Dracula (1958)

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The chill of the tomb won't leave your blood for hours... after you come face-to-face with DRACULA!

Year:	1958
Country of origin:	UK
Director:	Terence Fisher
Genre:	Vampire
Starring:	Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing
Rating:	4/5
IMDB link:	www.imdb.com/title/tt0051554/
Favourite line:	"Since the death of Jonathan Harker Count Dracula the propagator of this unspeakable evil has disappeared. He must be found and destroyed"

Though previous versions of Bram Stoker’s tale had been attempted on the big screen – most notably the Tod Browning version starring horror legend Bela Lugosi – when the name Dracula is uttered, surely this is the image that is invoked, even to this day?

The plot:
Wannabe vampire slayer Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) arrives at Castle Dracula to start work, his ruse to pose as a librarian until the opportunity presents itself to slay the foul beast. Upon arrival, he encounters a young woman who claims that she is being held prisoner by the Count (Christopher Lee) and begs for Harker’s help.
Soon, Harker has drawn suspicion and, before long, he himself has disappeared, prompting Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to begin his quest to locate the young vampire slayer and, perhaps, to vanquish Count Dracula once and for all.

The first film of Hammer Horror’s long running association with Dracula, many sequels would follow, but none would surely rival the sheer sumptuous gothic creepiness of this original offering.
With sets both lavish and beautifully lit, director Terence Fisher and his cinematographer imbue the film with two things which seem somehow contradictory – a sense of scale and a feeling of claustrophobia. The castle seems grand and full of opulence whilst, simultaneously, feeling oppressive and claustrophobic.
Christopher Lee, already twelve years into a career that would, quite remarkably, span eight decades, simply oozes sophisticated, wicked charm as the titular monster, the red-lined black cape costume something that would echo through the decades, never to be forgotten, and Peter Cushing is a good foil, too, as Van Helsing.
Classy, warm and packed with so much atmosphere at times it felt difficult to inhale, it’s a genuine classic, and no mistake.
Loved it.