Keanu Reeves takes a bogus journey to Transylvania in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Having secured the title rights to the name “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, Francis Ford Coppola set out to bring his vision of the Dracula legend to unlife, the first straight ‘Dracula’ adaptation for thirteen years.

Believing the fiancée of young solicitor Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) to be the reincarnation of his dead wife, centuries-old Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) travels to England intent on seducing her and bringing the loneliness of his immortality to an end.

Of course, the title isn’t the only thing Coppola takes from Richard Matheson’s 1974 screenplay, as the film leans heavily into the historical figure of Vlad The Impaler as Dracula’s origin, opening with a historical and almost Ralph Bakshi-esque rendition of a bloody battle against an insurmountable Turkish army. Dracula is victorious but a bitter and defeated Turkish army manage one final blow against him, tricking his beloved wife that he has been slain and causing her to take her own life. Renouncing his faith, Dracula desecrates the chapel of his castle and is cursed to eternal darkness.

Oldman is, of course, superb in the role of Dracula, in this iteration much more of a tragic, heartsick warrior, corrupted by a life of undying bloodlust. At least the Count has kept himself occupied by trying out some iconic new looks for the Vampire on-the-go, most memorably the double-bouffant headdress lampooned by “The Simpsons” and “Hotel Transylvania 2” amongst others.

The costumes, sumptuous as they are, make a huge contribution to the operatic theatrically of the film, with the production design a triumph of dark gothic horror. It’s a highly sexualised telling of the story but there’s a bluntness to its eroticism, too much style and not enough substance thanks to some odd casting choices. For every bravura element of filmmaking, there’s a display of acting so wooden you could break a piece off and save everyone a lot of trouble by simply staking old fang face there and then.

Keanu Reeves is woefully miscast and all the more so when he’s up against Oldman and Hopkins (as Van Helsing) taking great big bites out of the spectacular scenery and chewing it up with gusto. He frequently seems lost and out of his depth and his obvious stunt casting is a serious blight on the film. Winona Ryder fares a little better but at least has the excuse of her difficult working relationship with Oldman to explain her occasional lapses.

Thankfully, Coppola packs the screen with visual splendour and the dedication to in-camera effects work is laudable and largely successful, while also being a nice nod to the movie’s period setting at the dawn of cinema.

It’s a handsome retelling of the story if somewhat oddly dated by the casting of a few too many ‘hot right now’ cast members but the production is top notch and the score is spectacular as well. There’s a welcome sense of finality to the story, too, as Coppola seems determined to restore a dignity to the character of Dracula he clearly feels has been drained dry over the years and he closes out the story in such a definitive fashion that there is really no way this Dracula could ever be brought back like so many of his predecessors have been. This is a movie which not only finds pathos and sympathy in the torment of the centuries-old monster but is willing to grant him clemency and eternal rest.

bram stoker's dracula review
bram stoker's dracula review
Score 7/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

A Ghost Story (2017) Review

A Ghost Story (2017) Review

A Ghost Story holds up a haunted mirror to its audience. Poignant, reflective and dreamily melancholic, "A Ghost Story" offers, at first glance, a simple story of a soul anchored in space but not time. When a musician (Casey Affleck) is killed in a car accident, he returns to the home...

All Aboard! The Sleigh Ride (2015) Review

All Aboard! The Sleigh Ride (2015) Review

Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling all your troubles away Has Black Friday left you feeling blue? Cyber Monday depleted your spirit as well as your bank account? Then come, soothe your festive soul with "All Aboard! The Sleigh Ride", a mesmerically calming...

Escape From Tomorrow (2013) Review

Escape From Tomorrow (2013) Review

I fast-track the queue and get straight on the ride for my Escape From Tomorrow Review Filmed in black and white, with a deliriously off-kilter ambience, "Escape From Tomorrow" feels like a long lost episode of "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits", suppressed for years by Disney and...

Pan (2015) Review

Pan (2015) Review

Never Say Neverland Again. Unnecessary. That’s the inescapable word that plagues “Pan” throughout its hefty 111 minute running time. It saddles the impish, carefree character of J M Barrie’s timeless tale with a hackneyed chosen one narrative so crushingly unsubtle that the characters...

Sunshine On Leith (2013) Review

Sunshine On Leith (2013) Review

Sunshine On Leith gives Scottish musical fans something to proclaim To call it ‘This year’s “Mamma Mia!”’ is a bit lazy, as “Sunshine On Leith” has enough going on to step out of the shadow of its glittery sequined predecessor. Smaller and more parochial in scale and story, it does...

Thunderball (1965) Review

Thunderball (1965) Review

Darling, it's better down where it's wetter: Craggus' Bond Voyage dives into Thunderball With Bond-mania in full swing and the coffers overflowing with box office proceeds, Eon Productions – with nary a thought of the legal shenanigans which would ultimately follow – put together a...

Deathgasm (2015) Review

Deathgasm (2015) Review

It's a hard rock life for demonic death metal horror comedy Deathgasm Feeling very much like a feature film spin-off of “Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil”, “Deathgasm” actually owes its greatest debt to Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead”. When Brodie and his friends form a metal band, they...

Pinocchio (2020) charms and disturbs in equal measure.

Pinocchio (2020) charms and disturbs in equal measure.

Taking advantage of the emptiness of the release schedule, Matteo Garrone’s sumptuous live-action adaptation of "Pinocchio", Carlo Collodi’s timeless morality tale, finds its way into theatres and – hopefully – a larger audience than it might otherwise have managed in the cut and thrust of...