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Francis Ford Coppola refers to the literary classic as the filmtitle wants to make us believe. But instead of trying to transmit the calm of the book and the atmosphere of Victorian England, Coppola gets lost in technical tricks, in bombastic colour- and light-effects. The bunch of famous actors gives a lifeless and unworthy performance. Especially Lucy and her three lovers are a shame to look at. I didn't forget for just one minute that they all are actors who try to behave like people at the end of 19th century. They did a bad job. The scene where Prince Vlad and Mina drink each others blood is ridiculous and embarrassing. I like melodramatic films very much but this film has neither heart nor soul. The splatter effects are used very artificial and through that thank God not very revolting. All the time of 130 minutes I never felt fear or sympathy for the characters. I just sat in the cinema chair, watched the extremely beautiful pictures and missed more and more the profound English spirit of Bram Stoker's novel. This film should be called "Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula"!

Kubrick's complex film about isolation and the lunacy following out of that is a chilling art movie. It leads right into the labyrinth of human soul. Wonderful are the usual slow backwards, forwards and horizontal camera motions. Lighting and colours are appointed in an exquisite way. Even the few bloodsheded scenes are artificial. No doubt, there is pure dread in these cold, symmetrical pictures. Danny, the little son knows that. He can see in his mind what happened at the Overlook hotel and he can also see what will happen soon, while his father turns slowly into a perilous amuck runner. Danny meets the murdered twin sisters at the long corridor. He also encounters a long time deceased and decayed old woman who attacks him. The sequence when his father is lookins after her in room 237 is absolutely horrible. The show-down in the maze is overwhelming. The only failing, I think, are the actors. Shelley Duvall is not always convincing and Jack Nicholson is too excessiv with his mimicry. But the music of György Ligeti, Béla Bartók, Krzysztof Penderecki and Wendy Carlos is a guaranty for additional shiver.