Dracula
No other name among monsters evokes as much familiarity as the infamous vampire.
Written by Bram Stoker in 1897, the titular vampire made a lasting mark on literature and the public conscious. The origins of the character remain in some contention.
The most referenced historical figure is Vlad III of Wallachia, popularly known as Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepes, and Vlad Dracul. Vlad was a Romanian noble, possibly a count, who fought against the Ottoman Turks. Allegedly, upon hearing of an impending invasion, Vlad impaled numerous bodies along the road to his castle in an effort to deter the invading forces. Vlad and other local realms resisted the conquerors, and at times, raided Ottoman territory back. Enough contemporary accounts exist, in impressive detail, to suggest that a significant amount of the various stories pertaining to Vlad possessed more than a grain or truth.
More recent historiography has also compared Vlad to another historical figure, Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary. Bathory gained notoriety as a serial killer in 15th century Hungary, being involved in the torture and death of dozens of women, by her own hands and her servants. Curiously, though more than a century separated them, Bathory and Vlad shared a common foe in the Ottoman Empire, who was still threatening Europe by the 17th century. Of note, Dracula scholars reference the various gruesome depravities Bathory partook in, as well as her alleged fascination with blood. Feel free to shudder, and that's all we we say on the topic!
Then as now, literary scholars still debate on the actual historical references behind Dracula. Most like, Stoker borrowed bits from both people, and many others, to create his fictional vampire. Dracula was not the first novel featuring a vampire, nor the origin of vampires in general, whose legends had existed for centuries by the time Stoker existed.
The story of Dracula is fairly well-known today. In the late 19th century, British lawyer Jonathan Harker is recruited by a certain Romanian count to purchase a house in England. His host, Count Dracula, uses Harker to obtain property and has himself shipped there, leaving Harker to be devoured by Dracula's vampiric brides. Harker escapes back to England where he meets up with his friends and tracks down the mysterious Dracula. After the death of his friend Lucy, Harker and company chase Dracula back to Transylvania, before putting an end to the Count and his brides, and saving his own betrothed, Mina, from vampiric corruption.
There have been numerous movies based on the book itself. Four of them stand hand and shoulders above the rest: Nosferatu, Dracula (1931), Dracula (1958), and Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Nosferatu, opens a new window is a 1922 German film made without permission or authorization by Bram Stoker. Though the character archetypes, place, and story are nearly identical, all of the names are changed. Here, Count Orlok is a far more sinister and animal-like creature of the night.
The 1931 film is often considered the gold standard among adaptions. Played by Bela Lugosi, Dracula became the template for virtually every future interpretation of the Romanian vampire. Cape, slick hair, sinister charm, it's all here.
Christopher Lee also played the legendary vampire for several productions under Hammer Films, opens a new window. The Count, who would later go on to play Count Dooku, shared the screen with another Star Wars alumni: Peter Cushing, who played Dr. Van Helsing. Lee and Cushing were two of the biggest names later attached to the Star Wars franchise, though they never worked together in the latter series.
In 1992, cinephiles enjoyed a new take on the classic story with 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula. Here, Dracula was played by Gary Oldman, who is on a quest to reunite with her recently reincarnated lover, in the form of Mina Harker. The film won numerous awards, and remains the most well-received of the modern Dracula films.
There have of course been numerous films featuring Dracula and related characters over the years. Frankly, the list would be far too long and extensive for any one blog to do justice. My personal favorites are Dracula Untold, Van Helsing, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Dracula Untold found reasonable success by attempting to tell the origins of Dracula in the sympathetic light of an anti-hero.
And of course, for the kids, we can't forget about Hotel Transylvania. Here played by Adam Sandler, in family-friendly fashion.
Let us know in the comments which version of Dracula is your favorite!
Happy Halloween
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