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Dracula (1992)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

From the moment Dracula (Oldman) trails a bloodied razor across his tongue with a look of ecstasy, you know that this version, going back to source in Stoker's novel, isn't going to offer a silver-tongued bloodsucker hovering over swooning damsels. In the opening sequences, Dracula's soul-mate Elisabeta (Ryder) commits suicide in the mistaken belief that he had died in battle. Forsaking God, he seems doomed to an endless existence of guilt and loneliness, until lawyer Jonathan Harker (Reeves) shows him a picture of his fiancée, who just happens to be the spitting image of Elisabeta. A gorgeous, stylised adaptation, full of visual tricks and dazzling camerawork, this places the emphasis firmly on perverse, rampant eroticism. Equally forceful is Oldman's extraordinary performance, especially in his older guise, complete with bouffant hairdo and elongated fingers. In contrast to Hopkins' aggressive performance as vampire-hunter Van Helsing, a stupefied Reeves puts in a hopeless show of defiance. This lack of a convincing central dynamic leads to the occasional sense that the film is little more than a spectacular edifice, but you'll be too spellbound to resist seduction.

Author: CM 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • S Colban said...
    Posted on Sep 08 2009 19:57 Oldmans` preformance was brilliant : a lot of detail-reseach went into the script and Gary wasted non of it eg the 14th Century mannerism,Knights` Chivlarous qualities.His physic was very true to life - I can think of two Great generals,who,if you didn`t know them would pass them off as whimps (Sitting Bull,Von Mantufel).Hopkins performance was excellent as always and so were the other actors - each played a vital ingredient that made this the best Dracula Film to date.I could go on - the Nosferateau-silent-movie touch of....
    Report as inappropriate
  • S Colban said...
    Posted on Sep 08 2009 19:57 Oldmans` preformance was brilliant : a lot of detail-reseach went into the script and Gary wasted non of it eg the 14th Century mannerism,Knights` Chivlarous qualities.His physic was very true to life - I can think of two Great generals,who,if you didn`t know them would pass them off as whimps (Sitting Bull,Von Mantufel).Hopkins performance was excellent as always and so were the other actors - each played a vital ingredient that made this the best Dracula Film to date.I could go on - the Nosferateau-silent-movie touch of....
    Report as inappropriate

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Cast & crew

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Producer: Fredric S Fuchs, Francis Ford Coppola, Charles Mulvehill

Cast: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E Grant, Cary Elwes, Bill Campbell, Sadie Frost, Tom Waits, Jay Robinson full cast

Genre(s): Horror

Duration: 127 mins

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