History Film / BramStokersDracula

* GameFace: Dracula turns into a [[BuffySpeak giant bat thing]] when confronted by the heroes.
He also changes into his wolf form when he's about to attack the crew of the Demeter.

* StakingTheLovedOne: Twice -- Arthur stakes Lucy, and in the final scene Mina finishes Dracula off.

Flash forward to [[VictorianLondon England, 1897]]. [[TomWaits A clerk named Renfield]] is gibbering in his [[BedlamHouse cell]] while his replacement, [[KeanuReeves Jonathan Harker]], travels to Transylvania to complete a sale to a certain Count Dracula.

Despite the title, the film strays from the original novel considerably at times.

* AdaptationExpansion: Dracula's BackStory as a self-cursed vampire because his wife committed suicide, entirely absent from the original novel.
** As is Mina's resemblance to his wife, Dracula's pursuit of her because of it and Mina falling in love with him to the point of nearly sabotaging her heroes attempts to stop him from completely turning her.
* AnimalMotifs: Dracula is associated with the usual wolves, bats, and rats. Lucy is frequently associated with reptiles: she wears an evening gown with snake embroidering and has a hairdo that resembles coiled snakes, the nightgown she wears when attacked by Dracula resembles a snake's belly, and her wedding/funeral dress was inspired by frill-necked lizards.

** Made worse by the fact that is was promoted as ''[[BlatantLies 'The Most Accurate Retelling of the original Dracula ever done.']]''... and the film departed so drastically from the original novel that it needed its ''own'' {{Novelization}}!

* CaptainsLog: Most of the main characters provide voice over narration in the form of journal entries or letters read out loud.
** Played literally in the case of log written by captain of the 'Demeter'.
** As an epistolary novel this is actually more accurate to the source material rather than just a clumsy job of incorporating elements that were hard to adapt.
* ChekhovsGun: Quincey's Bowie knife plays part in the scene Quincey is introduced. At the end of the movie [[spoiler: Mina uses it to finally kill Dracula]].

** Van Helsing yelling "Feed Me" because he apparently can't go vampire hunting on an empty stomach. It normally would just be [[RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic realistic dialogue]], since people do need to eat, but it's this trope because he's bellowing it at the top of his lungs while doing an intentionally ridiculous Tango with Quincy, screaming about how Lucy is "the Devil's concubine," and laughing like a maniac because he's figured out what Dracula is up to.
** A lot of Oldman's performance as the older Dracula can be this, although it actually works to his advantage, he still manages to be really damn creepy.

** If the main color for a scene is orange, it's an almost certain sign that someone is going to be in danger (or just very creeped out.) It's not the first time something orange-related meant death in a [[Film/TheGodfather Francis Ford Coppola movie]].
* CostumePorn: Wonderful to fruitcake, the designs by Eiko Ishioka won an AcademyAward.
* CrossMeltingAura: Dracula's brides melt Jonathan's crucifix, thankfully without burning him.
** Also Dracula who burns a cross Helsing tries to use against him.

* DespairEventHorizon: The false death of Dracula for Elisabeta and her suicide for Dracula.
* DissonantSerenity : Van Helsing, a couple time.

--> '''Van Helsing''' : Ja she was in great pain ! Then we cut off her head, and, drove a stake through her heart, and, burned it , and then she found peace!

* EatsBabies: Dracula's brides, and vampirized Lucy.

* FallenHero: From the Christian perspective. Dracula was once a server of the cross, .
* FakeNationality: Over half of the main cast, with the exception of Dr. Seward, Lucy, Arthur and Quincy.
** Since Dr. Seward's presumably not [[RichardEGrant Swazi/British colonial]] in this adaptation, he sort of qualifies as well.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Contemporary Dracula's very first lines are polite and inviting. The masquerade doesn't last much.

** Likewise changing into his wolf form when he's about to attack the crew of the Demeter.

* GorgeousPeriodDress - with the possible exception of medieval Dracula's armor.

* MalevolentArchitecture: Normal laws of physics don't quite seem to apply in Castle Dracula, most notably seen when Harker opens a perfume bottle that starts dripping upwards into the ceiling. For extra creep factor, the castle itself vaguely resembles a ghoulish figure crouched on a cracked throne.
* MatchCut

** Then there's Dracula's brides, all of whom are gorgeous and topless, and one of whom is played by a young MonicaBellucci.

* OminousLatinChanting: SANGUIS VITA EST!
* OneWingedAngel: Dracula does this twice in the movie. Once as a werewolf like creature. Another as a humanoid bat.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Well somewhat, the undead here are portrayed as much more monstrous and making growling and otherwise inhuman sounds. Dracula also never fully changes into animals when he shapeshifts keeping a human form when he goes wolf or bat, The vampires here also have more supernatual powers such able to push people with an invisible force or, if powerful enough, burn or melt crosses. Lastly while it was stated that vampires can't use their powers during the daytime (but can go out in it if they choose), Dracula nearly bites Mina at one point during an outing (though it could be argued he was indoor, thus in darkness at the time).
* TheOphelia: Elisabeta. Coppola even calls refers to her as such on the set.

* POVCam: The film switches to Dracula's POV when he's about to attack Lucy.
* PimpedOutDress
* TheProfessor
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Film Dracula, who somehow became a vampire with [[ThePowerOfHate nothing but his own hatred of God.]]

* SceneryPorn: The studio sets, from rose-filled gardens to Hammer taverns. Bound to happen with Mike Mignola involved with the art design.
* ShoutOut: The thrusting of a crucifix into the foreground is a direct reference to Hammer Films' ''Film/HorrorOfDracula''.
** Also Dracula's shadow and his rising from the grave is taken from ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'', while many famous quotes are included from [[{{Film/Dracula}} the Lugosi version]]. Coppola also included a lot of [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]] to his old mentor, RogerCorman, with the style similar to the Corman Poe films.
** The LivingShadow sequences owe something to the Carl Dreyer film ''Vampyr'' (1932).
* StakingTheLovedOne

* TragicMonster: Dracula is portrayed as one in this version due to his backstory. While he away at war, his love kills herself based off a lie his enemies wrote in a letter. Since she committed suicide she can't go to heaven and he renounces his fate as a result and becomes a monster.
* TranshumanTreachery: Vlad as explored in his backstory (though in this case he turned himself into a monster). Lucy seems to actively accept becoming a vampire as she fights against Helsing's healing methods and smiles when Drac comes to complete her transformation. Mina likewise practically tries to rush into becoming a vampire in trying to be with Dracula.

* WallCrawl: Dracula does this in the iconic scene of Harker spotting him crawling up a castle. One of Dracula's brides also does this when the Count stops them from feeding on Harker and flings one of them to a wall.

* YourCheatingHeart: Mina finds herself in conflict of staying true to Johnathan or being with Dracula. Even finding out that the latter's a monster doesn't seem to sway her, so much so that she nearly becomes a vampire herself...''willingly''.
----

The 1992 movie directed by FrancisFordCoppola from James V. Hart's script.

It features GaryOldman playing a vampire, and Winona Ryder playing a DamselInDistress. AnthonyHopkins plays a [[LargeHam hammy]] Van Helsing.

** Of course, they also enthrall him with their vampire powers and, well... YMMV, but it would take a lot more than a suspicious entrance and a little crotch biting (who knows, maybe he's into it?) to make that situation "rape" rather than "fantasy".
** We don't really see much of it other then some biting and moaning. Though one scene does show the view from a mirror and we only see Jonathan with his clothes moving (vampires, no reflection, yada yada) so most of it is implied.

* ShoutOut: The thrusting of a crucifix into the foreground is a direct reference to Hammer Films' ''HorrorOfDracula''.

The film opens with the fall of Constantinople in 1462. Prince Vlad III Draculea successfully defends Christian civilization from the Eastern threat, but a false message from the Turks leads to the death of his love, Elisabeta. As her death was a suicide, the priests declare her damned to hell. Enraged, Vlad [[FaithHeelTurn renounces God]] and vows to drink the blood of men.

The 1992 movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola from James V. Hart's script.

--> ''Mina'': Was she in great pain?
--> ''Van Helsing'' : Ja she was in great pain ! Then we cut off her head, and, drove a stake through her heart, and, burned it , and then she found peace!

* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: One of the most awkward examples of this trope, starting with the fact that the core romantic plot between Dracula and Mina isn't in the book. The Internet Movie Database notes, "Director Francis Ford Coppola claims that Bram Stoker's name was included in the title because he has a tradition of putting the author's names in the titles of his movies that are adapted from novels, such as ''Mario Puzo's Film/TheGodfather'' (1972) and ''John Grisham's The Rainmaker'' (1997). Others have claimed, however, that Stoker's name was included in the title to avoid legal action from Universal Studios, who claimed to own the rights to the simple title ''Dracula'' (1931)."

* {{Reincarnation}}: It's all but directly stated that Mina is the reincarnation of Dracula's first love Elisabeta. She even carries some of Elisabeta's memories.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Hannibal plays Van Helsing, the priest at the beginning of the film, as well as providing the voice-over for the captain's log; Neo is Mina's fiance; Westley plays one of Lucy's suitors

* MsFanservice: Lucy Westenra, a gorgeous [[HeroesWantRedHeads redhead]] who is [[TheTease dangling three suitors at once]] and who spends her time wearing revealing dresses, getting [[HypnotizeThePrincess hypnotized by Dracula]] and indulging in a little LesYay with her best friend Mina.

* GameFace: Dracula turns into a [[BuffySpeak giant bat thing]] when confronted by the heroes.

* YourCheatingHeart: Mina finds herself in conflict of staying true to Johnathan or being with Dracula. Even finding out that the latter's a monster doesn't seem to sway her, so much so that she nearly becomes a vampire herself.

* YourCheatingHeart: Mina finds herself in conflict of staying true to Johnathan or being with Dracula Even finding out that the latter's a monster doesn't seem to sway her.

* TranshumanTreachery: Vlad as explored in his backstory (though in this case he turned himself into a monster). Lucy seems to actively accept becoming a vampire as fights against Helsing healing methods and smiles when Drac comes to complete her transformation. Mina likewise practically want to rush in becoming a vampire.

* TranshumanTreachery: Vlad as explored in backstory (though in this case he turned himself into a monster. Lucy seems to actively accept becoming a vampire as fights against Helsing healing methods and smiles when Drac comes to complete her transformation. Mina likewise seem to practiclly want to rush in becoming a vampire.

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Dracula retains this ability from the novel, turning into a wolf, a {{wolfman}}, a giant bat, and green mist.

--> Lucy (to Quincy): Please let me touch it? It's so... ''big''. ''(pulls out Quincey's [[spoiler: knife]])''

* CostumePorn: Wonderful and fruitcake, the designs by Eiko Ishioka won (a deserved) Academy Award.

* TheWonka: Abraham Van Helsing. Best exampled when he waltzes with Mina upon first meeting her which affords him the opportunity to smell her to determine whether she has been in contact with [[{{Dracula}} nosferatu]]. This mix of whimsy and practicality marks him down as a [[TheWonka Wonka]].

** If the main color for a scene is orange, it's an almost certain sign that someone is going to be in danger (or just very creeped out.) It's not the first time something orange-related meant death in a [[TheGodfather Francis Ford Coppola movie]].

* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: One of the most awkward examples of this trope, starting with the fact that the core romantic plot between Dracula and Mina isn't in the book. The Internet Movie Database notes, "Director Francis Ford Coppola claims that Bram Stoker's name was included in the title because he has a tradition of putting the author's names in the titles of his movies that are adapted from novels, such as ''Mario Puzo's TheGodfather'' (1972) and ''John Grisham's The Rainmaker'' (1997). Others have claimed, however, that Stoker's name was included in the title to avoid legal action from Universal Studios, who claimed to own the rights to the simple title ''Dracula'' (1931)."

* NippleandDimed