Two Adaptations of Dracula

DRACULA (1979 version)

Very loosely based on the Bram Stoker novel, this interpretation of Dracula begins with a shipwreck off the coast of England. A young woman named Mina finds the only survivor (Count Dracula) on the beach. Mina’s friend Lucy happens to be engaged to Jonathan Harker, a lawyer who purchased a sprawling old house on Dracula’s behalf. Dracula attends a party thrown by Lucy’s father (Doctor Jack Seward). Shortly thereafter, Mina mysteriously dies with two puncture marks on her neck. Her father (Professor Abraham Van Helsing) comes to town and consults with Dr. Seward, who examined Mina’s body. Van Helsing grows to suspect that his daughter’s death was caused by a vampire, and he convinces Seward of the validity of this theory moments after one of the more disturbing images I’ve ever seen on film: when Professor Van Helsing comes face-to-face with his undead daughter. Van Helsing discovers who the Alpha Vampire is when Dracula confronts him. Van Helsing and Seward rope Harker into an alliance to try to save Lucy, who falls deeper and deeper under Dracula’s spell. Harker and Van Helsing pursue Dracula and Lucy to a ship bound for Romania. There the heroes attempt to vanquish the vampire once and for all, though whether or not they succeed may be open to how one interprets the film’s closing images.

How have I gone my whole life without ever enjoying this version of Dracula (which features a score by John Williams and a performance by Donald Pleasence as Jack Seward)? I’m glad I finally got around to checking it out. Though the filmmakers take tremendous liberties with the Stoker source material, the movie is totally engaging. It’s worth watching just for the scene (which takes place in an old abandoned mine beneath the cemetery) in which one gets a clear look at Mina after she’s transformed into a vampire – I got seriously creeped out by the imagery. My only real complaint is that some shots of a flying bat look sub-par. That aside, this might become my favorite adaptation of Dracula.


DRACULA (1931 version)

The old black-and-white Universal version of Dracula opens with one Mr. Renfield visiting Dracula in his Transylvania home, initially filling the Harker role from the Stoker novel by sealing a deal for Dracula to obtain a home in England. Renfield quickly falls under Dracula’s spell and becomes his bug-eating slave. Dracula and Renfield take a ship to Whitby Harbor. Dracula sets up shop in his new home and swiftly infiltrates the lives of Dr. Seward, his daughter Mina, and her fiancé (John Harker). Van Helsing (an associate of Dr. Seward’s) grows to suspect that a vampire is operating in the area given the way in which Mina’s friend Lucy suddenly died (massive blood loss with two puncture wounds on her throat). Van Helsing realizes that Dracula is the vampire when he notices that the Count casts no reflection in a mirror. With his cover blown, Dracula wages all-out war on his new enemies. Will Van Helsing, Seward, and Harker be able to save Mina from becoming undead?

Sadly, the 1931 interpretation of Dracula is rather slow-paced, boring, and tame by modern standards. It’s not without its charm, but it’s difficult to sit through even with a running time of just 75 minutes. The “special effects” of a flying bat are just sad. If you want to check this one out due to a curiosity about the history of Hollywood cinema, fine, but don’t expect a riveting fast-paced tale.