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Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968)

Dir: Freddie Francis

We start with an excellently staged sequence where the body of a local girl is found suspended inside the bell of the Church, victim of Dracula (Christopher Lee).
This is obviously an event that takes place during the first direct sequel, to Hammer's "Dracula", "Dracula: Prince of Darkness", as we then move ahead a year to find that Dracula has been destroyed (obviously his demise in "Prince" by Father Sandor, who shot the ice Dracula was standing on causing the Vampire to slip into the icy flowing water).

A visiting Monsignor (Rupert Davies, "Witchfinder General") finds that the evil influence of Castle Dracula still haunts the village. He discovers the local Priest (Ewen Hooper) a wreck and the villagers hostile and scared. He declares he shall go to the Castle, with the Priest, to perform an exorcism and seal the Castle with a huge cross.
Although he succeeds, unbeknownst to him the Priest has fallen onto the ice, cutting his head. Right on top of the deep frozen Vampire!
His blood seeps through the broken ice into Dracula's mouth, reviving him.

Thinking the evil vanquished, The Monsignor returns home to his Niece Maria (Veronica Carlson), and her Mother. But Dracula, angered at the sealing of his Castle, uses his supernatural will power to make the Priest help him take revenge on the Monsignor…

 

The 2nd sequel to 'Hammer's' groundbreaking, if deeply flawed, "Dracula" ("Horror of Dracula") is a much faster moving film than the aforementioned "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" of two years before.

From the opening 'bell' murder we quickly move to the Monsignor arriving, which leads to the atmospheric exorcism with the snow and wind blasting as the words are said and the huge gold cross slammed into the Castle door.
Dracula himself is also up and around early on and although he does not do much until later, his presence throughout the plot/character build up period of the film cranks up the feeling of approaching evil nicely.

Lee is also given more dialogue here and it helps give Dracula more of a sentient presence. Director Francis and Cinematographer Arthur Grant (a 'Hammer' regular until his death in 1972) also give the character some excellent 'still (un)life' set ups where a still and silent Dracula is filmed like a gothic painting within Bernard Robinson's delightfully moody and otherworldly crimson lit, set designs.

At first seen as a stern character (much like Andrew Keir's at oft times overly harsh Father Sandor) the Monsignor soon shows himself to be a kindly and understanding man and makes for a brave and likeable heroic character. It's a subtle and totally professional performance by Davies.
This is in fact a film full of good performances, be it Ms Carlson (in a typical 'Hammer Heroine' role but here more realistic than most), Barry Andrews (so good in the classic "Blood on Satan's Claw") as her enjoyably cocky yet forthright boyfriend, Barbara Ewing as the bouncy tavern wench or 'Hammer' regular and fan favourite Michael Ripper as the chipper tavern owner.
But it's Hooper as the torn Priest who really stands out. At first a drunken, fearful wretch he vainly tries to help The Monsignor on his exorcism before falling away again into fear. Later as he succumbs to Dracula's sadistic powers, he becomes a ruthless helper finding victims for his unholy master. But as he tries to fight against the Vampire and for his God instead, Hooper gives a believable and psychologically ravaged performance.
Excellent work by this little known actor.

Writer Anthony Hinds (using his regular 'John Elder' name) has written some great scripts for 'Hammer' (especially the wonderful "Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell") and here he gives us a far more involved plot than he gave us in "Prince of Darkness", moving the action around from the village to Castle Dracula to The Monsignor's home town. Expertly introducing the many, likeable and well-rounded characters.
The most talked about bit of plotting though is the now infamous scene where Dracula (much to Lee's annoyance) pulls a stake from his heart as prayers were not said after it was driven in, thus rendering it harmless. This is a new spin on the Vampire myth and goes against all of the 'rules' that 'Hammer' had built up.
It's a nice idea (much like the sometimes used 'rule' in various Vampire films throughout the decades that you have to have faith in God for a cross to be effective) but is so extreme in it's visual interpretation, as Lee stands up and pulls the stake from his blood dripping body, that it seems like a dreadful mistake, if not a downright con, to the viewer.

Freddie Francis does fall into the trap of most 'Hammer' Directors (especially during the 60's) by having most of the plot building scenes play like a TV film, with very stagy set-ups and a far from lively pace, but overall he does a great job during the 'action' sequences and the scenes involving Dracula. There is certainly none of the plodding Direction of his later (also Hinds scripted) effort "The Ghoul".

Overall we have one of the better 'Hammer' "Dracula" films, that delivers a faster pace than most, with some great looking scenes and well written, well acted characters and even an unexpected turn of events as the story unfolds.