Argento's Dracula

ksj870

There's always room for a different interpretation of the Dracula story, and Dario Argento's take on the iconic vampire lord is nothing if not different. Reviewers have been almost universally unkind to this film, but I found the trailer intriguing and refused to let the naysayers dissuade me from watching it once it became available online. In fact, Argento has produced a very watchable vampire film that, while certainly not the next great horror masterpiece, isn't all bad, either. Thomas Kretschmann is outstanding in the lead role of Dracula, able to inspire real menace just by walking into a scene or even with a malevolently intoned word. The rest of the cast is somewhat uneven, with Argento's daughter Asia doing a nice turn as one of Dracula's victims though she isn't really given enough screen time. Rutger Hauer is on paper an inspired choice to play Dracula's nemesis, Van Helsing, but for whatever reason Hauer's performance is peculiarly tepid. It's almost as though he either doesn't know how to play the character or else simply isn't very interested. Marta Gastini, on the other hand, is marvelous as Mina, just as beautiful but more reserved than Asia Argento's character of Lucy and ultimately far wiser as well. Miriam Giovanelli is a delightful young beauty who steals more than one scene from her more experienced cast members, and it would be a treat to see more of her in future horror-themed films. The script takes considerable liberties with the original novel, but this should be no great obstacle to those who have seen other even less faithful adaptations of Dracula over the years. Moving the setting to Transylvania and keeping it there isn't the worst idea a Dracula director has ever had, and while the dialog is sometimes either overwritten or underwritten it generally keeps the plot moving. The music is eerie, atmospheric, and hypnotic, and the scenery is beautifully shot. Some reviewers have been very critical of the director's frequent use of day-for-night shots, but I for one was glad to actually be able to see what's happening in every scene. Special effects generally work, especially in the various transformation scenes, but the very copious blood that flows freely throughout the film is obviously fake and is a bit distracting at times. The film's biggest flaw is that, having set up what should be a moving and stirring climax, the conclusion is a major letdown that fails to deliver the big payoff such a movie demands. The final shot doesn't change the story that has gone before, but does leave room for a sequel. Argento seems to have based his film more upon the great Hammer films starring Christopher Lee than any other source, and while his Dracula film isn't as good as any of those classics, it's still worth a look by vampire fans of every stripe.

score 7/10

ksj870 26 December 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2928836/