Format: Streaming video from Tubi TV on various players.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the great books of the end of the 19th century. Seriously, if you haven’t read the book, seek it out, because it really is fantastic. It’s also a book that has been adapted as much or more than pretty much everything else out there aside from the Bible. The 1970 Count Dracula, also known by its German title of Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht, which sounds badass in German (and means “Nights, when Dracula awakens”) is, I believe, the 8th adaptation of Dracula I have seen--Nosferatu and its remake from the ‘70s, the Bela Lugosi version and the Spanish language version of the same vintage, Christopher Lee’s first Hammer horror film, the Frank Langella version, and Coppola’s from the mid-‘90s. So yes, this is the eighth one. It’s like a Batman original story; it just keeps showing up.
Because of this, I’m not going to spend a great deal of time discussing the plot. If you really need my take on the narrative, well, there are literally seven other versions of this basic story that I have already written up. Go to one of those.
What makes this version of the story interesting is not the badass German name, but the fact that once again it is Christopher Lee donning the fangs and cape. Lee, of course, was the Dracula of choice for Hammer Studios for a decade or so, so this is definitely a role that the man new and new well. But this isn’t a Hammer film, so in that respect, it feels strange, sort of like Sean Connery playing James Bond in the unofficial Never Say Never Again.
The reason that Lee agreed to play the Count again, at least allegedly, is that this was to be the most accurate adaptation of the book to date. And, I suppose in some ways it is, but it’s still very distant from what the actual story is. It seems like what is giving the story that hook is the presence of the character of Quincey Morris (Jack Taylor).
Here's the thing—up until Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the cinematic version of the story eliminates a couple of important characters. The book includes a trio of suitors for the hand of Lucy Westenra (Soledad Miranda), Mina Harker’s (Maria Rohm) friend who is killed by Dracula, raises from the dead as a child killer vampire, and is eventually staked. We typically get Dr. John Seward (Paul Muller) as her lone lover. But the book also gives us Quincey Morris and Lord Arthur Holmwood. In the book, all three of them propose to Lucy on the same day, with Lucy eventually choosing Lord Holmwood. So, this version gives us Quincey, but also makes him a baron, allowing him to represent both the Quincey character and the Holmwood character. Seriously, he'd be much cooler as a cowboy.
So why is that a problem? Because in the book, Quincey Morris is a cowboy. Literally. He’s a Texas land baron, and he’s enough of a badass that eventually, Johnathan Harker and Mina name their first child after him.
Anyway, there’s some interesting casting in this film. Lee as the Count is a natural, of course, and in this version, Jonathan Harker (Fred Williams) is suitably handsome and needs to be and do nothing more. Herbert Lom as Van Helsing is a great casting choice for this era, though. And honestly, giving Klaus Kinski the role of Renfield is absolutely inspired.
But that’s the thing—there’s something that moves closer to the original story, but it’s not at all close to the book. There’s no desperate race to save Mina while everyone travels back to Transylvania, for instance. Closer to the source material is great, but moving a step or two closer form the earlier versions isn’t much of a win.
Is this any good? Honestly, it’s fine, but it’s not going to become anyone’s favorite version of the story. In fact, of the many versions of this basic story I’ve seen, it’s probably the least in a lot of reasons (it might be better than the Langella version, but I like the Langella version for nostalgia reasons).
Actually, let me correct that—this is essentially the 10th version of this I’ve seen and reviewed for this blog. Count Dracula is better than Dracula: Dead and Loving It, but not as good as Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary.
Why to watch Count Dracula: It’s probably the closest film version to the book.
Why not to watch: It’s still not that close to the book.
