Martin Carr reviews Blacula – The Complete Collection…
18th Century prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall) is invited to meet Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) to gain support for the abolitionist movement. In the midst of a heated debate it is revealed Dracula is an advocate of slavery, wishing to take Mamuwalde’s wife for his bride. Expressing his anger Mamuwalde lashes out at Dracula who lays a horrific bloodlust upon his guest and condemns his wife Luva to eternal damnation. Chained in a coffin for two centuries Mamuwalde emerges from his confinement back in Los Angeles. In an era of bell bottom flares,sharp suits and Seventies psychedelic fashions Blacula is unleashed to feed…
Forty two years after the term ‘Blaxploitation’ was coined and came to define a film movement, Eureka Entertainment release two unique examples on DVD and Blu-ray. Blacula and Scream Blacula Scream made in 72’ and 73’ tapped into the lucrative horror market, prevalent amongst mainstream cinema at this time. By maintaining the ‘Blaxploitation’ template of using predominantly black actors, directors and a socially relevant subtext Blacula put a contemporary spin on classic vampire mythology. Sitting somewhere between Raymond Burr’s Ironside and Starsky and Hutch in terms of feel and look, Blacula is undeniably cool even now.
Much of this is due to their choice of leading man in William Marshall. Embracing the role of Mamuwalde, Marshall gives the character dignity, depth and a certain sombre demeanour. A classically trained theatre actor familiar from stage and television, Marshall’s rich baritone, physical presence and intellectual detachment imbues Blacula with a natural gravitas. Amongst films of this period his performance can be considered unique for a number of reasons.
Apart from being the first black vampire on film Blacula is also unusually sympathetic, considering his bloodlust an affliction rather than a desire. In discussion Kim Newman expands on the socio-political overtones of these films further underlining their importance. Mamuwalde, especially in the follow up, becomes a symbol of black power with scant regard for authority or those in prostitution rackets, itself a socially acceptable form of slavery. At times however you feel Marshall is in a different film to everyone else. With the sharp dressed Ji Tu Cumbuka as Skillet, a player perpetually in aviator shades, or Richard Lawson’s Willis in the sequel, there is a sense Marshall may have missed a meeting.
However this juxtaposition of theatrical training and character actor somehow works. Whether walking into a club with full cape and evening suit, while Seventies fashion excess bleeds from the screen. Or fighting street cops in a waterworks where Marshall maintains an ice cold coolness which sits well with a heavy funk soundtrack, he never misses a beat. In terms of influences, again Kim Newman informs on how far reaching this Blaxploitation classic managed to be. Not only on contemporaries released around the same time, but also by more famous names including Messrs Coppola and Burton decades later.
In truth attempting an objective review on this seminal double bill of funk without mentioning Pam Grier would be a crime. For a Seventies generation she was ‘Coffy’ or ‘Foxy Brown’ all brazen hustle and up front femininity, packing artillery and dispatching with a vengeance. To see this icon of Blaxploitation as Lisa Frontier in Scream Blacula Scream, adds another element of cool to counterpoint Marshall’s screen presence. Some consider the follow up risible with Grier being singled out alongside Marshall as the only reason to consider a viewing. For me there are merits to be found in both.
In the sequel there is less bigotry towards minority stereotypes, an overt political subtext, plus the addition of a vampire familiar in Willis and more humour. One such joke being the disappointment Willis feels after gaining eternal life, only to discover there is no longer a reflection for him to admire. Although white director Bob Kelljan stepped in to replace William Crain who was otherwise engaged elsewhere, this substitution does little to diminish the quality or detract from the inherent message.
When I first watched these films they failed to impress. Being spoilt by modern production values, high end effects and with an almost endless amount of possibilities both seemed dated, cheap and unengaging. Going back some weeks later however made me look with a more critical eye. With that in mind I reached this conclusion. It is unfair to judge films connected to a certain era with the same tools you would do today. Both Blacula and to a lesser extent its sequel broke the mound. These films would not get made today of this I am certain. This has nothing to do with the power or otherwise of black actors in today’s climate, but the message these movies promote. They demand equality for everyone irrespective of colour. Not just equality in the eyes of others but amongst those in positions of power. Grier played on this image during Tarantino’s Jackie Brown reminding a new generation that such films still existed, had power and something to say.
My recommendation for this release is not based on anything measureable, by which I mean direction, performance, effects or any number of other factors. What Blacula represents and what ultimately recommends it is the historical value. Irrespective of context or time, Blacula represents a moment when independent films pushed for mainstream recognition without thinking of grosses, weekend box office or merchandising rights. In a time when the numbers are everything, Blacula inhabited a moment when blockbusters did not exist and ideas; well they were more important than the bottom line.
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