The first 15-20 minutes are superb— the introduction tracking shot of Lugosi as Dracula- getting out of his coffin- is amazing as are the series of establishing shots getting closer and closer to the castle
Shot by wonderful DP Freund—shot metropolis and worked with Murnau—I go back and forth about the choice to spotlight Lugosi’s eyes. It’s effective- which I think matters in horror especially- but it does feel a little like cheating
Towards the end, especially the scenes with an awful van helsing, elements of the film are filled with heavy dialogue and feel very early 1930’s stagey
It’s remarkable how good the film is choosing to remake (and one so close at that in terms of plot) the Murnau masterpiece Nosferatu from 1922
Gorgeous shot of mise-en-scene interior of castle in ruins when Lugosi first speaks
Lugosi is not a great actor but is perfect here
Atmospheric opening
Highly Recommend– top 10 of the year quality border
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