ROOOOOAAAAARRGGHH!! Sorry to all my friends whose stuff I should have been reading, but I've been aw...
ROOOOOAAAAARRGGHH!! Sorry to all my friends whose stuff I should have been reading, but I've been away for ages! But now I have returned! Heavy Metal Rules!
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This is without a shadow of a doubt the best film claiming to be based on Bram Stoker’s book. Unlike previous versions of Dracula, largely based on the Hamilton Dean stage play, this is almost entirely Stoker, apart from one thing, which is the film’s only downfall.
I’m sure most people know the story of Dracula, so I won’t bore you by repeating it, but instead will go one to describe why the film is such a joy to watch. As so often, it’s the little touches that do it - the sinister atmosphere of the Transylvanian castle and the horrific glee with which Dracula licks the blood from Harker’s razor, the animalistic scuttling as the Count clambers down the castle walls and the darkly erotic scenes as Harker explores the castle are masterpieces of cinema. Especially brilliant is the use of shadow, a trick borrowed from Nosferatu - the scene where the shadow strangles Harker as the Count talks genially to him is chilling.
Gary Oldman makes a wonderful Dracula, managing to play the terrifying medieval warlord, the blood thirsty undead and a tragic, compelling victim. He puts in a poignant turn which evokes sympathy for the vampire without ever leaving the audience wondering about who is the villain of the piece.
Winona Ryder is good as the rather one dimensional Min aHarker, but Sadie Frost is wonderful as the more ambiguous Lucy. The way she alternates between coy shyness and blatant eroticism is wonderful to watch, and her return to half life as a vampire on the streets of London is horrific more for what we do not see - her prey, the young baby only suggested by the faint cries accompanying her.
Anthony Hopkins is magnificently eccentric as Van Helsing, the fearless vampire killer, and Richard E Grant, my favourite actor of all time, is magnificent as the confused, prim, drug addicted Dr. Seward.
The main problem with the casting is Keanu Reaves. The character of Harker is not a complicated one in Stoker’s book, but as Reaves has difficulty even pulling off a one dimensional role, he is eminently unsuited to the task. This is a weak point in an otherwise quite stunning cast, and I can’t imagine why the mistake was made.
Rarely mentioned, but also superb is American blues legend Tom Waits as Renfield, the crazy insect eater in the asylum. He is genuinely creepy and worrying, but refreshingly human. What’s more, he genuinely does seem mad, not just the comedy figure so often portrayed in other film versions.
The costumes and sets are sumptuous and add to the amazing experience of the whole thing, which is visually a treat for the eyes. Wonderful special effects don’t hurt either - the transformations of the shape-shifting count are excellent to watch, especially the scene where he transforms into a swarm of rats from his bat-like shape.
The one problem is the ending. The addition of a more blatant romance between Mina and the Count I rather like - that was very understated in the book, but the mawkish ending just ruins the whole thing, and adds too much ambiguity to the whole thing. At the end we should not be left doubting that the Count was evil, and that Van Helsing and the others are the heroes.
But that can’t spoil a wonderful film. If you want a faithful rendition of the book, this is the place to look - no other film can even touch it.
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Production Year: 1968 - Horror - Director: George A. Romero - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Keith Wayne, Marilyn Eastman, Judith Ridley, Russ Steiner, Kyra Schon, Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman
Advantages: strong symbolism mirroring Freudian psychoanalysis | screenplay | acting | camera | cutting Disadvantages: Bill and Ted's not so excellent side-stepping adventure in falling down a castle wall land
knight_of_the_soundtable 07.10.2005 (07.10.2005)
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Review of Bram Stoker's Dracula (DVD)
Feb 2nd, 2001
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