Jess Francos Count Dracula (Special

Edition) starring Christopher Lee,

Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Soledad

Miranda, Maria Rohm

Much Better Than The Television Version!

Jess Franco, the Spanish director known for soft-core films featuring
vixens in various precarious situations, successfully incorporates Bram
Stokers Dracula into his repertoire with Count Dracula. Starring Hammers
Dracula Christopher Lee, this film is unrelated to the Hammer films, to its
credit. This film may be the most accurate telling of Stokers classic
vampire story, so faithful is it to the novel, even to include many of the
books lines in the script. With an array of truly Gothic, medieval sets, and a
cast well-versed in horror, including Klaus Kinski (Werner Herzogs
Nosferatu) as Renfield, and Soledad Miranda (Vampyros Lesbos) as Lucy,
Count Dracula authentically captures Stokers careful blend of physical
monstrosity and sexual fetish to portray the Counts quest for eternal life.

For example, few vampire films besides Francos take time to feature Lucy
and her lover Quincys blood transfusions that reinforce bloods metaphoric
connection to sexual desire. Moreover, Maria Rohm plays Mina Harker
with the proper innocence to serve as a foil character to her promiscuous
friend, Lucy. Dr. Van Helsing, in this film, gets ample opportunity to sleuth
vampirism. Franco relays the story of this Transylvanian count who leaves
his castle in the Carpathian mountains for a house in England by
accentuating the sexual aspects of the plot, which is what any Franco fan
would hope for. Additionally enlightening is this DVDs featurette, in which
Franco describes his theories about vampire films. --Trinie Dalton

Personal Review: Jess Francos Count Dracula (Special Edition)
starring Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Soledad
Miranda, Maria Rohm

When I initially saw this film many years ago on television, I thought it was
schlock. I didn't care for the liberties Franco had taken with Bram Stoker's
novel, apparently altering the plot to "improve" it, or the choppy editing and
sudden closeups. All in all, I felt like I'd wasted my time. Still, being a
collector and a completist, I decided to purchase this DVD. I'm very glad
that I did.

This uncut version of "Count Dracula," while it occasionally strays from
Stoker's original text, does follow the novel far more closely than any other
movie version I've seen. Despite being filmed in color, it retains a great
deal of the eerie atmosphere exuded by the earlier black and white Tod
Browning/Bela Lugosi version. There are no sumptuous castle interiors, a
la Hammer, nor is there excessive gore. Many things are surprisingly
understated and spare. There's an occasional splash of blood, but a lot is
left to the imagination, which actually works in the film's favor.

I think I recall having read that this was Lee's favorite Dracula portrayal.
Considering the amount of material taken directly from the book, that's
understandable. For example, Dracula is an old man when Jonathan
Harker first encounters him, and he progressively becomes younger as he
feeds upon new victims - something often left out of other adaptations.
We're treated to the Count here as Stoker most likely envisioned him:
gaunt, mysterious, alternately subdued and terrifying, the unconquerable
warrior, the soulless monster, the nocturnal lover.

With the exception of Lee, who is marvelous, the acting is adequate.
Herbert Lom as Van Helsing seems a bit awkward at times, but I fault the
script, rather than the actor. Klaus Kinski is suitably creepy as the
tormented and insane Renfield. The music is done well and enhances the
film, and the cinematography is often quite impressive. Much of the
aforementioned jumpy editing is gone here. While many of the sudden
closeups are jarring and seemingly pointless, they're occasionally put to
good use. At the film's beginning, when the camera zooms in to focus on
Lee's mouth while he's speaking, we notice his fangs much the same way

as Harker did in the novel, but I thought the scenes with the stuffed
animals were ridiculous. You'll have to judge for yourself.

This is a good print, well made, and we're treated to several extras,
including Christopher Lee reading from Dracula. Despite the film's flaws, I
would recommend this DVD to anyone who is a fan of Christopher Lee,
Dracula movies, or vampire films in general.

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