Where does a director find the confidence to give new form and light to a film that reckons with a legend as well-known and enduring as Dracula?
Luc Besson, director and screenwriter of “Dracula: A Love Tale,” reimagines cultural conceptions of Dracula, attributing his madness, cruelty, and alleged soullessness to a single cause (or curse)—love. He breathes new life into the character by emphasizing the pathetic details of his existence, unintentionally glossing over some of the more brutal aspects of Dracula’s lore. Instead, choosing to zero in on Dracula, or Prince Vladimir’s, humane and almost-unreasonable obsession and love for “his” Elisabeta.
Set against the landscape of 1480s Wallachia, alongside a time-jump into late 18th century Paris, the film embraces a lush, almost fantastical aesthetic. Through dark and lofty shots of Dracula’s estate, cinematographer Colin Wandersman is able to isolate the figure of Dracula and tinge each scene with the desired gothic touch. Wintry and shadowed backdrops are used to present Dracula’s eternal existence as a doomed romantic quest—one that defies nature, death, and even God.
It all begins with a wonderfully crafted opening montage scene of the unconditional and indulgent love between Prince Vladimir (Caleb Landry Jones) and his wife Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu Sidel) juxtaposed against the coldness and severity of war waged against the Ottomans, in which Prince Vladimir plays a central role.
Before becoming the domineering and isolated figure of Dracula, Prince Vladimir condemns himself to an accursed eternity, bound to Earth as a dead man for committing a blasphemous act against God, in what is marked as one of the most emotionally heightened scenes in the film, expanding and reimagining, daringly, the religious aspects of its novel source.
Dracula waits for centuries to meet again with his beloved wife to no avail until solicitor, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid) disrupts his sleepwalking on Earth and unwillingly sends him on the track towards Jonathan’s own fiancée, Mina, who is a reincarnated Elisabeta that Dracula feels instantly called to. It is a subtle and evocative two-role play by Zoë Bleu Sidel, who is consumed by the figure of Dracula and the implications of her own life in his past one. He stops at no end to find her again, despite Jonathan’s attempts to prevent their destined meeting.
Luc Besson is well-known for a filmography that centers on character-driven plots, often revolving around a central heroine or hero, as he does with Nikita in “La Femme Nikita,” Leeloo in “Fifth Element,” Leon in “Leon the Professional,” and Bryan Mills in “Taken.” This is similar to how he treats the character of “Dracula,” we are taken through his story and the focus becomes his actions and desires, with interpolation of his legend from characters such as the priest played by Christopher Waltz, who gives a measured performance as a scientifically-inclined Van Helsing. The priest serves as one of the only known agents against the supernatural that can both stop Dracula and trace him down, and he is accompanied by Jonathan (Ewens Abid), who plays out this ordeal to stop Dracula and prevent Elisabeta’s loss as desperately as possible.
The dread increases as Mina is whirled dangerously close to Dracula through an unexpected acquaintance with Maria, played by Matilda De Angelis, as a rather hot-blooded and sensual vampire and associate of Dracula. This is a re-adaptation differing in its treatment of Dracula, with Besson verging on over-empathizing with his protagonist in his depiction of a “love tale.” Because of this he manages to create a new Dracula, one that can both move you through his rage and impotence, but can also amuse you through his overly dramatic and impassioned acts.
While the film is largely dramatic, there are a few unexpected turns, especially as Dracula’s transformation is introduced. Besson is not reluctant to point out the absurdity of vampirism among the real world. One of the most remarkable scenes in the film toys with the idea of Dracula’s seductiveness and otherworldly essence, including choreographed dances, set to the fittingly melancholic score of Danny Elfman. Scenes like this one, manage to highlight the irreverence of Besson, in his assessment of the vampire.
If you enjoy a film that relishes high passions and stakes, then you need to check out “Dracula: A Love Tale” playing now in theaters near you.
Featured Photo Credit: Vertical Entertainment
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