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Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
January 31st, 2008
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Bram Stoker's Dracula may not be the best adaptation of the classic novel, but it is undoubtedly the most stylish. It is a sexy and sumptuous feast for the eyes; it won Oscars for Makeup, Costume Design and Sound Effects Editing. Gary Oldman plays the count, whom we first meet as a warrior in 15th century Romania. He goes off to fight for the church, and returns to find his beloved wife dead. He renounces God and turns into an undead creature of darkness, called Dracula. This gets at the origins of the Dracula story, from the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler, around whom many myths sprang up. Keanu Reeves is Jonathan Harker, the young man from England who travels to Dracula's creepy old castle to close a real estate deal. Dracula plans on buying property in London, primarily because he comes to believe that Harker's fiancée, Mina (Winona Ryder) is the reincarnation of his own dear Elisabeta. Harker finds Dracula as a pale old man with long fingernails, and a ridiculous pseudo-Leia hairstyle. Dracula invites Harker to stay with him as a guest; it is an offer he cannot really refuse. He is seduced (and fed upon) by three beautiful vampire women. Meanwhile, Mina is awaiting his return at the lavish estate of her friend Lucy (Sadie Frost). From this point on, the movie becomes an exercise in stunning visual decadence. Oldman goes through many transformations, from the old man to a younger man (Prince Vlad), complete with suit and walking cane, to a werewolf, to a disgusting bat beast, to green mist, even to a small army of rats.
Oldman is a near-perfect choice for this role, he can be sinister yet charming, and exhibits a lot of screen presence and magnetism. This Dracula is actually a tragic figure; he loved Elisabeta so deeply he wishes only to be reunited with her, but is driven by an insatiable bloodlust that leads him to prey on the innocent. Oldman conveys this very well. Reeves offers a lifeless performance, and his British accent leaves much to be desired; Ryder sports a far more convincing one. Bill Campbell is a bit out of place I think as Quincey, the rich guy from Texas. Cary Elwes is Arthur Holmwood, the nobleman who is to marry Lucy. At the very least, this film gives us the best Van Helsing, played with brilliant gusto by Anthony Hopkins. Van Helsing is the experienced vampire hunter, who is invited by one of his former understudies, Jack Seward (Richard E Grant) to examine Lucy. Van Helsing is a comical and eccentric old coot, a doctor with arcane knowledge about otherworldly things. And we also get the best Renfield, played by rock singer Tom Waits.
I used to like Dwight Frye from the 1931 Tod Browning film, but Waits's Renfield is better than his, more maniacal, cramming bugs into his mouth and rattling on about his master as he wastes away in an asylum. Director Francis Coppola seems more interested in technical artistry than in storytelling, and the narrative lags a bit in certain spots, and some plot details are never fully explained, but the look and feel of the movie is extraordinary. Eventually, you get one impressive set-piece after another, along with ample doses of nudity and gore. There were some effects I particularly enjoyed, like what Dracula's shadow does in the early castle scenes with Harker. This, at least, provided the only few laughs to be had in Mel Brooks' spoof Dracula Dead and Loving It, with Leslie Nielsen.
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