Oldman Breaks Your Heart

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2005)

"Bram Stoker's Dracula" is as close to the novel that we'll ever get. Under the direction of Francis Ford Coppola, we are given an interesting twist to the story and a motivating factor as to why Dracula became what he was.
The film opens with Dracula (Gary Oldman) about to go into battle against the Turks. His wife Elizabeta (Winona Ryder) fears for his life, knowing that there's a good possibility that he won't come back from this battle. We witness Vlad the Impaler on the job (in an interesting use of shadows, by the way), striking down his enemies in the name of God. However, his devotion to God turns nasty when he returns home to find his wife dead (She threw herself into the river because of a phony message from the Turks saying that her hubby was dead). Knowing that suicide is against God's law and that she will be damned, Vlad isn't a happy camper. And he shows it by denouncing God and cursing himself in the process, refusing to serve the God that had betrayed him.
The next thing we know, 400 years has passed, and Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) kisses his fiancé Mina Murray (Ryder again) goodbye, heading to Transylvania to do business with Count Dracula. Harker doesn't even care much that previous real estate agent, Renfield (Tom Waits), went insane and is now locked up in the loony bin, eating lots of bugs.
Harker's trip is strange (wolves, blue flames, creepy coach driver) and his stay at Castle Dracula doesn't make things easier: watching a potential client leave the castle by scaling down a wall will do that to a person). Plus, Dracula's brides make a play for him (Oh yes, a LOT of sexuality is in this film).
Mina during this time is staying with her childhood (and wealthy)friend Lucy (Sadie Frost). Lucy is pursued by 3 prominent men: Quincy Morris (Bill Campbell),Dr.Jack Seward (Richard E. Grant) and Lord Arthur Holmwood (Cary Elwes). But it seems that Dracula wants to have a little taste of Lucy as well, practically raping her in the form of a wolf when he arrives in England. His sole purpose is to get with Mina, who is the spitting image of his late wife. However, with the arrival of Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins, who seems to still have a little bit of Hannibal Lecter trapped inside of him) and Jonathan's escape, things get a bit complicated.
I absolutely adore this film (except for one thing that I will later explain). The music by Wojciech Kilar is haunting (My favorite piece is "The Brides.") and the costumes by Japanese designer Eiko Ishioka is incredible (And won a deserved Oscar for her work). And the craft-work of Coppola shows throughout the film.
The cast is excellent, with one exception: Keanu Reeves. Although it seems that he is really trying, he keeps slipping in and out of his English accent as badly as Kevin Costner's in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." But it is Oldman as Dracula that shines. Dracula truly loves Mina. When Mina leaves to reunite with Jonathan, Dracula's emotions tore at the heart. After all, how many of us were broken up when the girl (Or guy)of your dreams dumped you for someone that isn't as cool as you? (Come on, Jonathan was as stale as year old crackers). The scene when Mina finds out the truth about Dracula is just as heartbreaking. Despite what he has done, she still loves him. Dracula loves her, but doesn't want to subject her to his fate ("I love you too much to condemn you" he cries). Her answer is priceless: "Then take me away from all this death." Even though this may be classified as a horror film (After all, stakes and be-headings happen a lot in the film), the heart of the film is the love story. Who hasn't done something incredibly stupid for love?