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Review: |
The often-told vampire legend of
Dracula receives the ultimate treatment in "Bram Stokers Dracula,"
a film that is, by far, one of the greatest and most achieved
films ever made. Director Francis Ford Coppola's hallucinatory
nightmare returns to the original origins of Dracula as created
in the mind of Stoker himself, taking on a sumptuous, visceral,
and frightening sheen that dazzles the senses and the emotions.
Some have quarreled that the movie's retelling of the legend
is faulty in its willingness to do justice to the source material.
After reading the novel, I find
that there are differences between the two, but James Victor
Hart's script captures all the romanticism, scope, and macabre
elements of Stoker's tale, making this a somewhat faithful
yet completely engrossing rendition of a gothic love story.
It also makes us wonder if Dracula can really be considered
a villain. The opening scenes portray him as a great soldier,
who returns to his castle to find his true love dead, the
victim of suicide, damned by God for eternity. An infuriated
Dracula vows vengeance against the Lord, after which, many
centuries later, he calls upon a London real estate office
to close a deal on property in the city.
As Jonathan Harker makes his way
to the Count's castle, he leaves behind a hopeful fiancée,
Mina, who bears a striking resemblance to the love of Dracula's
life. Keep in mind that the film does not try to work in a
reincarnation theory; it's merely implied, and much of the
implication will come from cynical audiences. Dracula holds
Harker prisoner in his castle, at the whim of his three blood-thirsty
wives, and makes his way to London, where he easily courts
the gorgeous Mina and recruits her rich friend Lucy to join
the undead. So is he really a villain? I choose to believe
not. His quest for his true love takes on a greater meaning,
as he will stop at nothing to return to her. His actions are
not the typical ones we'd expect out of a lovesick romantic,
but we're in a completely different mindset with this film,
and anything is possible.
Much has been made about the visual
style and over-the-top effects Coppola employs, but to dismiss
the film as style-over-substance is unjustifiable. In fact,
the style and the story find common ground, working together
to get at our senses and under our skin. It has some of the
most beautiful vistas and landscapes you'll ever see in a
movie, from the majestic yet foreboding shots of the Carpathian
Mountains, to the densely atmospheric rooms and spaces inside
Dracula's expansive castle.
There is gore, which is to be expected,
but it never exceeds the bounds of good taste, and works to
serve the movie's greater purpose. Hart's script does a terrific
job of keeping the elements of Stoker's novel intact for the
most part, and while there are inconsistencies, this is still
a far more faithful retelling than any version made to this
day.
It captures the essence of the romance
without making it the sole force of the film, and also gets
under our skin with frightening monologues and exchanges of
dialogue. And who would've thought Keanu Reeves would be able
to pull of a performance such as this? He, along with the
rest of the cast, make the most of this movie's characters,
giving them depth and emotion, real talent from Hollywood's
best.
Gary Oldman is the best Dracula
to date, evoking a subtle intensity that is as romantically
alluring as it is increasingly chilling. Anthony Hopkins turns
in another well-rounded performance as Van Helsing, playing
his eccentricity and his willingness to put an end to Dracula
with superb talent. Winona Ryder is exceptionally engaging
as Mina, with sweet charm and innocence to spare. And Reeves
is surprisingly well-to-do as Harker, doing his best to keep
himself in gear. In this telling of the classic tale, anything
goes. There's a little bit of everything in this visually
sumptuous package, much that will please those who look for
a wide variety in their films of choice. To sum it up, "Bram
Stoker's Dracula" gives you two choices: you'll either like
it or hate it, but forgetting it is not one of your options.
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