Eastern Dracula This is the most rare adaptation of Dracula, shot in a country that is not even associated with horror films.
The film is set from 19th-century Victorian England to Turkey. In addition, the names of the main characters are remade in the Turkish manner. Another difference is the presence of Dracula's hunchback assistant and the absence of Renfield's character. And “Mina” from an innocent girl with a pure soul turned into a seductive dancer.
The beginning of the film takes place exactly as in the book - the arrival of "Harker" in a gloomy castle, the hospitable owner of the castle, the charming bride of Dracula, seduced the guest, etc. When the action of the film begins to unfold in modern Istanbul, the plot takes on a slightly different color. It lacks a certain refinement and aristocracy inherent in the original work.
But overall, Dracula in Istanbul is one of the most accurate early adaptations of the original work. It has episodes borrowed from the novel, which were not in previous film adaptations.
The performer of the role of Dracula, Atif Kaptan, created a very remarkable image of the famous Prince of Darkness. Although the first known Dracula movie to feature fangs for the first time is Hammer’s The Horror of Dracula, Atif Kaptan was Dracula’s first performer with vampire fangs.
Bottom line: an extremely rare, but still noteworthy film about Dracula. I highly recommend it.
8 out of 10