Brides of Dracula

I realize that a lot of the talk about Brides of Dracula at the time was Christopher Lee’s absence from a Hammer Dracula film. Considering two years prior to its release, Horror of Dracula was all the rage; I can see why there’d be doubts. Enter Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. Nuff said. Though, I never thought David Peel was that lousy as a “substitute” for Lee, he's just not distinguished. Hammer didn’t do him any favors burying the poor guy deep in the credits, establishing his menace early then practically damn near ignoring him for periods. 

After watching Horror of Dracula just a few days ago, I truly thought Cushing was the star of that movie any way as Lee appears on screen—tall and almighty but with few words—Dracula was more of a monster and stays out of the movie until needed to further convey his overpowering presence. Cushing, to me, carried the weight of the movie on his shoulders, but I’m a biased horror fan observer who thought the man was good even in films like Island of Terror and Blood Beast Terror that probably didn’t deserve his caliber of an actor. I think Brides of Dracula is actually perhaps my favorite Hammer Dracula film featuring Cushing’s Van Helsing. I have read a lot of reviews and opinions that highly regard this second film in the series. While I might have my problems with how this vampire is set loose to feed from the blood of the living (Vulnavia Morbius mentions in a review on her website that I have never forgotten and that always comes to my mind now when I watch Brides of Dracula about the curious flaw of Baron Meinster’s inability to flee from a leg device locked to a chain which seems odd considering if he just changed into a bat (since he does have such an ability) he could have escaped; not to mention, I always wondered why he just didn’t take a bite from Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Moniaur) and force her to get the key from mother or even why his loyal supporter, the maidservant, Greta (Freda Jackson) just didn’t free him since she surely would have chances to do so). 

I really enjoyed Martita Hunt’s performance, or maybe more importantly her look as the Baroness Meinster. She is really rather intimidating when you first see her, but I like how regal and authoritarian her presence is. I think you can tell how important a part of society—her stature and prominence noticeable—she must have been just by the way the Baroness carries herself (that comment about how it was nice for her to see Marianne because the two shared a certain breeding uncommon around the village outside her castle). She’s, umm, statuesque and a bit grandiose. Also, though, you can see the weight of how her son has deprived the Baroness of the majesty of having parties and balls and all the attention of such an estate that comes with riches and affluence. The castle, all of its splendor and elegance, empty and unused, and the vampire Baron, his own breeding and refinement (when he first appears, his language is mannered; I mean, Peel looks like one of those professors of literature at an English university) perfectly suited for a vampire who has all the tools available to seduce plenty of women. He just needed to free himself from Mama.

She’s dead and he’s free.

Marianne really does come off looking really foolish. The screenplay was written by three people, I noticed, and there’s this ridiculous way of getting us lots of backstory as Greta, now going slightly mad because of what Marianne done, telling a dead Baroness (just to prove how heinous and wicked Baron is, he bites his own mother and takes enough to kill her and turn her into one of the undead; this shows his cruelty knows no bounds) how everything came to this point. How as a child Baron was spoiled, was encouraged in his wickedness and allowed to consort with all sorts including vampires, and soon turned into one of the undead, the Baroness bringing young women to the castle to keep her son’s blood lust satisfied.

He’s got to come back here before cock crow.

Whether you call it “the cult of the undead” (the opening narration addresses Dracula’s death but acknowledges that his disciples are far-reaching; vampirism didn’t just stop because Van Helsing had eliminated (or so we are led to believe) Dracula from the equation), or some “unusual disease” that has spread from Transylvania to other areas in Europe, the innocent aren’t safe unless the likes of Van Helsing are on the hunt to stop these once-human parasites.

Mademoiselle Danielle tells of her future occupation, to teach at an all-girls’ school, the perfect hunting ground for the Baron to take a bite out of.

Pray for me.

Maybe a problem some will have with this movie, as with other Hammer Draculas, is the emphasis on Christian good against the Satanic vampire cult evil, the way spiritual matters are so heavily accentuated in the dialogue and in describing the ways of the Dracula disciple and the need to destroy them. “Only God has no fear.” The Baroness admits to Van Helsing she is responsible for encouraging her son’s “wildness” and fears an eternal torment, having to obey the Baron’s every command, no matter how horrible, with the good doctor telling her he has a release, the music as if “Amazing Grace” were done in an orchestral chord by Hammer as Cushing’s cherubic face almost Messianic leads to the next scene, I think this might turn the stomach of many an atheist.

What made this rather interesting to me opposite other Hammer Draculas with Lee is that Peel takes the form of a bat at times, like when he visits the room of one of the students at the all-girls school for a vampire kiss. Marianne’s willingness to marry him despite what happened at the castle baffles me. I don’t consider her a very bright character. Maybe it was something about the Baron’s background and approach towards her, his wealth and manners (it is all performance, to me, as he shows his true nature to Van Helsing, then not long after asks Marianne’s hand in marriage, putting on that disguise of the tender aristocrat)that won her over. 

I thought to myself when Van Helsing stakes the Baroness as he rips free a bright red curtain, an organ chiming something heavenly, “All in a day’s work.”

I liked how this movie has Van Helsing face Baron early, with both men getting some offense in: Van Helsing tosses a cross across the table repulsing Baron while Meinster tosses the table onto the good doctor as to pin him against the wall providing the small time needed to flee. It sets the stage early and allows both me to face his adversary, preparing for a later battle that will require ingenuity and quick thinking to persevere.

Please put your arms around me. I want to kiss you.

What’s interesting about this movie is how the vamps continue to get away because Van Helsing is distracted about other people, whether it be Greta’s interference or Marianne’s fainting. This movie even has Van Helsing suffering a vampire bite, having to use an agonizing burn from a hot iron to quell the undead curse from taking him. Holy Water helps to heal the wound. It is moments like this that gives Brides of Dracula a peculiar uniqueness other Hammer horrors don’t have. Peel has the good fortune of being one of those rare vampires to plant the kiss on Cushing, quite a novelty to have in your career, as well as, suffer a really cool death at the genius of Van Helsing through the use of a windmill shadowing a cross (a masterful visual triumph).

What a pity such beauty should fade…unless you preserve it. She’s going to join us, Doctor. And you’re going to watch her initiation.

This kind of feels like a homage to Frankenstein, especially considering as the credits role the windmill goes up in flames. It was cool seeing Peel get the upper hand twice, with Cushing ultimately prevailing thanks to some holy water and the brilliant use of the windmill in order to vanquish the Baron who got just a little bit too cocky.