DRACULA
In 1897, Bram Stoker published Dracula, a fabulously entertaining horror story of a vampire's blood-thirsty attack on the good, God-fearing citizens of England. That story has been copied and re-written perhaps thousands of times, most notably, as a stageplay. That play was then adapted for theatrical release in 1931 in one of its most endearing and enduring forms, directed by Tod Browning, starring the unforgettable Bela Lugosi as the Count, and featuring Helen Chandler, Edward Van Sloan, and Dwight Frye. Lugosi's Dracula is a classic, and though it has been both revered and spoofed, it continues to fascinate new generations. In 1999, Universal re-released this classic with a new soundtrack. With no disrespect to the musicians, the mix is heavy-handed, and, worst of all, does not include Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake", which seems an integral part of the original movie.
In my opinion, the only other film version to hold a candle to Lugosi's is Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 "Bram Stoker's Dracula", starring Gary Oldman, intense as the undead count, and featuring loveable Winona Ryder and irrepressible Anthony Hopkins. Coppola's version more closely resembles the original Stoker book, while serving to introduce the historical Vlad Dracula. As Stoker is known to have been inspired by a Romanian historian of his day, this aspect is not out of line with the story.
The fictional
Count pales beside his very real, flesh and blood Wallachian warlord
counterpart from the 15th century. Vlad III was born in 1431 (by point of
reference and interest, the same year that Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the
stake). His father was Vlad Dracul, "The Dragon", referring to his
membership in the knightly Order of the Dragon; by birthright, Vlad III
became known as Vlad Dracula, "Son of the Dragon". As he grew older, he
also became known in his own region as Vlad Tepes (pronounced "Tsepesh"),
"The Impaler". He was known for his draconian justice and named for his
favoured method of execution. His life history is at once both fascinating
and apalling; and I highly recommend reading anything on the subject by
Radu R. Florescu and Raymond T. McNally. Not much is written in our
english history books about this Prince who ruled with an iron fist, but
he is still revered as a national hero by the people of his homeland.
While frequently portrayed as bloodthirsty, cruel, and even insane, his
actions were almost always politically motivated and shrewdly calculated.
Vlad Dracula was first imprisoned by his father's enemies, the
Turks, at the tender age of eleven. He spent six years in their captivity.
He later ruled Wallachia as Prince during three separate reigns, the
greatest beginning in 1456, announced by the arrival of the Great Dragon
Comet (later to be named Halley's) across the night skies. That reign
ended in 1462, under attack from his own brother, Radu, leading the
Turkish army; and with the death of his unnamed wife, who flung herself
from a tower of the castle into the depths of the Arges River, rather than
be taken prisoner by the encroaching army. Dracula, himself, was captured
while in retreat, by the Hungarian army on the other side, beginning his
last and longest (12 year) imprisonment. He was killed in battle at the
age of 45, once again defending the city of Bucharest and the island
monastery of Snagov from the invading army. It is said that his
decapitated head was impaled on a stake, and presented to his enemy, the
sultan, as proof that the Impaler was finally dead.
It is believed
by some that Dracula's body was buried at Snagov. Early in the 20th
century, a headless skeleton was reportedly exhumed there, dressed in
crimson and gold brocade, draped in purple silk, a broken ring pinned in
the clothes, and a crown of cloisonné claws bearing turquoise stones
placed where the skull should have been. In an unfortunate attempt to
safeguard the remains during World War II, the City of Bucharest History
Museum used convicts to move the artifacts to another location, and the
body simply...disappeared. As legend would have it, the Prince, like King
Arthur, lives eternally on the Island of the Lake, waiting and watching
over his homeland, until its hour of need.
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