Mention the name Bram Stoker and everyone thinks DRACULA. There are a few other novels such as THE LADY OF THE SHROUD and THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM (made into a movie by Ken Russell with Hugh Grant in 1988) and a series of superior short stories like THE JUDGE’S HOUSE and THE BURIAL OF THE RATS that show up in horror anthologies from time to time. Mention the name Mike Newell and knowledgeable moviegoers will cite FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, ENCHANTED APRIL, or HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE. Put the two together and you have the rather curious movie, THE AWAKENING which was released in 1980. It’s based on Stoker’s 1903 novel THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS which is one of the first fictional works to deal with Egyptology and mummies. It was also designed as a supernatural vehicle for Charlton Heston who had passed up THE OMEN 4 years earlier.
Why it is that every cinematic adaptation of JEWEL changes the character’s names or alters the nature of their roles in the narrative? Queen Tera becomes Kara in this version while the assistant Corbeck becomes the central character (he’s Abel Trelawney in the book). While the source material is treated with respect, it’s too respectful. Newell views JEWEL as if it were Thomas Hardy rather than Bram Stoker. Despite this serious approach, THE AWAKENING has a lot going for it including the lead performances from Heston, Susannah York and Stephanie Zimbalist. An Egyptologist discovers a female mummy as his wife gives birth to their daughter. There appears to be a connection between her and the mummy and anyone who gets in the way or tries to find out more dies in an “accident”. Sound familiar? By the time Heston figures out what’s going on, it’s too late.
I enjoyed THE AWAKENING as I have no problem with a horror film allowing itself to build slowly so that I can lose myself in the world it’s depicting. Unfortunately for most people, the build-up will be too slow and not punctuated with enough violence along the way THE OMEN was. Newell’s approach to the material demonstrates why Hammer’s 1971 BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB is a lot more fun and closer to Stoker’s intentions which were to entertain and enthrall. Those who enjoy a MASTERPIECE THEATRE approach to horror will find much to like here. It’s beautifully photographed by Jack Cardiff and features a nice score from Claude Bolling. The Warner Archive DVD-R comes with no extras but it does offer a clear, sharp, and balanced color picture which is also in the correct aspect ratio.
The Capsule Critic 