BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA Explained: Simply Extraordinary!

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as the full title of Francis Ford Coppola’s film goes, is one of the many variations on the most famous vampire in film history. This time, however, it is undoubtedly the most successful one, at least since Nosferatu by Werner Herzog and before Robert Eggers’ version. The reference to Stoker’s novel in the title is, however, not entirely justified here. Only a few main motifs from the novel, which is probably the only noteworthy work of this author, have been used. The remaining plot threads form a cleverly woven conglomerate of ideas from the play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, based on motifs from Stoker’s novel, from the early 20th century, screenwriters Jim V. Hart and John Patrick Veitch, and some of the most capable adapters of earlier film versions.

Based on this constructed narrative framework, Coppola directed an engaging story of a Transylvanian nobleman (Gary Oldman), who, for his defiance against God, is punished with eternal life in the form of a bloodthirsty demon – a vampire living alone in a castle in the Carpathians. However, one would be mistaken to think that this is just a tale of a vengeful bloodsucker. Vlad from the Dracula clan becomes a monster not out of a thirst for blood but in an act of rebellion against God, who takes away his beloved. Loneliness turns him into a bitter old man living in a house “full of bad memories.”

The turning point for him comes when a memory of his wife, Elizabetha – the incarnation of beauty and delicacy in the form of Wilhelmina (Mina) Murray – the fiancée of Jonathan Harker, a lawyer whom he hires to finalize the formalities of purchasing a property in London, is awakened. A hidden bit of humanity surfaces in him. This is when the action of this extraordinary film begins, full of the indescribable atmosphere of Victorian London at the turn of the century and one of the most beautiful and visually stunning love stories in the history of cinema. Behind the familiar backdrop of gothic horror, Coppola hides a sentimental, but not without bitterness, story of a classic love triangle and a love stronger than death.

Vlad is undoubtedly a tragic figure whose actions are conditioned by two sides of his personality: the first, a well-mannered gentleman, and the second, a bloodthirsty demon full of cruelty and murderous determination. This leads to a two-dimensional development of the plot. Dracula strives for a goal, which is the embodiment of the memory of his beloved wife. But the prince does not need to kill, blood is a rarity – the ambrosia of gods, he needs it to be young again, to live, to love, and be loved. Harker, Mina’s future husband, becomes the first obstacle in his path, so he must be imprisoned and left at the mercy of the vampires in Vlad’s castle. The next step and victim is Lucy Westenra – a friend, confidante, and the person closest to Mina after Jonathan.

Lucy represents Mina’s alternate personality, her dark side – decadent and unrestrained. The symbolic duality of Mina’s nature is emphasized by the scene of the “nightmare,” in which Lucy, dressed in a blood-red gown, is followed by Mina in snowy white. Red and white, innocence and sensuality, the obverse and reverse of the same coin. It is no accident that the demonic incarnation of the prince chooses Lucy – weak, sensual, susceptible to negative influence. By feeding on her fear and blood, he draws to himself the dark side of his fiancée’s nature. By being close to Lucy, he gets closer to Mina, which culminates in the scene of the dance amidst candles. However, Vlad does not achieve his goal. Mina becomes sober when a letter arrives from Transylvania, where Jonathan, who manages to escape from the vampires’ captivity in Dracula’s castle, writes to her. Lucy, tortured by the demon, is at the brink of life and death – the alternate side of Mina’s personality remains shackled within her body. Not for long.

Alongside the love-driven possession, an equally important motif of hunting the demon unfolds, led by Abraham van Helsing – a scholar and philosopher with a surprisingly open mind. He is the first to notice the connection between Lucy and Mina, correctly identifying the condition of the former. While Mina, in Transylvania, is getting married to Jonathan, Lucy’s final transformation takes place, as she dies to the world of day to be reborn for the night. Only Van Helsing realizes that the only way to save Mina is to finally kill both Lucy and Vlad. He treats his duel with Dracula as a knightly conflict. He knows that only one can survive, but at the same time, he is full of admiration and respect for his opponent. He stakes his humanity against the hellish powers of the demonic prince. However, he does not know that with Lucy’s death, Mina’s fate is sealed. During the most crucial, artistically crafted, and erotically charged scene of the film, physical proximity between the prince and Mina occurs, and she ultimately submits to his will.

Love in Coppola’s film is the main reason for all the misfortunes of the characters: Vlad, blinded by love and grief, opposes God. In striving to gain Mina, he seduces and kills Lucy. Mina’s love for the prince, in turn, brings misfortune to her and turns her friends into bloodthirsty madmen possessed by the desire for revenge. Destructive love is a cataclysm in the microcosm of people and events, one of the most dangerous and deadly elements. Nothing new? Certainly, but Coppola also shows that only true feeling can lead to harmony with the world, peace… redemption. And let that be the final word.

A significant role in creating the atmosphere of Coppola’s film was played by excellent acting – Gary Oldman, both as the medieval defender of faith, the four-hundred-year-old old man, and the eccentric prince, makes it impossible for the viewer to look away from the screen. So far, this is undoubtedly his best role, unjustly overlooked when the 1992 Oscars were awarded. Partnering with him as both Mina Harker and Elizabetha, Winona Ryder tries to keep up with him, portraying the character of an innocent woman who has the all-too-human problem of making the right choice.

It is also worth mentioning two supporting roles – Lucy Westenra, played by the debuting Sadie Frost, as well as Abraham van Helsing, brilliantly and ironically played by Anthony Hopkins. The weakest in this distinguished lineup is Keanu Reeves, whose Jonathan remains the least expressive character. One should also not forget the episodic, but extraordinary, role of Renfield, brilliantly performed by Tom Waits, better known for his music. The entire experience is completed with a notable Polish touch, as Wojciech Kilar composed the flawless score for the film – undoubtedly one of the finest works in film music overall.

It’s a shame that before Bram Stoker’s Dracula hit American theaters, it was ruthlessly cut by the producers (the original version did not appeal to the American audience). About 20 minutes of the film ended up on the cutting room floor. Director’s Cut anyone?