#Bram Stoker’s Dracula Puts The ‘Opera’ In Gothic Horror Opera

One could argue “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” brought style to the vampire genre and not much else — but what style it brought! It’s a film that’s full to the brim with sumptuous imagery, from the Oscar-winning costumes by Eiko Ishioka (many of which are museum-worthy works of art) to the striking in-camera and on-set visual effects overseen by Coppola’s son, Roman Coppola. The movie also tips its hat to “Dracula” adaptations past, using iris transitions and shot compositions that call back to the German Expressionism of “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.” Even the famous moment where Dracula’s shadow takes on a life of its own and threatens to strangle Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) makes for a nice homage to Count Orlok’s profile slinking up a set of stairs in F.W. Murnau’s unauthorized silent film version of Stoker’s novel.

Much like Wes Anderson’s films, however, you can’t divorce the style of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” from the substance. This is a gothic tale of damned souls and a Romance (with a capital “R”) that spans centuries. It required a theatrical sensibility across the board, from the cinematography and music (you could pair Michael Ballhaus’ menacing central theme with most anything, and it would feel dramatic and ominous) down to the script and acting. What’s more, Coppola and his big-name cast know better than to wink at the audience. None of the movie’s outlandishness would land if Ryder, Oldman, and their co-stars didn’t play it all with a straight face. Even Reeves, for all the flak he’s gotten for his turn as Mr. Harker, takes everything here seriously. (The real problem is that Reeves was miscast in a role that simply didn’t fit his strengths as an actor.)