A masterpiece of gothic horror, a classic and a model for other such productions – “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” by Francis Ford Coppola today celebrates its premiere.
Year 1462. Prince Vlad III fights the Turks. His wife Elisabeta learns that he has died and, in despair, commits suicide. The message turns out to be false. When the prince returns, it turns out that the princess, as a suicide woman, cannot be buried in the sacred ground. Vlad curses everyone and decides that he will make a pact with the forces of darkness and become a vampire.
The year 1897. Jonathan, a somewhat indolent solicitor, and the beautiful and sweet Mina are about to get married. Before that, however, a lawyer has to go to a castle in Transylvania. There, Vlad Dracula summoned him to advise him on the purchase of real estate in London. When the owner of the castle notices a photo of the lawyer’s fiancée, by chance a twin resembling Elisabetta, something that has long been dormant wakes up in him … He leaves Jonathan to the prey of his ghostly brides, and he sets out to fetch Mina.
1992. Coppola decided to make a work with a climate resembling a terrible, scary, but also a bit erotic dream. He added a pinch of pop culture, kitsch, some threads from other works, his own invention, a study of loneliness and longing, and a great love stronger than death. The director insisted on not using computer-generated effects. His son, Roman, helped him with the film. Stifling atmosphere, Victorian atmosphere, galaxy of stars, great costumes. What more could you want?
1993. The film won three Oscars (including for make-up), several Saturn, and a BAFTA nomination.
The cast featured the stars themselves: primarily Gary Oldman – Count Drakula / Vlad III and Winona Ryder – Mina Harker / Elisabeta, Anthony Hopkins – professor Abraham Van Helsing / priest, Keanu Reeves – Jonathan Harker, Richard E. Grant – Dr. Jack Seward, Cary Elwes – Sir Arthur Holmwood, Billy Campbell – Quincey Morris, Sadie Frost – Lucy Westenra, Tom Waits – RM Renfield, Jay Robinson – Mr. Hawkins, and the Vampires were Monica Bellucci, Michaela Bercu and Florina Kendrick.
Michèle Burke, Oscar winner for makeup and hairstyles for this film, said:
Francis didn’t want the typical Dracula that had already been shot in Hollywood. He wanted something else; a new Dracula without a tuft of hair on his forehead, a cloak and chalk white skin.
Lead role Winona Ryder said:
What drew me to the script is the fact that it’s a very emotional love story, which isn’t what you think of when you mean Dracula. Mina, like many women in the late 19th century, has a highly repressed sexuality. Everything about women at the time, the way corsets forced them to move, indicated repression. Expressing passion was bizarre.
The movie resounds with “The Love Song For a Vampire” by Annie Lennox. However, apart from this one song, all the music was composed by our compatriot – Wojciech Kilar. The soundtrack harmonizes perfectly with the theme of the film, it is powerful and disturbing. Kilar was nominated for Saturn for her.
Dracula in 1992 made an impact on culture. Horror as a genre, so far neglected, suddenly made its way into the mainstream. From then on, vampires were no longer just terrifying beasts, but became… sexy. Don’t you think?
Listen to them. Children of the night. What a beautiful music it is. So what, we already have our plans for the evening, right?