An atheist finds God by way of supernatural horror
This was Hammer's fourth entry in their series and the third with Christopher Lee in the title role. It suffers from a weak prologue and first act, which takes place a year prior to the main story. The first act involves two priests hiking up to Dracula's castle to exorcise it. One of them unwittingly resurrects the count and the vampire wants revenge on the other priest because he blessed his abode. The final hour involves Dracula going after his niece in a neighboring village wherein the the priest and niece's beau must defend her.
While the first act isn't very promising, things perk up with the introduction of the niece's boyfriend, Paul, and the pub his dad runs. Barbara Ewing plays Zena, the redhead waitress and the film shows the close relationships between Paul, his father and Zena. The characters ring true and it draws the viewer into their world. Excellent job on this front.
A great scene takes place when Paul's girlfriend, Maria (Veronica Carlson), takes Paul to her home to introduce him to her mother and the priest, who's a Monsignor. Paul is cornered in a conversation and forced to reveal that he doesn't believe in God. The Monsignor is initially offended and rude, but this can be excused on the grounds that he's the father-figure to his beloved niece; besides there's a warmhearted scene later in the story where the Monsignor proves his loving nature.
Another unusual highlight are the multiple scenes that take place on the labyrinthian rooftops of the Victorian village. I can't help but wonder how they accomplished this. Were they really filming on the rooftops of a village or is it an illusion accomplished through matte paintings or other effects? I'm sure it's the latter; regardless, it's excellent film work and a unique feature of this film.
Of course, Hammer is renown for their curvaceous women and here we have two: The aforementioned Barbara Ewing (Zena) and Veronica Carlson (Maria), the latter of whom can also be seen in the outstanding "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," released the same year.
As with most Hammer horror flicks, it possesses a beautifully lush, Gothic atmosphere.
Despite the weak first act, the positives noted above compel me place "Dracula has Risen from the Grave" as my second or third favorite of the series.
It's not overlong at 92 minutes; and was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England.
For those interested, here's a list of the nine films in the series:
Horror of Dracula (1958)
The Brides of Dracula (1960)
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969)
Scars of Dracula (1970)
Dracula AD 1972 (1972)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)