’s being in color doesn’t help because the sky clearly looks painted. For the most part, however, I felt that the movie’s visual style was incredibly striking and unique. Something I noticed as the film progressed was that almost every character was interesting, even the ones that barely have a minute of screen time, which I don’t see happen very often. Overall, this movie never really scared me, and it takes a lot of liberties with a source material I greatly admire. However, it is still a fantastic film that’s worth watching, especially for a bygone era. 

9 / 10