IV
Synopsis (Spoilers) The film opens in Transylvania to flashes of lightning and driving rain. Inside an appropriately spooky castle, Prince Mamuwalde and his wife Luva are escorted to an ornate dining table by Count Dracula himself. Mamuwalde is seeking the Count’s support for his African nation to be recognized by the courts of Europe and to put an end to the slave trade. Unfortunately, Dracula has a more...confederate opinion on human bondage, and starts to appraise Luva as a potential servant as an unimpressed Mamuwalde gives a glaring look of disapproval.
“Sir, I suddenly find your cognac as distasteful as your manner!”
The opportunity for a peaceful exit from this attempt at humiliation is snuffed out as Dracula and two goons descend upon Mamuwalde and his wife. After a brief struggle (in which Mamuwalde delivers a Trek-esque double-fisted blow to the upper back of one of the goons), he is overcome and struck unconscious. The numerous brides of Dracula, in some truly F-tier makeup, descend on Luva; Dracula himself delivers the vampire’s bite to Mamuwalde. The bite of Dracula transfers his vampirism to the African prince, an eternal thirst, as well as bestowing the name Blacula on him before shutting him away in a locked coffin. Luva is confined in the same room, doomed to watch until she dies of starvation and thirst.
Cue the really cool animated title sequence with some absurdly funky music - This song slaps.
The movie resumes in the present day; Two very... flamboyant American men (one white and one black) are being shown around the house by a caretaker. The two men agree to purchase everything in the house, intending to lean into the “camp” of Dracula in order to resell at steep markups. The guide assures them that Dracula was no legend, but was in fact very real. The two men are brought into a hidden room, which by coincidence was the same room as before. They insist on taking the coffins in the room with them to Los Angeles.
Their curiosity (and desire for a replacement for a guest bed) leads one of the two to open the coffin containing Mamuwalde; the other, in an attempt to pry open another crate, cuts his arm. The coffin lid slowly rises, and the ashen-faced Mamuwalde emerges from the coffin, fangs fully bared. The two men, distracted by their poor attempt at first aid, notice the predator too late - escape is quite impossible and they are quickly overwhelmed by Blacula’s superior strength and drained to death. Blacula looks upon his kills, perhaps slightly horrified by his savagery, but the feeling quickly passes as he puts on an appropriately spooky cape found amongst the collection. He laughs heartily as he lies back in his coffin.
A group of three (two women, one in a very curious purple cloak, and one man) are shown the body of the black man (Bobby) drained in the prior scene. As the woman in the purple cloak reveals her face, a concealed Blacula instantly sees her as if he were his wife Luva. The man in the group stays with Bobby, revealing himself as Dr. Thomas of the “Department of Scientific Investigation.” Dr. Thomas starts to investigate the body, including the deep puncture wounds on the neck and the total lack of blood in the body despite not having been embalmed.
Meanwhile, the two women (Michelle and the woman in the purple coat) part ways on the street; the camera follows the woman in purple as she makes her way along an abandoned street at night. She collides with Blacula, who believes that she is his Luva. Terrified, she runs away and is pursued by Blacula into the city night. A distracted Blacula, finding her purse, is struck by a taxi cab, allowing her to get away. The taxi driver, a black woman, clearly crosses a line by calling Mamuwalde “boy” in a fit of frustration; needless to say, she does not last long. The woman in purple (Tina) makes it to her home, where she is rejoined by Michelle.
Blacula, seeming relatively well-fed, strolls across his warehouse lair, clutching Tina’s purple purse. He shuts himself back in his coffin, still holding it close to himself.
Dr. Thomas’s investigation continues at a local police station; he is brought into the morgue to examine the body of the taxi driver from the prior night. He finds two bite marks on the woman’s neck, and observes the total lack of blood in her veins. He then asks for the files on the two men (Bobby and Billy) from before, but the reports are lost. Without other leads, he arranges to autopsy the men.
Dr. Gordon Thomas, Michelle (his girlfriend), and Tina (Michelle’s sister) meet in a club that evening to celebrate Michelle’s birthday (the scene includes a nearly-full musical performance). Mamuwalde, appearing as mortal as possible, appears at the club to return Tina’s purse. Without a clear idea of what her attacker looked like, she invites Mamuwalde to join her friends at their table - His ability to charm is unmatched. The party is interrupted as Dr. Thomas learns that Bobby’s body has disappeared from the mortuary. Mamuwalde, upset by the flash of a camera, tries to leave - Tina follows him. They agree to meet again in the club the next evening.
The photographer, an employee of the club, returns home to develop the photos she had taken… in which Mamuwalde was curiously absent from every shot. As she ponders over the man’s absence, Blacula attacks, taking the photos even as he feeds on the woman. The photographer, near death, stumbles out of her house to be discovered by a white police officer. Unfortunately for the man, she had already been turned, and she sank her teeth into the policeman’s neck.
Dr. Thomas, thwarted in his attempt to exhume Billy’s grave legally, resolves to dig up the body that night without delay. Meanwhile, Tina is visited by Mamuwalde, who cannot wait to see her. Like any good vampire, he asks to be let in. He confesses his feelings, believing her to be his wife; she hesitates to reject the idea out-of-hand. He tells her of his mission 200 years ago to end the slave trade, of his failure, and of the curse of undeath put upon him by Count Dracula. He requests her, the supposed reincarnation of Luva, to rejoin him. She rejects the appeal; Mamuwalde says she must come to him freely with love or not at all, and starts to leave, but Tina stops him and asks him to stay. They embrace.
In the graveyard, Dr. Thomas and Michelle are hard at work digging up the body of Billy McCoy. On opening the coffin, an undead Billy (with green face makeup reminiscent of Dracula’s brides) lunges out and attacks Gordon. Gordon drives a stake through Billy’s heart, killing him permanently. There is now no doubt; vampires stalk Los Angeles. Gordon comforts Michelle as they consider the situation. They set out to autopsy the cabbie, hoping that they will be able to prove his theory to Police Lieutenant Peters.
At the morgue, the cabbie wakes from death and rises from the gurney, violently attacking the medical examiner. Across town, Mamuwalde and Tina part for the evening - After all, it is almost daylight.
Dr. Thomas and Peters arrive at the morgue and discover the grisly scene; blood stains the walls and floor. The cabbie, lying in wait under a shroud, tries to attack when revealed but is repelled by a crucifix and struck down by the light of the morning sun peeking through the window. Peters is convinced and agrees to act on the threat.
That evening, Tina, Dr. Thomas, and Michelle are back in the club; Mamuwalde joins them. Dr. Thomas starts to interrogate Mamuwalde about whether he has any interest in the dark arts; Michelle asks him directly if he believes in the existence of Vampires. Gordon tells Mamuwalde that the police are searching for the vampire’s coffin. Somewhat abruptly, Mamuwalde gathers Tina and leaves. Gordon, told by a friend at the club about the photographer’s disappearance, investigates her home. He discovers the photos, and remembering that night, realizes that Mamuwalde is the vampire he is looking for.
As Mamuwalde and Tina talk in her apartment, Dr. Thomas bursts in and tries to attack Mamuwalde. Gordon is no match for the vampire’s strength; Blacula escapes into the night and easily kills a pursuing policeman. Later, the police come across Bobby wandering the streets; Gordon and the Police Lieutenant leave to pursue, leaving Michelle and Tina behind. Bobby escapes into the night but is eventually tracked back to the warehouse where his and Billy’s bodies were discovered. The men are quickly surrounded by a whole pack of vampires (who are quite immune to revolver rounds). Cornered, Gordon and Peters are only able to escape by throwing oil-filled lamps at the vampires (which helpfully burst instantly into flames). While escaping, they encounter Blacula, who states he could easily kill them but “has business elsewhere,” transforming into a bat and flying away.
Dr. Thomas and Michelle eventually convince the emotional Tina to help them end the vampiric threat. Somehow, Blacula is able to communicate with Tina while in bat form, compelling her to leave the apartment and follow him. With a blank expression on her face, she walks through the city to an underground chemical processing plant. The police spot her and report her location to Gordon, Michelle, and Peters, who rush to catch up with her. In the plant, Tina reunites with Mamuwalde, and they share a kiss, but their moment is immediately interrupted by sirens and a swarm of police. A policeman catches up to Blacula and Tina, firing into the fleeing couple - Tina is mortally wounded; Mamuwalde then kills the officer in a rage. With no other option, Mamuwalde bites her on the neck, attempting to preserve her in undeath.
Swearing vengeance, Blacula begins killing his pursuers, shrugging off bullets and effortlessly staying one step ahead of the police. Gordon and Peters discover Blacula’s coffin; Unfortunately, as Gordon opens the coffin lid and Peters bears down with a wooden stake, Tina is revealed to be in the coffin instead; She is impaled and dies. Blacula corners the two men, giving him the chance to look upon Tina’s again-mortal body. Struck by grief, he refuses to attack and instead begins to ascend the stairs leading out from the chemical plant. In the light of the morning sun, he quickly wilts and dies, dissolving into insects and bones.
V
What worked:
Casting: William Marshall was an excellent choice to play Blacula, combining regal sophistication and dignity with a certain menace and unnatural strength. His Mamuwalde was capable of love and tenderness and had a certain vulnerability with Tina that is absent from many portrayals of arch-Vampires. Marshall also provided an imposing physical presence as well as a rich, deep baritone voice - It is not impossible to see him as a plausible alternative to Darth Vader, but able to inhabit the place of both David Prowse and James Earl Jones simultaneously. Thalmus Rasulala was also very effective as the cool, collected, and intelligent Dr. Thomas - A worthy Van Helsing, even if a very distant cousin.
Music: The music in Blacula is solid, combining early-70s funk with shades of gothic horror. Granted, music in Blaxploitation films can be difficult to judge fairly when inevitably compared to Issac Hayes’s score for “Shaft,” but this soundtrack is consistently good. The title song in particular is outstanding; overall, Blacula’s soundtrack is a definite strength.
Pace/Directing: The direction of this film is reasonably good; shots are generally well-composed, action scenes are clear without relying on disorientingly fast cuts, and the movie moves along at a tight pace. Overall, one might say that this movie is economical in its plotting and directing, but I think this works in its favor; the film rarely drags and is easy to follow.
What didn’t work so well:
Makeup: The film’s overall special effects were fine - This film was a low-budget affair, but it rarely felt cheap. However, the character makeup (specifically for the undead) did feel cheap. Vampires frequently appeared in shades of green reminiscent of cartoon characters about to vomit, facial hair was applied unevenly over makeup, and even Blacula’s makeup looked bad at certain points. This may be a small quibble, but it can be hard to fear a swarm of undead killers when many have the complexion of Kermit the Frog.
Scares: This movie was able to create tension, but I think it fell somewhat short when it came to the fear factor. Mamuwalde could be scary, but his entourage was not. The film also fell somewhat short when it came to using the medium to enhance the horror inherent to vampires; I don’t think resorting to jump scares would have worked, but a few more dutch angles and lingering moments of quiet terror could have added to the overall effect.
The Ooof Factor: This movie is quite progressive when it comes to race, almost all major roles are portrayed by Black actors and the film rarely resorts to stereotypes. It was also relatively progressive in terms of gender roles, or at least not regressive. However, this movie is significantly less sensitive when it comes to its portrayal of gay men - This depiction crossed far into offensive/cringe territory at least a few times and pulled me out of the experience.
VI
At the outset of this film, we are asked an interesting question - What if Dracula, along with all his other sins, was also one step removed from Nathan Bedford Forrest in his outlook on race? I think this helps set the tone for a movie that convincingly presents a sophisticated, confident Black Man as an arch-vampire stalking Los Angeles in 1972. Blacula’s predator is evil, yet restrained and erudite; violent, yet capable of real vulnerability and affection. Blacula is a walking contradiction; unlike the Count, he still seems to possess the humanity of Mamuwalde at some level; heartbroken, he opts for self-immolation rather than a last-ditch attempt to take revenge. He’s complex, suave, and cool, a man simultaneously out of time but also capable of thriving in any era.
I think William Marshall carries this movie quite well; his charisma and charm as Mamuwalde is impossible to ignore in any scene he’s in, and Blacula can be very intimidating. This is a performance that still holds up well, with some good cast performances alongside it. In all honesty, it can be a little difficult to take a movie seriously when its title is Blacula, but there’s an effort here, and this is not a farce. The city setting is believable, appearing lived-in and working-class without falling into exploitative shots of “the ghetto” as some other films in the genre might.
When considered as a horror film, I’m not sure that I would call Blacula “scary.” Granted, this was the early 70s, but films like Psycho and Rosemary’s Baby were already around. It’s a little hard to recommend Blacula as a pure horror experience, but overall I would recommend the movie as a fun thriller with a funky soundtrack and an interesting twist on the classic Dracula story. The movie goes along at a good pace, not wasting time, and the ending is satisfying. It also serves as an interesting entry point for blaxploitation, a film situated at the crossroads of Hammer Horror and Sweet Sweetback. It’s a fast 90 minutes, and can be seen for free on Pluto TV - Consider it for this Halloween season if you’re in the mood for something fun and a little corny.
Score: 3 Velvet Vampire Capes (out of what, it’s hard to say. It’s way easier to recommend than a direct-to-video Disney sequel, that’s for sure)
As a postscript, the blaxploitation genre did not last long. A year later, Scream Blacula Scream would be released, with Marshall reprising his role but with a different director, attenuated production schedule, and significantly lower budget; reviews were far less favorable. 1971-1974 would be the crest of the genre, with films such as Cleopatra Jones, Foxy Brown, and Super Fly attracting large audiences and making huge profits on relatively small production costs. However, the contradictions inherent in the system had already started to appear - Black intellectual and civil rights leaders turned on the genre almost immediately, and Black audiences came to resent the sameness of the roles and the cheapness of the films. So many films in the genre were made *at* Black people, rather than by or for them; thus, by 1976 Blaxploitation was nearly spent. Younger black audiences had already turned their attention to Kung-fu films among other things, and in a short time everyone’s attention would be drawn to a certain high-fantasy/science fiction movie directed by the “American Graffiti” guy - The heavy-handed reassertion of the studio system and the collapse of the auteur director-driven film industry was right around the corner. It is interesting to survey what emerged from a relatively brief moment in American film history when the sky was wide open; one wonders if such a period of unrestrained experimentation simultaneously accessible by a mass audience will come around again. Somewhere, a specter haunts a green-screen soundstage at Disney Marvel Studios… Or, at least, one might hope.
