review

COUNTESS DRACULA

Raise your hand if you've heard of Elizabeth Bathory...


I thought so.


Ingrid Pitt in Countess Dracula

The sordid and wholly fascinating tale of the Bloody Countess has inspired quite a many horror film - not to mention novels, plays, and television episodes - and is perfect, fertile soil for an exploitation classic. I couldn't possibly think of a better studio to tackle the subject matter than Hammer, a studio known for its lavish and borderline obscene productions, all potent mixtures of historicity, eroticism and full-throated horror. Unfortunately, Hammer is also known for another kind of film: the melodrama. And COUNTESS DRACULA has plenty of that to spare.


Peter Sasdy Hammer Dracula

In fact, the majority of COUNTESS DRACULA feels more like a melodrama than a horror film. The film stays away from any graphic bloodshed or sexuality, drifting along the river of dime-store romance and penny-ante suspense before nearly collapsing altogether in the third act. While there is plenty to admire in COUNTESS DRACULA, from its outstanding performances by an able cast - which includes Ingrid Pitt, Maurice Denham, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles and the lovely Leslie-Anne Down - to its solid production design and direction - courtesy of Peter Sasdy, one of the best horror directors working in the field at the time - nothing lifts the film above the level of its contemporaries.


Countess Dracula Ingrid Pitt

COUNTESS DRACULA isn't a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, it simply doesn't stand out from the crowd. Looking back at the U.K. horror releases of 1970, it feels a bit out of place. BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW, TEN RILLINGTON PLACE, SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN, INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED and MUMSY, NANNY, SONNY AND GIRLY seem to represent the year much better than COUNTESS DRACULA. Far too often, the film finds itself lumped into the same category as LUST FOR A VAMPIRE and THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, both from 1970, simply because of the its title. But while both LUST FOR A VAMPIRE and THE VAMPIRE LOVERS were what we would consider classic Hammer horror films - surely I'm not the only person who thinks "lesbian vampires" when someone mentions Hammer? - COUNTESS DRACULA is not. It is a curious film, detached almost completely from the horror genre but with enough unsavory elements to disqualify it from the melodrama. It simply never really attains a unique identity.


Leslie-Anne Down in Countess Dracula Hammer

But, as I said, COUNTESS DRACULA is not a bad film. It is quite entertaining, briskly paced and gorgeous. Ingrid Pitt might be best known for her looks but COUNTESS DRACULA shows that she had the talent to be a capable leading actress. In fact, one of the pleasures of watching COUNTESS DRACULA is in watching Pitt work through the emotions of her character. As the old, withered Elizabeth, Pitt manages to elicit a great deal of empathy - not an easy task, especially considering the evil deeds she commits - and as the young, vibrant Elizabeth, she simply radiates sexuality and warmth. The duality of the character keeps COUNTESS DRACULA interesting and Pitt, perhaps the most beautiful of all the Hammer leading ladies, makes it a delight to watch.


I would classify COUNTESS DRACULA as one of those "almost films". It almost attains greatness but it simply cannot overcome the routine nature of its screenplay.


Overall, recommended.


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