Dracula's coming.
Dracula is a television adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker for the United Kingdom's The BBC in 2006. There are significant differences from BBC's previous 1977 adaptation (which followed most of the main storyline).Taking place in London, England, Arthur Holmwood, faced with syphilis which he inherited from his father while approaching marriage with Lucy, meets with a mysterious group called the Brotherhood in the hopes of finding a way to fix his problems - for a price.
When Jonathan, the fiance of Lucy's friend Mina, is sent to Transylvania to sell properties to Count Dracula, a series of unsettling events occur leading to Dracula arriving on English shores. Caught in the middle of the conspiracy are Dr. John Seward and Mina Murray, who are forced to face the true nature of the tragedies and confront the vampire with the aid of Dr. Van Helsing.
The 2006 Dracula presents the following examples:
- Adapted Out: Quincey Morris and RM Renfield are the only major characters from the book not featured here. The brides are also missing.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Arthur Holmwood. He not only hides his real issues from his friends and his wife, but he turns to a cult connected to Dracula to solve his problem (which caused Jonathan's demise), and even forces Dr. Seward to perform the blood transfusion himself at gunpoint.
- Agent Mulder: It certainly didn't take much for Dr. Seward to be convinced Dracula is a vampire and that a shady cult is behind the machinations that brought him to England in the first place.
- Breaking and Bloodsucking: Dracula does this when he preys on Lucy, while Arthur was asleep no less.
- Cassandra Truth: Dr. Seward tries to warn Mina of Arthur's suspicious behavior, the Brotherhood's machinations and of Dracula being a vampire. She doesn't believe him...at first.
- Canon Foreigner: Mr. Singleton is original to this film.
- Death by Adaptation: Jonathan. After concluding his business with Dracula, he is killed off by him and never seen again. Likewise, Arthur, who survives the entire book, is literally beheaded by Dracula in the final confrontation.
- Destructive Romance: Lucy and Arthur's marriage starts to come apart when he refuses to consummate the relationship and keeps secrets from her, and the final nail is when Lucy is bitten by Dracula and perishes despite being given a transfusion.
- Dracula: Who else?
- Faith–Heel Turn: Arthur lost his faith in God at the beginning of the film, which prompts him to seek out the Brotherhood. However, he comes back into it upon realizing what he brought into his homeland was a monster and steps up to make things right.
- Go Through Me: Arthur attempts to direct Dracula into attacking him to save Mina. It doesn't go too well.
- He Knows Too Much: The reason Van Helsing was imprisoned in the cellar of the Brotherhood's residence after having researched Dracula.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Whenever Arthur was engaging in business with Mr. Singleton or Dracula, he always had Lucy go elsewhere without giving clear reasons why.
- Lost Lenore: Jonathan, as Mina grieves upon realizing he'll never return to her.
- Maybe Ever After: Implied that Mina might hook up with Dr. Seward.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Upon taking an interest in Mina, Dracula kills off Jonathan before he makes the trip to England.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Arthur, upon realizing what his pride and desperation for a cure to his syphilis has cost him.
- Off with His Head!: How Dracula kills Arthur.
- Poor Communication Kills: Had Arthur been more honest about his syphilis, anxieties, and what he'd been doing around Lucy, John Seward, and Mina, nobody would've had to suffer the tragedies they did.
- The same could be said about Mina. Had she come clean about what she knows of the issues between Arthur and Lucy and gave Dr. Seward a chance to explain his concerns, she would've realized sooner that Dracula is a danger to herself as well.
- Religion of Evil: The Brotherhood, as they hold reverence to Dracula.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Despite getting staked through the back, Dracula is implied to still be alive in the end.
- Staking the Loved One: Arthur had to stake Lucy, his own wife, to free her from her vampirism.
- The End... Or Is It?: It seems like things might be looking up for Mina and Dr. Seward. But then, it cuts to a ragged man who looks suspiciously like Dracula...
- Unwitting Pawn: Jonathan and his employer Hawkins were used by the Brotherhood to provides a means for Dracula to reach England.
- Villainous Face Hold: Dracula does this to Arthur when he attempts to threaten him with departure from England.
- Weapon for Intimidation: Arthur uses a gun to force Dr. Seward to perform the transfusion for Lucy with his own blood.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Mina delivers an emotional yet scathing rebuke at Arthur for the heartbreak he caused her after learning the truth behind her fiance's demise.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Not long after Jonathan leaves for Transylvania, his employer Hawkins is killed by the Brotherhood.
