Dracula (1958) directed by Terence Fisher summary and analysis

Terence Fisher’s Dracula (also known as Horror of Dracula) is a famous British horror film that retells Bram Stoker’s story in a shorter, more direct form. The film is known for its dramatic style, strong performances, and the unforgettable roles of Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing.

The story begins with Jonathan Harker, who arrives at Castle Dracula in Transylvania. He pretends to be a librarian hired to help organize Dracula’s books. Secretly, however, Harker is actually a vampire hunter. He has come to the castle to destroy Dracula and end his threat to nearby villages.

At first, Dracula behaves politely and speaks to Harker with respect. But his strange manner, cold smile, and sudden disappearances create a sense of fear. Soon after, Harker meets a mysterious woman in the castle. She begs him for help, saying she is a prisoner. When Harker tries to help her, she suddenly attacks him and tries to bite his neck. At the same moment, Dracula appears with great anger and pulls her away. Harker finally understands that Dracula is not a normal man but a powerful vampire.

Although Harker is bitten by the woman, he continues with his plan. He kills the vampire woman by driving a wooden stake through her heart while she sleeps. Before he can destroy Dracula in the same way, the Count wakes up and attacks him. Harker is bitten and later turned into a vampire.

Soon after, Dr. Van Helsing, Harker’s friend and fellow vampire hunter, arrives at the castle. He searches for Jonathan and finds his diary, which explains his secret mission. Van Helsing discovers that Jonathan has already become a vampire. With great sadness, he gives him a peaceful death by staking him. This painful experience gives Van Helsing a strong purpose: he must track Dracula and stop him completely.

Dracula leaves his castle and travels to England. He targets Lucy Holmwood, Jonathan Harker’s fiancée. Lucy has already been visited by Dracula and is growing weak. She keeps her bedroom windows open at night and seems to be drawn to the vampire. Van Helsing tries to help by placing garlic in her room and giving instructions to protect her. However, Lucy removes the garlic, and Dracula returns. She dies soon afterward and becomes a vampire.

Van Helsing and Lucy’s brother, Arthur Holmwood, visit her tomb and find that she has risen as one of the undead. With difficulty and sorrow, they destroy the vampire Lucy so that her soul can rest.

After Lucy’s death, Dracula turns his attention to Mina Holmwood, Arthur’s wife. Mina begins to look pale and tired, and she behaves strangely. Dracula visits her secretly at night, and she slowly falls under his control. Van Helsing and Arthur try to protect her, but the vampire is clever and powerful. He eventually manages to take Mina away.

Van Helsing and Arthur search desperately for her. They finally find Dracula’s hiding place and confront him. In the final struggle, Van Helsing chases Dracula into a room with large windows. Using two candlesticks to form a cross, he forces Dracula into the sunlight. Van Helsing tears down the curtains, and sunlight pours into the room. Dracula cannot escape. The bright light destroys him, and his body breaks apart into dust.

As Dracula dies, Mina is freed from his influence. She wakes up as her normal self, no longer under the vampire’s spell. The film ends with Van Helsing standing as the victorious protector of humanity, calm and determined after defeating the ancient evil.

Gothic Elements in Dracula (1958)

Terence Fisher’s Dracula is an epitome of Gothic film because it uses classical Gothic features such as dark settings, supernatural forces, psychological fear and the conflict between good and evil to create a dramatic and unsettling atmosphere.

One of the most important Gothic elements in the film is the setting. Castle Dracula, with its dim corridors, heavy stone walls, and deep shadows, creates a mood of horror and danger. This lonely landscape reflects the traditional Gothic interest in old, mysterious buildings where the past still haunts the present. Fisher uses lighting carefully; the contrast between darkness and sudden brightness makes the environment feel alive and threatening.

The character of Count Dracula embodies the Gothic villain. His elegant appearance hides his predatory nature, and his power to control minds, shift moods, and move silently enhances his supernatural presence. Dracula represents hidden evil beneath a civil surface, an idea central to Gothic fiction. Christopher Lee’s portrayal emphasizes both charm and terror, suggesting that evil can be attractive as well as destructive.

The female characters, especially Lucy and Mina, highlight another Gothic theme: the fear of corrupted innocence. Their transformation from gentle, domestic figures into victims under Dracula’s influence expresses the Gothic concern with inner vulnerability. Their pale appearance, trance-like states will reflect the Gothic emphasis on psychological horror.

The conflict between Van Helsing and Dracula shows the classic Gothic struggle between reason and the supernatural. Van Helsing represents modern knowledge and scientific method, while Dracula embodies ancient, unexplainable forces. The film’s tension arises from the way these two forces collide. Even though Van Helsing uses rational tools such as daylight, crucifixes, and medical observation, he must still confront mysteries that logic alone cannot fully address.

Finally, the film’s atmosphere filled with suspense, fear, and moral uncertainty—strengthens its Gothic character. The climactic destruction of Dracula by sunlight symbolizes the final victory of order over chaos, a common Gothic resolution where evil is defeated but never entirely erased from imagination.