We are all familiar with Bram Stoker’s novel of the undying vampire. Even if we’ve never read that musty tome, the countless films, TV adaptations, plays, parodies and popular references have touched us all.
Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones – “Harvest”) has existed in an undead state since his blasphemy against God following his wife’s death in 1480. Now, after four centuries of searching for her reincarnated spirit, he has found her in the fiance of Jonathan Harker – Elisabeta (renamed from Mina in most adaptations and in the novel).
Writer/director Luc Besson has taken other significant liberties with the original novel – as have almost all adaptations. His treatment of Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid) minimizes a character who was treated to a full interpretation in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1994 version – the only other version of “Dracula” given so much time and money in the last few decades. Instead, he shifts the story more directly to Dracula himself, giving us a glimpse into the activities of the vampire between his creation and his appearance in Paris (not Whitby and London) in 1889 – the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Gone is the sailing ship “Demeter” and the horrors of the Count’s migration by sea from Varna, Bulgaria, to Whitby, England. Instead it’s an overland ride in a horse-drawn wagon. The character of Renfield, expanded in many adaptations, is replaced by a woman, a Parisian victim of Dracula’s, the lascivious Maria (Matilda De Angelis – “Fuorie”) who escapes her asylum prison and helps entrap Elisabeta.
Another big change is the character of Van Helsing. He is replaced by a priest (Christoph Waltz) who has spent the last 30 years expunging vampires spawned from Dracula, while seeking out the source. This interpretation is craftier, more humorous, and more sympathetic than other interpretations, including that of Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 version. On the other hand, he has less screen time and less character development.
The character of asylum director Dr. Seward is replaced and greatly reduced by Dr. Dumont (Guillaume de Tonquédec – “U. S. Palmese”). Completely absent from the script are Lucy Westenra, Quincy Morris and Arthur Holmwood.
This is a sumptuous production, featuring elaborate sets and costumes, plus excellent acting by all involved. Besson has brought out the humanity, and the humor, in his Dracula, something Coppola was less able to do. The movie’s original title (“Dracula – A Love Tale”) says it all about Vlad Dracula and his wife, Elisabeta.
The score is superb, if at time a bit overwhelming. There are hints of Wojciech Kilar’s fabulous musical score from the 1994 film in Danny Elfman’s also excellent score. This is hardly unexpected, since both deal with an undying love, a profound tragedy, and an overarching supernatural entity.
This is an excellent film, well recommended and, in my opinion, criminally underrated by the movie-going public.
Note: Luc Besson was inspired by Billie Eilish’s most recent album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” He listened to the album on repeat to get into the right mood for the movie’s tone.
Runtime: Two hours, nine minutes
Availability: In theaters and streaming
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