Dracula: Review By TheDarkJoker

"Among the rugged peaks that frown down upon the Bargo Pass are found crumbling castles of a bygone age." These are the first lines spoken by Mrs. Carla Laemmle in the film that started the Golden Age of Horror and is still remembered as a classic in the horror genre. Everything about this film was Grade A, from the visuals to the wonderful acting; Dracula has set the standard for future horror films.

The screenplay done by Garrett Fort was brilliant. Based of the novel by Bram Stoker and the stage play by Hamilton Deane & John L. Balderston, Dracula's screenplay left us with memorable memories but one of the best things about it was its ability to blend the romance and horror and Fort has written it beautifully and it has become a classic horror screenplay.

The acting, like the screenplay, was absolutely amazing. Everybody who appeared in the film gave memorable performances and Dwight Frye, Helen Chandler, David Manners, and Edward Van Sloan let us memorable memories with their performances but the real stand out in Dracula was Bela Lugosi's chilling performance as Count Dracula. Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula was truly memorable as he played Dracula perfectly. In Dracula, Bela gets lost in the role and truly becomes Dracula. One of the best aspects of Lugosi's performance was the slow, deliberate pacing of his performance that gave him the air of a walking, talking corpse, which terrified 1931 movie audiences and has been used by many actors who portray Dracula . He was also just as compelling with no dialogue, and the many close-ups of Lugosi's face in icy silence jumped off the screen. Thanks to Bela Lugosi's performance, Dracula became a instant hit and launched Bela's career into show business. Today to many film lovers and critics alike, Lugosi's portrayal is widely regarded as the definitive Dracula. Lugosi had a powerful presence and authority on-screen. With his mesmerizing performance, Dracula became Bela Lugosi's signature role, his Dracula a cultural icon, and he himself a legend in the classic Universal Horror film series.

The direction of Tod Browning was beautifully done. From the slow pacing of the camera to the use of silence done in most of the film, which gave you, not just a feel of a silent film that audiences were accustomed to, but gave you a feel of the undead which help audiences believe that Dracula was real. With Dracula, Tod Browning became one of the most well known horror directors of the 30's.

The visuals in this film was something else. Today they may seem silly but back then they were cutting edge and shocked audiences and inspired special effects artist to become what they are today. The great thing about them was they were very simple, from the eerie fog of London, shining lights into Bela's eyes to give him a ghostly look, and Dracula's transformation into a bat, but yet they were one of the memorable things about the film along with the wonderful cinematography done Karl Freund.

Overall, I give this film 10/10 stars. Dracula has, after 80 years, remains a classic, not just in the horror genre, but as a classic all around film that everyone should see. If it's your first time seeing its remember to listen the children of the night. What music they make.