I wasn’t sure if this should go here, or in IMHO. Since my query is about the character on film, I felt it should go here.
Who do you feel is the most befitting actor to have portrayed Count Dracula on film?
While The Count will always remain immortalized through Bela Lugosi’s portrayal, I have to say that my personal favorite Count, has always been Christopher Lee. There’s just something about Lee (and the Hammer experience) that brings a certain wonderful authenticity to the character and the atmosphere.
The Coppola / Oldman Dracula, is probably the best since Hammer / Lee, but I feel like I am watching two entirely different subjects. The Gary Oldman Dracula, just isnt sinister and evil enough for my taste. However, Coppola’s adaptation is extremely true to the Stoker novel, and is visually stunning.
To put it another way:
If I met Gary Oldman-Dracula in a dark alley, I’d probably have the attitude of, “You poor lost soul.” Oldman-Dracula became evil because he lost the love of his life, renounced God as retalliaton, and became cursed. One kinda feels sorry for the poor ol’ bastard.
Whereas, if I met Christopher Lee-Dracula in a dark alley, my thoughts would be, “Oh, SHIT! RUN, MSK, RUN!” Lee Drac’ was just born to be bad, and lives for being evil. “Prince of Darkness” couldn’t be a better label for this guy.
There was a series on PBS over twenty years ago(I was still married). Naive as I still was, I had never realized that the story of Dracula could incorporate intense sexual overtones. The Count was portrayed by Louis Jourdan. I nearly crushed my husband’s hand while watching, it was so terrifying.(To me at least)
I’d agree with the OP; Lee wins on the intimidation front. But as for the following:
I’ll grant you the latter (as the visuals–well, most of them, any way–are the strength of that film), but as for the former: this movie should not be prefaced with the words “Bram Stoker’s.” Most of what happens in Coppola’s version has little to nothing to do with what happens in Stoker’s novel.
Pardon moi. I guess I had better dust off my hardbound volume of Dracula, by Bram Stoker, and see where I am wrong. Been a long time since I’ve read the book.
Just to be wacky and unexpected, I’ll say John Carradine, who played the role in House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula. He was, perhaps, a bit more of a southern gentleman than a Transylvanian count, but he had a certain suavity and presence. It’s too bad he never got to play Dracula in a decent movie, because he could have done interesting things with the role.
Lee is okay, but I’ve always found him a bit over-athletic. All that leaping about–Dracula should be a sinister stalker, not a gymnast.
While his interpretation was quite different than Stoker’s (and completely unauthorized), we can’t overlook Max Schreck of Nosferatu. In my opinion, still the best film adaptation of Stoker’s novel ever done. I stop short of saying Schreck is the best actor, however.
Gotta agree with Manatee: Coppala’s film is completely unfaithful to the novel. The whole business of Dracula and Mina “dating” (for want of a better word) is quite unprecedented, and the idea that Mina is a reincarnation of Dracula’s lost love is swiped from the old Boris Karloff film The Mummy without so much as a by-your-leave. It looks nice, and it’s not too bad a film, but it’s not a faithful adaptation.