Film Review: Bram Stoker’s Dracula – 7.5/10

‘I have crossed oceans of time to find you…’

As one of the foremost American auteurs and founding member of the group of directors dubbed the ‘Hollywood Brats’ by influential film critic Pauline Kael, Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic legacy is secured. The Godfather movies, Apocolypse Now and The Conversation have ensured that Coppola will always be considered one of the best filmmakers of all time. By the time his iteration of Bram Stoker’s Dracula arrived in 1992, however, Coppola was past his best. While this film lacks the ingenuity that made Coppola such a star in the ’70s and ’80s, it is still a captivating and compelling retelling of the Dracula myth…

We know the story by now. Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) torments wet lettuce Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves), seduces his fiance Mina (Winona Ryder) and ignores his loyal servant Renfield (Tom Waits). In the second act, Anthony Hopkins shows up as Professor Van Helsing in what must be the most bombastic and over-the-top performance of his long and storied career. The whole thing is a lot of fun. The stacked cast also boasts Cary Elwes, Monica Bellucci and Richard E. Grant.

Is this the best Dracula movie? Very possibly. While Hopkins overplays as Van Helsing and Keanu underplays as Harker, Winona is perfect as Mina and Oldman is suitably creepy as the guy in the black cape despite his preposterous haircut. As a huge Tom Waits fan it’s immensely satisfying to see him perfectly inhabiting the role of Renfield and Polish composer Wojciech Kilar provides an incredibly propulsive score that keeps the various silly moments from being too silly.

While there is a nagging feeling that Coppola could have done something really incredible with this story earlier in his career, there is no denying that he imprints himself on this iteration of Dracula and the result is a film that is arguably the comprehensive version of this story. Enjoyable.