Prior Viewings: 1
When a story has been adapted as many times as Dracula has, certain iterations are bound to get lost in the shuffle. And while that's arguably the case here, I really don't think that fate was deserved. This version is every bit as good as anything Universal or Hammer ever made, in my opinion.
Granted, I can see why it didn't blow audiences away. The pacing's pretty slow, the washed-out visuals don't exactly pop, and the tone emphasizes romance over scares, which likely disappointed many viewers. But there's something about the elegance of this one that really works for me. Between the characteristically gloomy atmospheres, the dreamlike movements, and the fog-and-cobweb-covered sets, Dracula '79 creates the exact kind of classy-yet-spooky texture that I want from these movies.
It also breaks from the typical structure, which I actually find pretty refreshing (frankly, a lot of adaptations start to lose me a little once Dracula leaves his castle and travels to London). I get that this is by no means the definitive version of the character, but I like that it was daring enough to take a few liberties here and there, and I like that it focused on mood and style over anything else.
Grade: A-
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