Dracula Film Analysis – Besson’s Passionate Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Watchable
It’s possible audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. And yet, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale has ambition and panache – and amid its theatrical camp, it could be preferable compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent similar to Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss
The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the earth in torment for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has looked tirelessly for a lady who might be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the chosen woman is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style
Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits skillfully, and he willingly includes offering funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to farcical scenes that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and on DVD and Blu-ray from 22 December. It screens in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.
