rodrigonavalho

The must-see film for all Vampire fans and those who appreciate the charms of the Gothic and Victorian style, Bram Stoker's Dracula is a cinematic piece full of nominations (having received several Oscars and other awards) and acclaimed by audiences for the soundtrack and fantastic actors who shine in this dark movie. Bram Stroker wrote with dexterity and, a century later, Francis Coppola has masterfully realised an unparalleled piece of cinema. With actors such as Gary Oldman (the film's Dracula), Winona Ryder (the brilliant Mina Murray), Anthony Hopkins (with an eccentric performance as Van Helsing) and a sensational narrative, Coppola has managed to transcribe the fears placed in Dracula by Bram Stoker into the seventh art. Commenting on and analysing a film with as many layers as this is a challenge, but I'll do my best with the following summary: Dracula intends to explore the "modern" world and contacts a British company to buy land in 19th century London, the 'heart of the world'. On concluding the contract, which is headed by Jonathan Harker (played by the fantastic Keanu Reeves), Dracula realises that Jonathan is married to Mina, the reincarnation of his dead wife. On arriving in London (and after imprisoning Jonathan in his castle) Dracula adopts a younger, more refined appearance, now trying to win Mina's heart. Bram Stoker's Dracula is not just a 'film of the book', but an interesting and artistic interpretation of the underlying complexity that we can conclude from reading the book and from the context of the century in which it was written.

The 19th century was a period of great social and cultural change, including the Industrial Revolution and all the scientific advances of the time. Even in a period of 'Belle Époque', there reigned in Europe a fear of the unknown and a struggle between science and the supernatural that would become the foundations of our society today. The literary work of Dracula is nothing more than a metaphor for the 'threats' felt by what was the social and moral order of the time, as well as a reflection on the fear of decadence and foreign 'invasion' (currently felt in migratory problems). In Bram Stroker's Dracula, Coppola takes the opportunity to reflect on erotic tendencies, the temptation of sin and to explore the association of vampirism with syphilis, mirrored in the character Lucy Westenra (played by Sadie Frost) who falls ill and becomes a vampire, a metaphor for the sexual behaviour of the character, who maintained a hypersexual lifestyle and a relationship with three different suitors.

The epistolary style narration between the characters respects the narrative style presented in Dracula's work and it goes without saying that the actors in this film do a great job. Keanu Reeves manages to convey the fear and trepidation of an Englishman stranded in a country that is not his own (while being held captive in Dracula's castle) and Dracula, beautiful and deadly, longs for nothing more than to have Elisabeta (his dead wife, to whom Mina bears a striking resemblance) back by his side. Alongside Interview with the Vampire (which you can read my review of here), I can safely say that this film has a place on my podium of favourite films. With that, let me conclude my review by giving a 9/10 rating to this film which, for me, darkly reflects (artistically speaking) the work of Bram Stoker.