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DRACULA "Restored"
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Re: DRACULA "Restored"
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atkalu
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Mar 16 15 11:02 PM
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There is a lot in the official version we have that doesn't make sense, but when you re-sequence the scenes, then they do make sense. For years the thing that has aggravated the hell out of me most about DRACULA is that Renfield serves no purpose in the film once they get to England. He's always doing “things”, but all he really does is try to steal scenes with mad ramblings. Why? How about we take the character arc of this one character and look at how he pans out in the theatrical release versus the shooting script cut that Clark made?
In the theatrical release once in England he is placed in Seward's Sanitarium. It is established for the second time (first on the Vesta) that he wants insects. Then we have the scene when Van Helsing finds out about him and that he is gone from his room for hours. He says he wants to get away from there and ends the scene warning Seward that if he is not sent away, Seward will have to answer what happens to Mina. This is clear as it is stated twice in the scene. It becomes his character’s purpose. Then Dracula comes to his window and stares and Renfield cries, “Please don’t ask me to do that, Master. Not her, Please Master!” But, the very next cut is of Dracula AGAIN - this time seen biting Mina. Dracula got in the door all by himself. What did Renfield do? NOTHING! He was locked in his room. So what is the point of assembling these scenes back-to-back for the Renfield character? These scenes are poorly juxtaposed.
Renfield next appears at the end of the scene when Van Helsing discovers from the mirror that Dracula is a vampire. However, note that upon Renfield’s entry, Dracula was just seen previously taking Mina out of her room out onto the lawn. Renfield laments over his fate and says he never heard of Dracula. At the end of the scene the maid faints and Renfield looks as if he’s going to swat a fly, but then there is a terrible cut before he finishes his action. Did he smack the maid? Did he bite her? Or was he going after a fly? We are left to imagine. But why? When we see the maid later, she’s fine. So, if he did swat a fly, why didn’t we get to see it? What other reason was there to approach the maid on the ground? Just for a gratuitous creepy shot? Without the swat there is no purpose. This is not high art where you can argue Browning was leaving scenes open-ended to audience imagination. This was old-fashioned Hollywood. Plain entertainment with art sometimes hidden within the scenes. So there is no purpose for him going after the maid unless he wanted a fly. Just him rambling again.
After Dracula awakens again and Van Helsing explains to Harker that they have to kill Dracula, Renfield again enters somehow. Renfield essentially distracts them with his “He promised me things” speech. We have to assume Dracula let him out as the iron bars are said to be broken. They ask Renfield, “What did Dracula want you to do?” He replies, “That which has already been done”. But, again, WHAT DID HE DO? NOTHING! He distracts them, yes, but it serves no purpose as everyone leaves the room except Van Helsing whom Dracula confronts. Clearly Dracula wants to kill Van Helsing here. Renfield does nothing directly to separate Van Helsing from the group therefore what could he possibly mean by “That which has already been done”?
Renfield next appears again out of his cell, and arriving at Carfax Abbey. It needs to be noted here, that he is shown arriving at the Abbey before Dracula, who was just seen grabbing Mina out of her bed in the previous scene. Then Dracula is in a wooded area with Mina and we next see Renfield has traveled about 5 feet in distance in that whole time. It looks as if Harker and Van Helsing just happen to see Renfield as Harker says very surprised, “That’s Renfield”. Renfield didn’t lead Van Helsing there, but as a result of his suspected failure, Dracula kills him.
So, what did Renfield accomplish as a character in these scenes? Almost absolutely nothing. He just keeps rambling and rambling….and is a semi-useful incidental distraction for a moment, but one without direct purpose. May as well have just killed him and left him on the Vesta with the others.
Let’s now look at Clark’s edit based on the continuity of the script. Again, there’s no proof in any way that Browning would have wanted it this way, but let’s simply try to make some sense out of the story arc and purpose of Renfield’s character. That’s all.
Again, we start with Renfield exclaiming his need for insects after the crane shot at the Sanitarium. It again cuts to Van Helsing meeting Renfield and saying he looks much better than when he just arrived. Renfield ends the scene by warning Seward to take him away or he will answer to what happens to Mina. But, now this is where things change.
Renfield next shows up after when Van Helsing discovers Dracula is the vampire. He repeats that he wants to be sent away and says it has “happened again.” Dracula has just lured Mina onto the lawn as they were speaking. Renfield again laments and the scene still has that stupid not-swatting the fly ending. However, at this point from what we’ve seen onscreen of Renfield he is trying to save Mina. He has said that in his two consecutive scenes since he has been placed in the Sanitarium. It keeps his character arc tighter this way. Again, this is not high art, nor rocket science. It’s a simple story.
After Mina cries about having seen Lucy in the night, Dracula comes to Renfield’s window and stares at him and Renfield cries “Please don’t ask me to do that, Master. Not her, Please Master!”. Renfield does not want to betray this woman as he has said in his last two scenes. It is better established this way. Most of all, plot-wise Dracula is asking Renfield to betray Mina and as Dracula is at the window we have to assume he breaks the iron bars like swiss cheese in this moment. Renfield then sneaks into Seward’s room and gives his “He promised me things” speech. When Van Helsing asks “What did he want you to do?” Renfield replies, “That which has already been done”. Renfield’s distraction was now the perfect move so at that time Dracula can avoid Van Helsing and enter Mina’s room to further infect her. Dracula is a step ahead now and boasts to Van Helsing his blood is in her veins. Makes sense. Renfield served a purpose because at this moment Dracula infected Mina, which she points out in her next scene when she tries to bite John. Juxtaposing the scene of when Dracula is below Renfield’s window next to when he distracts the men makes all the difference. This is simple editing and storytelling.
Lastly, Dracula grabs Mina, but the next shot is of Lucy being disposed of. Then Renfield heads to the abbey. Harker and Van Helsing are again surprised and follow. Renfield still travels about 5 feet between cuts, but at least there are establishing shots of the abbey to create some temporal space i.e. – better editing. The second cut of Renfield walking around to try to enter the abbey should be cut in both versions, imho.
In the cut Clark made Renfield has a straightforward, classic story arc and does serve a purpose in the scenes in his usefulness to Dracula. He at first wants to leave the sanitarium and wants to save Mina. He wants a clean soul, which Dracula has defiled. His last words are “I can’t die with.…that blood on my hands!”. But Dracula kills him as he is no longer useful. This character arc of Renfield is an example of why I strongly prefer Clark's cut to the official version.
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