History Film / BramStokersDracula

* AdaptationalHeroism: Dracula gets this treatment in the film. He becomes a vampire for renouncing God after his bride kills herself (and the Priest declares that her soul would be eternally damned as a result) and then falls in love with Mina because she is her reincarnation. This backstory comes from the fact that Dracula is an {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler who did oppose the Turks and wage a "Holy War" on behalf of God and protected Europe from Muslim influence. So from his perspective he was punished for doing God's work when his wife died.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Dracula gets this treatment in the film. He becomes a vampire for renouncing God after his bride kills herself (and the Priest declares that her soul would be eternally damned as a result) and then falls in love with Mina because she is her reincarnation.
** This backstory comes from the fact that Dracula is an {{Expy}} of UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler who did oppose the Turks and wage a "Holy War" on behalf of God and protected Europe from Muslim influence. So from his perspective he was punished for doing God's work when his wife died.

* BackStory: The prologue.
* BadassBoast / ExpositionOfImmortality

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Transylvanian scenes in the early part of the film are tinted a hellish red.

* DecoyProtagonist: The films appears as if Jonathan Harker is the main protagonist set at odds against Dracula the antagonist. Once Dracula arrives in London, it becomes clear that both he and Mina are the film's true protagonists. Dracula begins the plot, while Mina finally resolves it.

* InNameOnly: It was promoted as '' 'The Most Accurate Retelling of the original Dracula ever done' ''...but departed so drastically from the original novel that it needed its ''own'' {{Novelization}}! Especially making the Mina-Dracula romance that was at best subtext in the original and certainly not part of the plot into the central narrative.
** The film may not be faithful to the original story but it is faithful to the style of the book, in presenting the different epistolary viewpoints on screen and bringing a Dracula closer to the Stoker original than many prior adaptations, most of which were [[LostInImitation closer to the Lugosi movie and the play that it was based on]].
** A fan-edited version exists, which cuts out the love story completely. Without the love story, it genuinely is the most faithful adaptation of Stoker's original novel.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent: 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 humanoid form when he goes wolf or bat. These vampires also have more supernatual powers -- they can send people flying with an invisible force and, if powerful enough, burn or melt crosses. Lastly, while it's stated that vampires are weaker during the daytime (but can go out in it if they choose), Dracula hypnotizes and nearly bites Mina during their first day together -- though it's late in the day when they headed to the cinematograph, so it may already be after dark when he tries to turn her.
** Although this last one is consistent with the orignal novel, in which the Count does go about during the daytime.

* TogetherInDeath: Implied in the final shot. [[spoiler: Dracula dying at Mina's hand allows him and Elisabeta to be reunited in Heaven at last, as seen in the fresco of his castle.]]

* VampiresAreSexGods

* WallCrawl: Dracula does this in the iconic scene of Harker spotting him crawling up a castle wall. 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.

--> Dracula: I was betrayed. Look what your God has done to me!

** The film may not be faithful to the original story but it is faithful to the style of the book, in presenting the different epistolary viewpoints on screen and bringing a Dracula closer to the Stoker original than many prior adaptations, most of which were [[LostInImitation closer to the Lugosi movie and the play that it was based on]].)

* NeverMyFault: Dracula seems to have forgotten that he brought his transformation on himself.

* AdaptationalBadass: [[spoiler: Dracula is still alive when Jonathan slashes his throat and Quincey stabs him. Though this may be attributed to the fact that he manages to get out of his coffin before they reach him.]]

* BigNo: Vlad has one in the prologue, as he realizes too late what his RageAgainstTheHeavens has turned him into; later, Harker gets a downplayed (loud, but short and intense) "No!" when he learns that Dracula's successfully claimed Mina as his.

* DissonantSerenity: Van Helsing, a couple of times. As he helps himself to some roast beef at a restaurant the night after he and his colleagues defeat vampire!Lucy:

** Most likely, this was to keep the vampire brides fed while Dracula was away. They seemed to rely on him for food, such as when he gave them the infant. Harker notes during his captivity that the brides kept him drained and weak, which meant he served as a self-regenerating source of blood until Drac returned.

* ArtImitatesArt: Drakula's castle is modeled after the painting "The Black Idol" (1903) by Frantisek Kupka.

** Coppola also noted that the story's setting paralleled the birth of film, and one scene shows Dracula and Mina seeing early films. His aversion of CGI for in-camera effects and technology stemmed from a desire to use primitive special effects like Magic Lantern shows and in the films of GeorgesMelies to arrive at something different.

** The idea of Dracula lusting after his reincarnated lover is absent in the book but it is a major part of ''Film/TheMummy1932', which was otherwise an Egyptian-flavored remake of ''{{Film/Dracula 1931}''}.

* CostumePorn: Wonderful and fruitcake, the designs by Eiko Ishioka won an AcademyAward.

* BadassBoast:

--> '''Van Helsing:''' In life he was a great man, but greater is the need to destroy him utterly.

* DangerouslyCloseShave: Dracula does this to Harker- Harker is just nicked, but Dracula licking the blood off of the razor is one of the film's iconic moments.

--> '''Van Helsing:''' In like he was a great man, but greater is the need to destroy him utterly.