Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Engaging
Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for polished extravagance. Still, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that appears to show a land border between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the malevolent vampire count, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss
Here’s the premise: the count has traveled ceaselessly the earth in sorrow for hundreds of years after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for some woman who could be the return of his lost love. By cruel fate, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to discuss his land assets and the tiny painting of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch
Besson arranges Dracula’s middle-section history of global roaming wearing flamboyant outfits with a sure hand, and he is not above giving us funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to commit suicide after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that result after Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
