Published: 2017 (3rd ed)
Contains spoilers
The Blurb: Written between Tommy and Altered States, Ken Russell’s screenplay for Dracula was one of Hollwood’s best kept secrets. It has been used to inspire two hit films and an internationally successful ballet. Ken Russell’s partially autobiographical re-imagining of Dracula is ready to inspire a whole new generation of artists.
The review: I do like a bit of Ken Russell, the auteur director made some magnificent films and some that might not be magnificent but are certainly memorable and fun. Here at TMtV we remember Russell for his content that touched into the vampire genre (and the history thereof). Gothic explored the party at Villa Diodati, which led to Polidori’s the Vampyre: a Tale. Lair of the White Worm was a vampiric renditioning of Bram Stoker’s novel and, according to Paul Sutton’s introduction in this book, was partially made because the production company couldn’t afford to make this treatment of Dracula. Lisztomania was one of Russell’s classical music orientated films (he was an expert on classical composers) that transforms Wagner into a vampire. Finally, his segment in Trapped Ashes featured vampiric boobs.
How I wish, however, that the list I have just given included his take on Dracula because, if this screenplay is anything to go by, it would have been magnificent (caveated, of course, that it would have changed shape during production and filming). Transposed to the 1920s this is a Dracula who is an artist (indeed he has been many of the great artists and has preserved many others as vampires) and, as such, his motivation has changed from Stoker’s Count but the story begins, as with Stoker, with Harker travelling to Transylvania.
However his coach trip is so very different; gypsies offering blood sacrifices, women fed on by vampire bats and a tussle with a werewolf coachman… or just a trick played upon an unwary traveller?
Dracula is aware of Lucy as she is a world-famous opera singer, dying of leukaemia, and so the motivation of both Dracula in vampirising her and her accepting him changes dramatically from the book. This is a telling of Dracula like no other and is all done with panache. The internal logic changes work so very well. We will never have Ken’s vision unfortunately (even if someone else made it as per this script, it wouldn’t be the vision Ken would have given us) but we do have his treatment and it’s a joy for Dracula and Russell fans alike. Necessary 10 out of 10.
In Paperback @ Amazon US
In Paperback @ Amazon UK
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