Happy Spooktober to all you Halloween enthusiasts out there!
For the movie column of the moth, I decided to stay in theme and analyze a “horror” movie. Now, although the figure of Dracula has had along the years a wide array of representations with great actors (consider for instance Bella Lugosi, Klaus Kinski, Christopher Lee and even Leslie Nielsen in a more parodistic portrayal), I chose for this particular instance Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992. Did I do so because it is a hidden gem? Absolutely not. Is it at least a good movie? Still no. Was my choice influenced by the fact that Dracula is almost represented as an antagonist with a redemption ark, giving the story a different twist? Well, partially.
First of I will say that Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula did not age very well. It does however have an impressive cast of actors (Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves) who act in an overly dramatically fashion. Some of the transitions from scene to scene are well played out, while others are just messy shaky camera movements. The color palette used fits with the genre, ranging from dark hues to deep crimsons and resulting in an interesting juxtaposition. One thing that the movie does with a certain mastery, a detail that is hard to see even in more recent works, is the use of shadows: how they move, how they creep, how they flicker, are all things that evoke with a certain simplicity and grace the dread and ominous setting. As far as the use of blood goes, it is a bit exaggerated and the special effects (especially the transformations) have not aged very well.
Let’s just say that the attention for detail is somewhat misplaced. The costumes and attires used in the scenes are pompous and extravagant (from the armors, to the cart-wright and the priests). As much as language is concerned, they do speak Romanian from time to time and they do their best; even Gary Oldman in some scenes delivers the occasional line in a language that is not his – the overall effect is adequate, although usually hard to hear because of the music. We will give them an A for effort and also because they do not mix up Budapest with Bucharest (something that has happened in many other movies).
While it is called Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the movie does take some creative freedoms, but all and all they are understandable choices especially considering that they wanted to depict Dracula almost in an anti-heroic light. What is reminiscent of Stoker’s work is the use of letters, diaries, stenography transcripts and phonograph cylinders to move along the plot.
As I said at the beginning, it is not a good movie in the canonical sense, but if you want to put something in the background during a Halloween party, it works perfectly.
I would give this movie a 5 out of 10 disoriented bats.
PS: the movie is good for a laugh…even two. Believe me.
PPS: Something that you are not ready for but have to see! Keanu’s English accent – we still love you Keanu.