Dracula Has Risen from the Grave

Early on, "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" made me feel uneasy... From the scenes of a Monsignor (Rupert Davies) traveling with a priest to perform an exorcism on Castle Dracula in order to bring the superstitious (ha!) congregation back to church on Sunday, to the romantic subplot between a scholarly baker and the Monsignor's daughter, and a distinct lack of Drac, I began to wonder if I was being shortchanged by a title that looked to just capitalize on the success of the Hammer Dracula films. However, the more I kept with it, the more I enjoyed "Grave"--the above-mentioned plot threads, which at first seem corny, are interwoven with delicate skill by director Freddie Francis; the characters and their conflicts are surprisingly endearing (including an angle that brings atheism into the mix); and Christopher Lee is in fine form as the brooding, red-eyed Count (though the production suffers from the absence of frequent co-star Peter Cushing).

The folks at Hammer Film Productions were nothing if not passionate and professional. This entry into the legendary series is only an itty-bitty notch below their inaugural effort, the great "Horror Of Dracula,' as the second best of the entire series.

Chrisopher Lee is at his menacing best. No one can drive a horse-pulled hearse with his fierce intensity. And those eyes, YIKES! What a great effect, one that still gets me 35 years after i first saw the film as a 14-year old in Los Angeles' San Gabriel Valley (and where I saw it on TV not 15 minutes ago).

Hammer vets Freddie Francis and Anthony Hinds create killer-diller fun with strong atmosphere; eerie, colorful lighting and a solid story. And the acting is great, too. Hammer staff composer James Bernard's exciting score adds to the enjoyment.

Hammer's films are for kids ... kids like me who loved then as a teenager and kids like me who are now over 50.

Great opening for this installment, a deaf altar boy discovers a young woman hanging upside down from the church bell, blood dripping from her neck. Move forward a year and Count Dracula is accidentally revived. He goes on his usual round of terror and bloodsucking, his target of desire being the beautiful Veronica Carlson. He certainly has great taste in women! The sets are great, I felt like I was almost in the mountain village. Good cast, nice to see Hammer's most prolific actor Michael Ripper have a larger part than normal. No Peter Cushing here, which makes the vampire hunter aspect interesting. There is some debate within the film of faith versus atheism, apparently staking a vampire does not work if the person doing the staking lacks religious belief. Interesting. We have no nudity but there are sexual overtones. Thankfully we get plenty of blood, plus Hammer's trademark day for night scenes and swirling fog. Not one of the studio's best vampire movies but it's still a wonderful piece of Gothic horror, I grew up on watching these films and love immersing myself into them, over and over again.

A weak script doesn't hinder "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" from being absorbing most of the way. It has a weak mid-section full of repetitious scenes of Dracula about to take a bite out of a voluptuous female, scenes that don't advance the plot the way they should.

For this reason, some may find fault with the slow pace of much of the film but there's no denying the impressive look of sets, costumes and the proper Gothic atmosphere. Technicolor captures every bit of the shadows and light, just the way effective B&W photography has always done in the past. And the close-ups of Christopher Lee's bloodshot eyes lingers in the mind long after his infrequent appearance has been made.

That's also part of the problem. The role of Dracula really takes a back seat to others in the cast, all of whom are competent performers. Particularly engaging are Veronica Carlson (as one of Dracula's most sought after victims) and Barry Andrews as her infatuated boyfriend. Andrews plays the role of Paul with a saucy cockiness and a twinkle in his eye, easily making what is essentially a cardboard role a standout among the supporting players by virtue of his earnest performance and personality.

Engaging enough as a typical Dracula thriller, but clearly not the best of the Hammer films in this series. James Bernard's music helps keep the suspense level vibrant enough.

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is the fourth film in Hammer Films' Dracula series. It is directed by Freddie Francis and written by Anthony Hinds (under his alias John Elder). It stars Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barry Andrews and Barbara Ewing. Music is by James Bernard and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

Very much a case of style over substance, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is still very much a top line Hammer Dracula pic. Story sees the famous Count accidentally revived and embark upon a mission of revenge, which spells trouble for the inhabitants of the village that sits in the shadow of his castle. Enter a scenario where Dracula is very much on the periphery as he tracks Carlson's sultry babe for his nefarious ends. Lust, blood, breasts and religious zeal does follow.

That's about it as story goes, but even though strands such as religious beliefs - or otherwise - are dangled but not pulled hard enough, the screenplay is not without interesting merit. A number of great scenes lift the pic out of the ordinary, from a terrific "body in a bell" opening, to the grandiose splendour of a crucifix blood splatter, the craft on show engages and thrills. The middle section slow moves as we are party to young lovers under duress via Drac, but Drac pops up from time to time to menace humans and horses alike.

The super craft doesn't stop there, the costuming and sets are ornate and very appealing, with the various colour lens choices also superb. Standing out are the roof top sequences, we get high level views of an angular landscape, with jutted slates, odd chimney tops (one even looking like a magic mushroom), all of which is shrouded in mist. There's even green smoke coming out of some stacks, just what are the villagers burning on their fires?! While Bernard scores it with menacing relish, some of the title music having shades of Berlioz at his most unnerving.

Competently acted and directed with a keen eye for detail, this is one of the better Hammer Dracula sequels. 7/10