Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)
by Francis Ford Coppola, Kim Aubry
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Winona RyderDirector: Francis Ford Coppola, Kim Aubry
Brand: N/A
Producer: Francis Ford Coppola
Producer: Anne Mason
Producer: Charles Mulvehill
Producer: Fred Fuchs
Writer: Bram Stoker
Writer: James V. Hart
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Bulgarian (Original Language); English (Original Language); Greek (Original Language); Romanian (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Portuguese (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 127 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-10-02
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: A Halluncinating Dream From Start to Finish
Summary: 5 Stars
Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of Bram Stoker's horror masterpiece is a masterpiece in its own right, and as a film, there is nothing else like it. From start to finish, one feels as if one is watching an erotic, albeit blood-soaked, dream resulting from a little too much wine. One's head spins as the film's dazzling journey and storm sequences swim across the screen, filling one's eyes with too many Gothic images to count. At the end of my first viewing of this film, I didn't know how to process it - the film is such a sensory experience that upon turning off my television, I felt as if I had awoken from a pleasurable yet horrific nightmare. In some ways, the film has the same effect as that of an actual dream - you remember what it is about, but at the same time, like a dream, it presents so many different and conflicting emotions and settings that you cannot really remember the dream clearly at all, but you none the less know that you had it and cannot shake the way that it made you feel. This Dracula has exactly such an effect on one's mind, making it absolutely necessary to watch it multiple times in order to fully appreciate it as not only an artistic triumph but also as an excellent example of sheer film making craft.
Coppola and his designers wisely decided to make everything in the film larger than life and slightly off-kilter, again reinforcing the notion of being asleep, or entranced just like one of Dracula's victims. Even the Victorian costumes and sets are devoid of any gritty realism - one knows where and when the film is set, but there is no way that Victorian England looked so much like an illustration from a novel, but, this is of course to the film's great credit. Also surprising are the film's rather old-fashioned special effects, especially Dracula's sneaky shadow, a homage to the silent Nosferatu film from the '20s. There appears to be almost no use of the computer wizardry that has taken over the film industry in the past decade here, which makes the startling effects that much more real and frightening.
For a Gothic fairytale, however, the main performances are suprisingly genuine, infused with real human pathos and longing. This is especially true of Gary Oldman's no-holes barred performance as the Count. From the moment he appears onscreen in a ridiculous wig and a flowing red robe, Oldman gives what could very easily be a caricature real depth, choosing to underplay many of the character's grander speeches to make them seem real stream-of-consciousness confessions rather than speeches out of a Victorian novel. This is greatly to Oldman's credit as an actor as his delivery perfectly counterbalances his larger-than-life costumes and makeup. This Dracula may not have a physical heart that beats, but he undoubtedly has a spiritual heart and soul. As Mina, the fair lady whom Dracula believes is the reincarnation of his long-dead wife, Winona Ryder actually gives what is a very convincing performance, filled with both desperate longing for something she shouldn't even admit she wants (namely sex) and a desire to remain faithful to the mores of her society (a character trait Ryder would play to marvelous effect the next year in Scorsese's The Age of Innocence for which she was nominated for an Oscar). Many reviewers say that Mina is indeed the reincarnation of Dracula's beloved wife, but to be honest I think differently. Mina's mind is being controlled by the Count, and for most of the film she is very much attempting to keep her sanity - as a victim with limited power, I think Mina would be willing to tell the Count as many lover's vows and declarations as he would want to hear, but, I digress. Anthony Hopkins is wonderful as the half-crazed vampire slayer and doctor Van Helsing, artfully combining camp and realism to give what is a very finely crafted performance. And, as Lucy Westenra, Sadie Frost gives us a Victorian maid plagued by what is essentially erotomania, her ravishment and fatal bite from Dracula seemingly stemming from her desire to be sexually liberated - her later convulsions and cries of pain during her subsequent "illness" closely mimicking those that accompany orgasm. The smaller supporting players do fine, except for Keanu Reeves who is terrible as always, but his blandness works for the most part here: Jonathan doesn't understand what is happening to his dear wife Mina, so, Keanu' dazed look actually comes in handy, even though his line deliveries have about as much passion in them as a Hallmark card.
Coppola's film is not a film for everyone, especially for those who shy away from blood and bare breasts, but, the film is still a triumph of film making and is a must for fans of the horror genre, devotees of Bram Stoker's original novel, or film fanatics in general.
Summary of Bram Stoker's Dracula (Collector's Edition)
No Description Available.Genre: Horror
Rating: R
Release Date: 2-OCT-2007
Media Type: DVD
Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula is a feverishly inventive movie that often overwhelms its own narrative flow, yet proves irresistible to watch. In the high-definition transfer on this two-disc Collector's Edition, Coppola's baroque, operatic set design, costumes, and cinematography look as lavish as they did on the film's first release. The director's grab-bag of visual effects are still bold and unabashed, if often over-the-top, and the actors still appear caught up in a certain hysterical pitch that feels a little forced but can be a lot of fun to watch. Gary Oldman's imaginative performance as the titular vampire carries the weight of Coppola's vision of Count Dracula as a tragic-romantic hero with Christ-like overtones. Keanu Reeves still looks a little lost in the pivotal role of Jonathan Harker, the London clerk who finds himself a prisoner in a Transylvanian castle while a 400-year-old vampire makes a play for his fiancée back home (Winona Ryder). Anthony Hopkins is fearless as a daft Von Helsing, and Sadie Frost is very good as the doomed Lucy.
The second disc in this set includes several good documentaries, including a featurette on the making of the film, involving past and present interviews with the principal artists involved. (Coppola and screenwriter James V. Hart speak persuasively about their commitment to bringing Stoker?s vision to the screen, rather than another revision.) Another documentary, "In-Camera: The Naïve Visual Effects of 'Dracula,'" is a fascinating overview of Coppola?s sometimes-frustrated effort to get the timeless special effects he was seeking. There are also quite a few deleted scenes among the special features, the best of which is an alternative cut to the film?s bloody ending. --Tom Keogh
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