Dracula, novel by bram stoker, derived from vampire legends and published in 1897, that became the basis for an entire genre of literature and film. Their efforts seem to be going well, but then one of dr. It isnt so much the dracula movie appraisal lots of people have done that but loved the fascinating insights into the film crew and minor actors included in this book in the form of oneortwo page articles. The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by professor abraham van helsing. The 15 most iconic movie draculas, ranked worst to best. Dracula is an 1897 gothic horror novel by irish author bram stoker. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Most faithful dracula book adaptation motion film animation. He provides a unique take on the roleone of the most interesting in the movies. It introduced count dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. While the release did get pushed back from a summer release to a november one, the movie coming out in 1992 is significant for two reasons. Christopher lee, in the horror of dracula, comes clo. Produced by universal, the screenplay is based on the 1924 stage play dracula by hamilton deane and john l. While no film adaptation of the novel dracula is completely true to the book, this one comes the closest to approximating the degree of horror.
Classic vampire tale is sexier and darker than you remember. Mar 30, 2019 i tend to agree, in part, with some responses already posted here. Which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book i wanted a definitive answer, so i selected 12. Balderston, which in turn is adapted from the novel dracula by bram stoker. It introduced the character of count dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Havent read the book in ages, and i seem to remember some differences the movies portrayal of dracula renouncing christianity, and his romantic attachment to mina come to mind, but overall i think it was the most faithful rendition of the novel. Bram stoker wrote the novel dracula in 1897 although vampire legends existed before he wrote this book, stoker created what has become the most wellknown version of a vampire a version that still persists through literature and film today, based on the historical figure vlad the impaler. Stokers dracula is totally cool with the sun, but he can only change shape at night. Lucy differs from her friend in one crucial aspect, howevershe is sexualized. Best frankenstein film that was closest to the mary shelley book. Dracula is a 1958 british supernatural horror film directed by terence fisher and written by jimmy sangster based on bram stokers novel of the same name. Lucys friends gather together to try to drive dracula away. I just read dracula by bram stoker and now i want to watch the movie but there are so many versions of it. Is it calvin floyds terror of frankenstein or is it the tv movie frankenstein.
Paramount pictures just purchased the screen rights to the story, which. This is the shorter version for a monster madness warmup. Badhams dracula is a very uneven movie, at times alive with sexual and dramatic energy, and undead at others. Dracula takes the pulse of culture christ and pop culture. The book dracula was commissioned by the white court to bram stoker. You should note that dracula can walk around in the sunlight. Which dracula movie is most faithful to the original bram stoker book. Jul 30, 2011 what film adaptation of frankenstein is the closest to mary shelleys book. Differences between bram stokers dracula book vs movie page 3. A t the beginning of bram stokers dracula, jonathan harker asks why the count has purchased his houses in such specific locations, a question that is never answered in the film. Has there ever been a movie version of dracula that was faithful to. Dracula is a 1931 american precode vampire horror film directed by tod browning and starring bela lugosi as count dracula. For now, though, dracula 3d remains one of the worst dracula films ever made.
Oct 30, 2019 the closest is the bbc version starring louis jourdan. They are unable to reach his coffin before the sun sets, and so dracula breaks free for one final struggle in the castles chapel. The closest is the bbc version starring louis jourdan. He is the transylvanian count for whom the book is named.
Stoker visited the seaside town of whitby in england in 1890 and found inspiration for his excellent novel dracula. Dracula 1979 the 1979 film, with a younger, sexy frank langella as count dracula, laurence olivier as van helsing, and a john williams score, was half stylish period piece and half 70s horror flick. Director jesus franco shot this nonhammer dracula entry, simply titled count dracula, which serves as the closest adaptation of the book to date. No dracula movie has ever done justice to stokers gothic masterpiece. I want to suck your blood left nosferatu movie cover.
Mar 20, 2019 which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book i wanted a definitive answer, so i selected 12 contenders and put them up to the test. In britain, dracula begins a reign of seduction and terror, draining the life from minas closest friend, lucy westenra. The 1931 bela lugosi version is creepy and atmospheric, but i think best enjoyed by kids who dont mind the rather cheesy bats. I think that the movie that is closest to the book is the one directed by francis ford coppola, done in 1992, with gary oldman, winona ryder, and anthony hopkins. I loved bram stokers novel, also bela lugosis movie, ever the hammer films. And they have lots of antivampire weapons, like garlic, crucifixes, holy water. In the titillating visual realm of coppolas movie, the situation is inverted. Sometimes we saw little towns or castles on the top of steep hills such as we see in old missals. Visually, this is the closest film has come to capturing the rotten gothic allure of the novel. The best, worst, and weirdest adaptations of dracula syfy wire. Christopher lee, in the horror of dracula, comes closest to stokers original character, and.
Did the book dracula impact the way vampires were portrayed. Best frankenstein film that was closest to the mary. And yet, its the portion of the book that gets overlooked in even the most faithful adaptations. In the book, dracula also fails to explain his identity as a vampire, the nature of his brides or his relationship with the sun as this tv version does either, and generally speaking the. Despite the fact that he is actually seen on only a few of the approximately four hundred pages of the novel, his presence constantly pervades the entire work.
This was not my favorite dracula movie, but its the one to watch if you want the film version thats closest to the book. The play dracula dramatized by hamilton dean and john l. May 26, 1897, saw the publication of dracula, a gothic horror novel written by irish author bram stoker. Every movie version of dracula ranked worst to best looper. So in retrospect its more faithful to the book then any other dracula movie.
This is a smashing little book and easy and enjoyable to read. Which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book i wanted a definitive answer, so i selected 12 contenders and put them up to the test. I dont think i have seen any of the hammer films dracula movies. What is the most faithful film adaptation of bram stokers dracula. The first episode is the one that sticks closest to bram stokers book, following jonathan harkers misadventures in transylvania at the end of 19th century. Dracula he is the vampire who has been undead for several hundred years and keeps his vitality by sucking blood from live victims. The idea that sunlight can kill a vampire doesnt originate in the novel dracula, but in the movie nosferatu 1922. The true story or the more recent mary shelleys frankenstein with robert deniro. Stoker narrates the book by use of the diaries and journals of the main characters in a wonderfully learned manner which allows him to leap all over the show, taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride.
Bram stokers dracula mary shelleys frankenstein set. The first in the series of hammer horror films starring christopher lee as count dracula, the film also features peter cushing as doctor van helsing, along with michael gough, melissa stribling, carol marsh, and john van eyssen. Bram stokers book dracula seized the publics imagination in 1897 with its. There seems to be a consensus above that coppola 1992, bbc 1977 and franco 1970 are the closest to the book. Come take a tour, visit our exhibitions, and view the gorgeous main reading room. The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between.
Dacre stoker, the greatgrand nephew of dracula author bram stoker, is cowriting a dracula prequel movie called dracul. Perhaps you can thank the influence of francis coppola as director of dracula and producer of frankenstein for that. Vampires are always popular, with twilight craze and all, but its always great to return to the story by bram stoker because dracula began there. The book ends when jonathan harker and quincy morris chase down dracula s coffin, stab his heart and behead him before the sun sets. After a summary of the events in the book, we will analyze the novel by looking. During this lesson, we will explore bram stokers novel, dracula. The mixed reception to the film might have harmed langellas career as a bigscreen leading man, which is unfair. Sewards mental patients, renfield, lets dracula into the asylum where the others are staying, allowing the count to prey upon mina. The comic book was also the basis for a madefortv anime movie which is infamous for, among other things, a scene where dracula, after losing his powers and becoming mortal, eats a hamburger as his first mortal meal. Despite the fact that he is actually seen on only a few of the approximately four hundred pages of the novel, his presence constantly pervades the entire. Differences between bram stokers dracula book vs movie page 1. My first thought was fright night but i dont think that guy was dracula. The best, worst, and weirdest adaptations of dracula.
Dracula is closer to the book in my opinion than the frankenstein version but both are well done. The book ends when jonathan harker and quincy morris chase down draculas coffin, stab his heart and behead him before the sun sets. Bram stokers greatgrand nephew is writing a dracula. The book was not a commercial hit upon release, although critics of the time compared it with mighty praise to writers like mary shelley and emily bronte. Even people who have never seen an adaptation of the book know dracula and the. Dracula book differences how similar to novel is the new. As mina begins the slow change into a vampire, the men sterilize the boxes of earth, forcing dracula to flee to the safety of his native transylvania. The best dracula movie hasnt even been made yet screencrush. Dracula based on the novel by bram stoker thoughtco. A reboot of the dracula film series, the plot creates an origin story for the titular character, rather than using the storyline of bram stokers 1897 novel. Bram stokers book dracula seized the publics imagination in 1897 with its elegant, deadly vampire who fights a group of englishmen while preying on one of their wives, mina harker. The explanation given in the book is that the fifty boxes of transylvanian earth were distributed throughout draculas houses in locations surrounding london, so that dracula would have. Nov 08, 2012 bram stokers book dracula seized the publics imagination in 1897 with its elegant, deadly vampire who fights a group of englishmen while preying on one of their wives, mina harker.
Dracula is an epistolary gothic horror novel written in 1897 by bram stoker, an irish author who became famous after writing about the vampire named count dracula, who later on had many interpretations theater, movie and television. In many ways, lucy is much like her dear friend mina. It introduced the character of count dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Being francis ford coppolas film, bram stokers dracula is to be the film that is closest to the novel, i was highly looking forward to this one. Its almost impossible not to love dracula, a horror milestone that is the most important and influential vampire movie ever made. If bram stokers dracula is the closest movie to the novel in detail, it may the farthest from it in spirit. What film adaptation of frankenstein is the closest to mary shelleys book. The obsession with the supernatural is not new by any means. The explanation given in the book is that the fifty boxes of transylvanian earth were distributed throughout draculas houses in locations surrounding london, so that dracula would have many places to rest and regain his strength at daybreak, during which dracula must rest only in either a coffin or the earth of his homeland transylvania. In the movie jonathans employer, peter hawkins, is shown to be a goodhearted man particularly fond of him and mina, and leaves them a chunk of his goods upon his death. Lucys physical beauty captivates each of her suitors, and she displays a comfort or playfulness about her.
While no film adaptation of the novel dracula is completely true to the book, this one comes the closest to approximating the degree of horror that was so wonderfully depicted by bram stoker. Dracula untold is a 2014 american dark fantasy actionhorror film directed by gary shore in his feature film debut and written by matt sazama and burk sharpless. It follows the vampire count dracula from his castle in transylvania to england, where he is hunted while turning others into vampires. Has there ever been a movie version of dracula that was faithful to the book. Though at first glance seyfis book appears to be a straight. May 25, 2018 may 26, 1897, saw the publication of dracula, a gothic horror novel written by irish author bram stoker.
Another case of the orientation of the filmmakers and intended audience providing a greater context to an aspect of stokers book, drakula istanbulda might be the first and only dracula movie to benefit from mentioning the historical vlad the impaler, whose minor influence on stoker has since been blown out of proportion. What is the most faithful film adaptation of bram stokers. Jan 10, 2020 bbcnetflixs adaptation of bram stokers dracula is a modern interpretation of the most famous vampire in media. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of dracula and what it means. Bram stoker did not make this film posted 5 years ago by jasonrebourne 40 replies. The novel tells the story of draculas attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between dracula and a small group of. And to see it dramatized in comic book form is wonderful, because im a comics fan. Which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book i wanted a definitive answer, so i selected 12 contenders. Does francis ford coppolas dracula stay true to bram stoker. Coppolas movie draws a clear parallel between the truelife figure of vlad the impaler and our fictional count dracula during this added backstory. Isnt coppolas movie, bram stokers dracula, pretty accurate. Another major difference is the much more sexual tone of coppolas movie.
Which dracula movie is most faithful to the original bram. All day long we seemed to dawdle through a country which was full of beauty of every kind. A summary of chapters xvxviii in bram stokers dracula. Apr 10, 2015 stokers original novel hinted that it was unknown, even to the count, how he became the monster he is. This is a great deal on the two movies that are closest movie adaptations to the original novels. The novel tells the story of draculas attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by professor abraham van helsing. Which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book. Ps i dont mind watching a movie in a language other than english if it has subtitles. Bela lugosi became a cinematic legend after this movie, and his portrayal of dracula basically invented the modern vampire as we know it. He is captured and imprisoned by the undead vampire dracula, who travels to london, inspired by a photograph of harkers betrothed, mina murray. Havent read the book in ages, and i seem to remember some differences the movie s portrayal of dracula renouncing christianity, and his romantic attachment to mina come to mind, but overall i think it was the most faithful rendition of the novel. I tend to agree, in part, with some responses already posted here. Bram stokers dracula got a wide release on november, 1992.
1372 184 52 1261 866 1366 394 231 409 1005 475 481 342 361 1399 471 1340 659 971 1377 589 244 852 223 219 1291 47 1219 601 1170 776 1176 1010 260 1022 1177 1117 198 309 505 455 1434 752 567 1087 1155 302 1400 102