My first Hammer film, this is one I've been meaning to watch for many years and am so glad I finally did.
I love the gothic sets and costumes, and putting them all through the filter of gorgeous technicolor brings it all to an even higher visual level.
With a handful of exceptions, the story is mostly the classic tale of Dracula. Christopher Lee's Dracula is more menacing and violent than Lugosi's more subtle interpretation of the role. There's really not enough of him in the movie, as he only has 13 lines. For me the standout performance of this film is Peter Cushing, who begins as a doctor that is so believable I wouldn't think twice about letting the actor operate on me, and seamlessly becomes an action hero in the finale, sprinting and jumping all over the gorgeous sets. Carol Marsh is also fantastic as Lucy, going from an innocent British girl to an unhinged animal in the blink of an eye.
There's overt sexuality and violence throughout the film that would certainly be exciting for an audience in the 1950's, and I believe it would still be considered exciting today.
It definitely earns its place as a horror classic.
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