MIDDLE-AGED MATINEE! #28 - 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (1992)

4/5 Stars

In 1991, Winona Ryder presented the script for “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” to director Francis Ford Coppola as a peace offering. Ryder had left the production of “The Godfather Part III” close to when they were supposed to start shooting and Ryder thought that the director didn’t like her. When Coppola saw that it was “Dracula” he would be making, he jumped at the opportunity.

The movie was written by James V. Hart and it added more romantic elements to Stoker’s timeless classic. In the movie, Dracula was a valiant soldier fighting a war for God. When the enemy sends false news to his loved one, Elisabeta (Winona Ryder), she commits suicide.

After condemning God for allowing his beloved to die, he swears off religion and promises to live even beyond death. This is when he is truly cursed to an eternal where he has to live off the blood of others, becoming the famous vampire we all know.

Gary Oldman is the title character in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'!

Over 400 years later, in 1897, Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) arrives in Transylvania to handle Dracula’s new real estate deals in London. While there, Dracula notices a picture of Jonathan’s fiance, Mina (also Ryder), and notes her resemblance to his lost Elisabeta.

Dracula then plots to head to London in order to seduce Mina and he will kill anyone who gets in his way.

In the build up to this movie’s release, some insiders in Hollywood had gotten to see the movie. They thought that it was too violent and weird for audiences to accept it and they even dubbed it “Bonfire of the Vampires” after the notorious movie “The Bonfire of the Vanities”, a film that is considered one of the worst box office bombs ever made.

Winona Ryder is Mina in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'!

To be fair to those insiders, the movie is quite weird and violent at times. Coppola also chose to use, almost exclusively, old school filmmaking techniques such as compositing and rear projection methods. This was to give the movie the feel of the times the story is set in and it evokes a time when film was just emerging. There is even a scene where Dracula takes Mina to a small cinema.

However, these old school effects help the movie stand out in a time when more modern filmmaking techniques such as CGI were beginning to take hold. I appreciate the dedication to old school effects over modern ones and, for the most part, they look pretty damn good and, in a way, help make the movie timeless.

The movie is supported by a strong cast, but lets go ahead and talk about the elephant in the room. Much has been said about Keanu Reeves’ performance as Jonathan Harkness. All I’ll say is that this is definitely one of his weaker performances and that accent… just awful.

Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'!

Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman, who reportedly did not get along at the time, have a surprisingly good amount of chemistry. Ryder plays Mina as the sexually repressed fiance of Jonathan who is intrigued by the more open Dracula who doesn’t seem to want her to hold back due to “polite society” at the time.

What can I say about Oldman? This guy can act in his sleep and Dracula is another great performance for his belt. His accent honors those that have come before, especially Bella Lugosi, but he makes the role all his own in this movie. Lugosi may be the person I think of first when thinking about Dracula, but Oldman is a close second with his sinister yet more romantic performance.

One final performance to note is that of Anthony Hopkins as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, the famed archenemy of Dracula. Hopkins, like Oldman, understands the assignment and plays Van Helsing as a matter-of-fact figure. When someone questions his seemingly crazy theories about Dracula, he simply brushes them off and carries on. This can also lead to a few needed humorous moments in a movie that is mostly serious.

Finally, there is praise for composer Wojciech Kilar who gives us a haunting gothic score that kind of sticks with you after the film and any time you think about the movie afterwards. It definitely helps sell the themes of the story and the tone of the entire movie.

Thankfully, those few Hollywood insiders who thought the film would fail would be proven wrong. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” came out to a tremendous box office as it would make over $215 million on a $40 million budget. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including a nomination for Best Art Direction and winning for Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing.

Ultimately, though, it gave audiences a great modern retelling of the classic Bram Stoker story. For me, it is second only to the 1931 Lugosi classic. If you’re looking for a great Dracula adaptation, then look no further.