Dracula reaches his castle in Transylvania, where he prepares to make Mina his bride. Van Helsing and his group catch up with him and engage in a final battle. Jonathan and Quincey manage to stab Dracula in the heart and the throat, while Mina kisses him.
Dracula asks Mina to give him peace and she decapitates him with a knife. As Dracula dies, his curse is lifted and his youthful appearance is restored. Mina and Jonathan see a vision of Dracula and Elisabeta ascending to heaven, while Van Helsing watches over them.
Plot Summary
The plot summary of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is as follows:
- In 1462, Vlad Dracula becomes a vampire after his wife Elisabeta commits suicide.
- In 1897, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula, who recognizes his fiancée Mina as Elisabeta’s reincarnation.
- Dracula leaves for London, where he seduces and bites Lucy Westenra, Mina’s friend.
- Professor Van Helsing arrives in London and tries to save Lucy from Dracula’s influence.
- Jonathan escapes from Dracula’s castle and marries Mina in Budapest.
- Van Helsing and Lucy’s suitors stake Lucy in her crypt and decide to hunt down Dracula.
- Dracula attacks Renfield, his servant, and confronts Van Helsing and his allies at Carfax Abbey.
- Dracula flees to his last box of soil at Chicksand Street, where he kidnaps Mina and takes her to Transylvania.
- Van Helsing and his group follow Dracula to his castle and fight him.
- Jonathan and Quincey kill Dracula, while Mina kisses him and decapitates him.
- Dracula and Elisabeta ascend to heaven, while Mina and Jonathan are reunited.
Key Elements and Highlights
Some of the key elements and highlights of Bram Stoker’s Dracula are:
- The film is faithful to the novel, but also adds some original elements, such as the love story between Dracula and Mina, the historical background of Vlad the Impaler, and the references to various vampire myths and legends.
- The film is visually stunning, using elaborate costumes, sets, makeup, and special effects. The film also uses various camera techniques, such as split screens, dissolves, shadows, reflections, and color filters. The film avoids using computer-generated imagery (CGI) and relies on practical effects and optical illusions.
- The film has a haunting score by Wojciech Kilar, which combines orchestral music with choral chants and ethnic instruments. The film also features a closing credits theme by Annie Lennox, called “Love Song for a Vampire”, which became a hit song.
- The film has a stellar cast, featuring Gary Oldman as Dracula, Winona Ryder as Mina/Elisabeta, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker, Richard E. Grant as Dr. Seward, Cary Elwes as Arthur Holmwood, Billy Campbell as Quincey Morris, Sadie Frost as Lucy Westenra, Tom Waits as Renfield, Monica Bellucci as one of Dracula’s brides, among others.
Movie Review
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a Gothic horror masterpiece that deserves to be seen by any fan of the genre. It is a faithful adaptation of the novel that also adds some original twists and turns. It is a visually stunning film that creates a rich Gothic atmosphere with its costumes, sets, makeup, and special effects.
