Sometimes, a movie title can be misleading. Imagine heading to the theatre in 1960, excited to see Terence Fisher’s Hammer horror film The Brides of Dracula, only for the opening voice-over to exclaim, just a couple of seconds in, that Dracula is dead – that might be a bit of a letdown.
But don’t worry, a new vampire will rise to start his own harem. I know what you must be thinking. . . did he immigrate to Europe from Utah? No, he’s one of those unusual, ultra kinky Europeans, but more on that later.
It all begins with a poor young French woman, Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur – a nice casting touch, as she is actually from France), who is left stranded, purposely (though she doesn’t know that), by her carriage driver. On her way to a prestigious school for girls – she will be teaching her native language, instead, she is promised room and passage by a seemingly kindly elderly woman named Baroness Meinster (Martita Hunt). . . much to the chagrin of the villagers – who really can’t say anything though, as she is the controller of the surrounding lands.
Looking like rigor mortis has already set in, the aged Meinster is intrigued by her young guest, but Marianne is distracted by a much more youthful man who never leaves his room. Turning out to be the Baron Meinster (David Peel), she promptly visits him in the middle of the night (after she misconstrues an attempted suicide), finding that he has been shackled at the ankle by his mother – never able to leave the room and balcony.
Though the warning signs are there, she sees a chance to help and fix a trapped man, only after realizing that she has released a playboy vampire, which will not bode well for the young women of the region.
Slow to unfurl its horror, it takes some time for Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to arrive. . . finding Marianne in an unconscious form of shock in the forest. Questioning her in a special way that allows her to forget the trauma she has endured that night, he escorts her to the educational institute, only to return to the village to continue his investigation into this ancient form of evil that curses the place.
Soon, the nubile daughters of the villagers are turning up dead. . . rising at night to return to their new master and husband. . . in fact, he has even turned his less than beloved mother into one of his brides – I told you he was one of those ‘unusual’ Europeans. With his eye now set on turning his most revered bride to be – the lovely Marianne, will Van Helsing be able to foil the plan before it is too late? Might her French lineage actually have her intrigued by the vampire’s avant garde proposition? Could all of the vampiric female beauty be the end for the good Doctor?
Though it takes some time to get into its rhythm, Fisher concocts an alluring atmosphere. Foggy village, ancient stone castle, seemingly unending forest (this is actually Black Park, which was also the stand-in for the Forbidden Forest in the Harry Potter universe), each set or location adding to the mood. All leading to a setting reminiscent of Universal’s original Frankenstein, we soon learn how to save ourselves from a vampire bite, how to get creative with your surroundings, and just how agile Cushing actually was. It is also rather unusual seeing a blond vampire in David Peel, somehow not as ominous as the slicked back black hair of a Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee, though he still does an admirable, fangtastic job.
A fun horror foray into the backwoods of nineteenth century Eastern Europe, The Brides of Dracula is another worthwhile watch from the Hammer horror canon. Though it adds nothing new to the lore of the vampire, its stunning cinematography (often using lurid primary colours like red and yellow as striking backgrounds), competent direction, and unbelievably engaging climax provide enough entertainment for any horror movie lover. So, cross your fingers and hope for the best in this battle of good versus evil, the stakes have never been higher.