[HorrorScience] Dracula Returns from the Grave (1968)

I return to the Dracula saga by Hammer Productions to comment Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (Dracula returns from the grave), which is the continuation of Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966), which makes it the fourth vampire film in this saga, (although it would be the third if we ignore The Brides of Dracula (1960), where the vampire did not appear, even though that film is part of the same saga).

This is Hammer Productions' first Dracula film not directed by Terence Fisher, with such responsibility falling to Freddie Francis, who had already directed a Frankenstein film within Hammer.

The story of this film begins by telling us that in a small town near Dracula's castle there is still fear of the vampire even though he officially died in the river of his castle (in the previous film). The town priest has lost his faith and it is easier to find him in the town bar than in the church, circumstances in which Monsignor Ernest Muller, who is visiting the nearby churches, will meet him.

Muller tries to convince the priest of Dracula's destruction and forces him to go with him to the castle to seal the castle door with a crucifix. During the journey to the castle, the priest lets himself be carried away by his fears and leaves Monsignor Muller alone on his mission. Unfortunately, the frightened priest will slip and fall into the frozen river that runs through the area, with such bad luck that his blood falls where the frozen body of Dracula was, who resurrects seconds later.

When trying to return to the castle, Dracula sees the crucifix that prevents him from entering and decides to take revenge on Monsignor Muller, using as a servant the village priest who is now only the shadow of what he once was.

In Monsignor Muller's town we meet his niece Maria Muller and her boyfriend, Paul. The boy is hardworking and studious, but also an atheist, which will cause the relationship between Muller and the boy to suffer until Dracula's presence puts Maria's life in danger. Will Dracula manage to take revenge on Muller and seduce Maria?

Dracula returns from the grave It is a film that has many successes, but for some reason I consider it somewhat inferior to the previous ones.

One of the successes of the film is its characters: the priest corrupted by the fear of Dracula, the young Paul representing a new generation of boys with ideas very different from those of their parents and Monsignor Muller as a wise and extremely religious man, knowledgeable about everything related to vampires. I don't need to mention Dracula, who continues playing the role that we have already seen in the previous ones.

The film has striking scenes in the visual section, such as the chase by Dracula's horse cart of the exuberant waitress of the inn (who will be his first victim) or those that take place on the roofs of Monsignor Muller's town. The lead actresses do a good job and add to the sensuality of the film (which plays quite a bit with the symbolism of comparing sex to vampirism and the loss of innocence in general).

Although ominous details are lost (such as the sound of the wind in Dracula Prince of Darkness) the sinister and oppressive atmosphere is maintained, due to the filters used in some scenes. I also find memorable the scene at the beginning of the film in the bell tower or when the priest and Monsignor Muller go to Dracula's castle carrying a huge crucifix and surrounded by fog.

The pace of the film is quite agile, although it takes a while to get going because the introduction of some important characters (Paul and Maria) happen late in the film. As in the previous film, Dracula's death is quick and hasty, although it is also visually striking (and somewhat comical).

I think this movie is highly recommended if you liked it Dracula (1958) and Dracula Prince of darkness (1966), as it maintains the spirit of Terence Fisher's feature films for the most part.

Curiosities about the film:

• Terence Fisher was going to direct this film, but he couldn't do it due to a car accident, so it was eventually directed by Freddie Francis.
• This was the first Hammer Productions Dracula film not to be banned in Australia, however it did suffer some censorship.
• In some scenes an in-camera filter was used so that the scenes had a rounded edge with ocher and red tones to increase the sinister atmosphere.
• Some posters for the film had a humorous tone. There is a blank one where a girl appears with band-aids on her neck and the movie renamed as Dracula has risen from the grave (obviously).