Blu-Ray hd movie review of Dracula
February 16, 2009
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Dracula is one of the finest modern horror films. The film plays the “what if” Vlad the Impaler was real and survived to the setting in the film. The character Dracula is based on a real person, Vlad Tepes, who was a 15th century warlord. He supposedly drank the blood of his victims after they were killed. He even impaled his victims from anus up. These bits and pieces of myths and truths were put together by an Irish writer named Bram Stoker into a horror tale. Francis Ford Coppola has taken this tale and put together a beautiful film. It’s a movie that transcends the horror genre.
The story is about the Dracula who has been cursed to survive the death of his love. He wanders for 400 years and falls in love once again. He finds Mina Murray in 19th century England and falls in love. This is starts what is arguably more love story than horror story. There is Shakespearian tragedy written all over this star crossed pair. This isn’t to say that there are blood and gore. There are plenty of that.
This is star studded assembled by Coppola. Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, and Gary Oldman as Dracula all give Oscar worthy performance. Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves weren’t as famous and Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins. Yet, they hold their own in their roles. There is really nothing to say about directing as Coppola delivers a stunning film.
This isn’t just another slasher horror flick we see these days. Everything from costume to acting is fantastic. One complaint might be that it is little longer than it needed to be. There were some parts that could have been shortened. Regardless, this is one of the best horror films in last 50 years.
What do you think about this movie? Please leave your thoughts below.
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A lavish take on a classic tale…
Okay, so I’m not going to claim to be a huge fan of the monster genre, or even Dracula himself, but I will say that upon watching Frances Ford Coppola’s rendering of this classic tale I am more apt to sink my fangs a little deeper into this genre. Yes, while I am not as cultured as some of you are in this particular genre, I do know a good movie when I see one, and `Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ is a great movie.
Thankfully, this version is in stark contrast to the 1979 mind numbing atrocity starring Frank Langella. Frances Ford Coppola manages to make his Dracula thrilling, engaging, blood chilling and sensual without ever losing us or giving off an air of uncomfortable transition. There is not a single misstep here; not a frame out of place or an emotion left untapped. `Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ hits everything right, proving itself a modern masterpiece; a visually and emotionally stimulating experience.
In other words; this is the complete package.
I won’t get into a long disarray about what this film is about. You either are familiar with the story or you are not, and if you are not then it’s probably best you just brace yourself for the film. I will say that the film opens by giving a little history into Dracula’s origin before telling us this wickedly tantalizing tale. Count Dracula appears nothing more than an eccentric old man when Jonathan Harker ventures to his castle to tie up some real estate loose ends, but there is an obvious mystery present; and when Dracula catches sight of Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray he becomes determined to win her heart. Holding Harker captive, Dracula makes his way into Mina’s life and begins to woo her soul.
The film is a technical marvel in itself really. Each set piece is a lavish example of how to do these films correctly. Everything screams for our attention. Subtlety is always a blessing, but not in films of this nature. More is more when it comes to these grand spectacles, and Coppola understood that very well. The rich reds and velvets add layers of emotional warmth to the film; breeding an air of thick tension and violent sensuality. The action sequences are brilliantly choreographed and the chemistry between the cast is impeccable.
Gary Oldman is Dracula, no ifs ands or buts about it. He is stunning in all facets of the characters; from old, crippled and haunted to young, vibrant and intoxicating. He nails this character and breaths a new life into this tale. Winona Ryder was such a stunning talent back in the early 90’s. I am deeply saddened by her fall from grace. She desperately needs a comeback, Mickey Rourke style. Here she is luminous as always. Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves are both effective in their supporting roles (my best friend stated that this was Reeves best film, but it’s also his best performance). Sadie Frost is flawless as Lucy, Dracula’s initial victim. She is ravenous in each scene, exuding a natural sensuality that feeds off her eventual brutality.
With a script rich with character development and ripe with the best of every genre (from horror to drama to romance) as well as a stellar cast and one of the greatest directors of all time (seriously, Coppola is a GOD in this industry), `Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ is an instant classic; a pure masterpiece that is sure to entice our every desire.
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Fantastic
The Collector’s Edition is amazing i still haven’t got through all the extra bounus features and the option to be able to watch the movie in HD is great as well. The Artwork is fantastic with alot of detail great cover as well as the dual DVD’s look like coins or medallions just a great buy all around.
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Classic Vampire flick
This is the best dracula movie I have seen to date. I enjoyed it when it first came out and have enjoyed it several times since. Having seen many vampire movies and reading all sorts of vampire books, this is one I can continue to come back to and see over and over again.
Anthony Hopkins does a fabulous job, as always.
Gary Oldman is truly a scary Dracula but at times can be very sexy.
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Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Wonderful movie filled with horror, love, and all that life can offer in the time of Dracula. I feel the movie is true to the writings of Bram Stoker.
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best modern Dracula
This is the best modern Dracula I’ve seen. Most are funny, not scary. This is sexy. It’s got intrique, and it blends old world/ new world flavor seamlessly.
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amazing blue ray
one of the firs blue rays, but not the worst, at the contrare, lots of audios, specials, subtitles, and extras, if the movie is amazing itself, this blue-ray whort a lot, and have a special value for the fans.
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Save for the Love Story, A Great Novel Adaption
It’s not often that a novel, not to mention a great classic is transformed into a novel with beauty, style and faithfulness to the source. This wonder of cinema captures the Victorian era, the collated diary style so effective in the novel and is packed with little details only readers will pick up. This film fails in only one respect, the Mina/Vlad Love Story. It’s terrible and a stain on the entire picture. It sticks out like a thorn in the side of the this otherwise faithful film. Everyone seems to blame that James Hart guy but as the director FF Coppola had the final say, it is, in the end, his fault. I can’t help but think that it was put in to make the film feature length. Other than that, the film is well cast, with wonderful performances by mostly everyone. I personally liked Gary Oldman, the 3 suitors, Lucy, Renfield and Hopkins’ Van Helsing the best. Hopkins isn’t over the top at all when you read about Van Helsing’s rants in the book. Check out his “King Laugh” speech when he explains while he laughs and cries in quick succession after Lucy’s death in the novel and you’ll see the connection with Hopkin’s performance. Altogether, a wonderfully great adaption save for the one jarring element, the love story.
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OLDMAN STAKES HIS CLAIM
I did not think anyone could make a more wonderful Dracula than Frank Langella had, but Oldman ( in perhaps his best performance since SID AND NANCY ) grabs this role by the throat, and breathes new life into the character. Keanu Reeves was a little less wooden than usual. Wynona Ryder made an excellent love interest. Anthony Hopkins was fun as Van Helsing, and Tom Waits was a riot as Renfield.
Besides Oldman’s inspired acting, this exceptional retelling of Stoker’s classic boasts a phenominal cast, a great score, incredible sets, sumptuous costumes, extremely beautiful, moody atmospheric cinematography, and Coppola’s and Kim Aubry’s masterful direction. One bite is never enough.
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Not Much Stoker
Bram Stoker’s Dracula This is a good movie. It isn’t Stoker but others have explained why the title was chosen. Or why they THOUGHT it was chosen. Actually, no one owns the rights to the name “Dracula” anymore. It is in the Public Domain. All the various studios own are the rights to their FILMS. Francis really wanted the viewers to think he had filmed the book. He didn’t. This is Coppola’s Dracula…or Hart’s Dracula…but it isn’t Stoker’s.
Bram Stoker couldn’t have cared less about the historical Vlad the Impaler. He just borrowed the name (after he ran across it in an old book on Transylvania) because it sounded better than his first choice which was “Count Vampyr”. One can’t argue with him there. But Stoker’s character is entirely his own creation and bore little resemblance to the historical “Dark Prince”. Personally I’ve always preferred VARNEY THE VAMPIRE for a really good gothic read Varney the Vampire: Or “The Feast of Blood”. However—we’re far from the book here. The closest adaptation of Stoker’s novel that I ever saw was Louis Jourdan in the BBC production Count Dracula (BBC Mini-Series) and even it wasn’t as close as, say, John Huston’s adaptation of THE MALTESE FALCON was to Hammett’s novel.
Everybody always seems to want to add their own stuff. I have no idea why. There is a reason the novel has never been out of print since it was first published in 1899. Stoker got it RIGHT. Why won’t some film maker realize that? NOSFERATU (Murnau’s German version) is often lauded as “great” and “wonderfully creepy” and so on—but he didn’t film Stoker’s book either. Nowhere near it in fact.
(sigh)
But let’s discuss this film. As our stars we have an internationally famous shoplifter http://www.courttv.com/trials/ryder/, that kid from the Matrix movies, the guy from ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, Hannibal Lechter, and a part-time Time Lord http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/webcasts/shalka/ and Warlock Chaser. Warlock
Let’s discuss this cast, shall we? Winona Ryder as Mina Harker…who presumably develops a “thing” for Dracula. This is because in this version she is the reincarnation of Dracula’s wife who committed suicide. (That part is true history, btw—not the reincarnation—the rest of it). And it isn’t in Stoker’s book. Actually the Mina-Dracula love connection owes something to Fred Saberhagen’s books which begin with THIS one The Dracula Tape and are a great read.
In Stoke’s novel vampires can move about by day—sunlight does NOT kill them—we only see this in THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN with Mina (who is a vampire in that film) standing on the deck of the Nautilus taking the sun. Someone reported the transfusions to save Lucy’s life as a goof in the IMDB report on this film because the process Van Helsing mentions “Landsteiner’s method” wasn’t published until three years later. But Karl Landsteiner would have been working on it in 1897 and whom would he be more apt to ask for advice than the famous Professor Van Helsing (an expert on diseases of the blood—among other things)?
(Some people work overtime trying to find mistakes in movies and never get to enjoy the movie. There’s like a thousand “continuity mistakes” listed and most of them weren’t mistakes. The film moves like a nightmare and all these weird cuts and things were intended to move the viewer OUT of everyday reality and into the nightmare where you begin to BELIEVE what you are seeing on the screen is REAL as any nightmare you ever had seemed while you were dreaming it).
This film does that beautifully. And the cast is excellent. Anthony Hopkins does a wonderfully loony Van Helsing. He’s the only actor who ever played the part that I could believe was an older version of the character played by Hugh Jackman. (Yes, I know that film hadn’t been made yet but it still works).
Winona is delightful in both roles—as are Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Gary Oldman, Sadie Frost (a tour-de-force as Lucy Westenra). ANYWAY, if you don’t have this one in your collection, get it. It is a fine movie…maybe even a great movie.
But it isn’t Stoker’s Dracula. For that you really need to read the book The New Annotated Dracula
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Slightly Dark Blu Ray Transfer
I will refrain reviewing the film here (as obviously it’s one of my favorites or I wouldn’t have purchased it on Blu Ray) but instead concentrate on the transfer and content, which I found satisfactory but not exceptional.
Firstly, the deleted scenes were a great addition to the Blu Ray disc. I only wish there were more! Being the nerd that I am, I had purchased a companion book to the film back in 1992 that had the whole script and now finally I get to see those scenes I had only previously been able to imagine.
The transfer was decent, but honestly I would have wished for a little more in the way of brightness. I ran this simultaneously with my old Superbit DVD and kept switching back and forth to compare. Now while the obvious clarity and sharpness of HD, along with greater color depth was apparent, I did notice that the Blu Ray was markedly darker. Some shadow detail was lost as a result, and oddly enough I found myself seeing small details in the DVD that were rather obscured on the Blu Ray. Somewhat disappointing.
The other thing was odd – the English subtitles that are displayed in the opening sequences had changed in font from the original. On this version they are in a very standard looking font, whereas the old VHS and DVD versions had a more old fashioned style font that I personally feel matched the look of the film more effectively. A very minor gripe but still, stylistically speaking it seems a little incongruous and unnecessary on the whole.
Part of me hopes that perhaps a special edition or director’s cut may lie in the future. I’d love to see the deleted scenes restored, a slightly brighter transfer, and those original subtitles back in action.
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