DRACULA 2000
US, 2000, 99 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Butler, Jonny Lee Miller, Christopher Plummer, Justine Waddell, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Esposito, Omar Epps, Sean Patrick Thomas, Danny Masterson.
Directed by Patrick Lussier.
Dracula 2000 was presented by Wes Craven. Patrick Lussier had acted as editor on many of Wes Craven’s horror films. Lussier was to go on to make two sequels concerning Dracula as well as a sequel to White Noise.
This is a Dracula for the beginning of the 21st century. While it opens with memories of the Bram Stoker novel and Dracula being transported to England, it moves to the end of the 20th century with Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer) keeping himself alive by the help of leeches. However, a group of American criminals decide to raid the safe that Van Helsing owns, thinking that it will provide wealth. However, it unleashes Dracula again – to their detriment and their being transformed.
Jonny Lee Miller is the hero of the film, a reformed drug addict with the help of Van Helsing who is an antiques dealer. He then has to help Mary Heller, Van Helsing’s daughter, who does not know the secret of her ancestry. She, meanwhile, has nightmares of Dracula. Dracula is played by Gerard Butler – who was to go on to play the Phantom of the Opera. The criminal gang includes Jennifer Esposito, Omar Epps, Sean Patrick Thomas.
The action takes place in England but moves to the United States and to the city of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. The particular point of interest – and quite surprising – is that at the 77th minute it is revealed that Dracula is in fact Judas. There is a flashback to Judas and his betrayal of Jesus, the kiss, the pieces of silver, the crucifixion, Judas hanging himself – and the rope breaking which means that he has roamed the earth. The final confrontation with Dracula by Mary is to hang him with the rope not breaking this time – and she taking up the Van Helsing tradition as safeguarding humanity from vampires.
The film has its touch of horror – but with its strong cast and its novel idea, it is a superior Dracula film.
1.A Dracula for a new century? Contemporary? The contrast between the 19th and the 21st centuries? The dialogue referring to Bram Stoker as an Irishman novelising the vampire themes compared with the reality that the film treated? The international scope? The novel religious dimension?
2.Audience expectations from the tradition? Wes Craven and his horror films?
3.The opening, the 19th century visuals, the voyage of Dracula to London, Dracula loose in London?
4.The director, his skill in editing, the look and pace of the film? The London settings? The American countryside, New Orleans, the museums, churches, seminary? The Mardi Gras? The finale on the rooftop? The place of the giant crucifix? The score and the contemporary music? (And the strong product placement – Virgin Records?)
5.Christopher Plummer as Van Helsing, as Van Helsing in 2000, as Van Helsing surviving from the 19th century? His secret with the leeches? His lifestyle, his wealth, the company, the vault, the collection of weapons? His friendship with Simon, his helping Simon with drug rehabilitation? The antiques-dealing? His being a father figure? His alienation from his daughter, Mary?
6.Simon and his story, work as a dealer, his interest in Solina and her rejection? The crisis, the robbing of the vault, Van Helsing not telling him the truth? His tracking him down in America, in the US, confronting the vampires? Finding Mary, meeting Lucy in the Virgin shop, helping Mary?
7.Solina, the gang, Marcus and his leadership, getting into the vault, finding the coffin? Their greed? Their letting loose Dracula? Their deaths, transformations? Their going to the United States? The various appearances, Solina and the final fight, Marcus and his death, Nightshade and his apology and death? The further transformations, Valerie and her TV interview, fluffing the lines, the photographing of her transformation by Dracula? Lucy meeting him, at home? Their later appearances with Solina?
8.Dracula, Gerard Butler’s presence, style? Rising from the dead? His sinister appearances in Mary’s dreams? His being bewildered by the 21st century? The modern style, the permissiveness, the Mardi Gras? The blood, the flight and the crash? In the countryside, with Valerie? His appearing to Mary, transforming himself into the priest?
9.Van Helsing in New Orleans, seeking Mary, their clash? Simon helping him, the confrontation with Dracula, his death?
10.Mary and Lucy and their friendship, their lifestyle in New Orleans? Her concern about her mother, wanting to know her mother’s secret, going to the confessional, the discussions with David, her friendship with him, wanting him to break the seal of confession? His refusal? His appearing in her visions? Encountering Simon, rejecting him? Needing his help, going to the seminary, the research? Her being taken by Dracula, vampyrised?
11.Mary and Simon, the study, on the roof? The seminary and the Last Supper painting, the realisation who Dracula was, the pieces of silver, the cross?
12.The confrontation on the roof, Mary and Dracula, his wanting her to kill Simon, her saving him? The destroying of the female vampires?
13.The revelation about Judas, the flashback collage, the kiss, the pieces of silver, Calvary, Judas hanging himself, the rope breaking? The imposing cross on the roof? Dracula defying Jesus again?
14.Simon and his escape, Mary and her tying the rope around Dracula’s neck, hanging with him, her fall, her recovering her senses?
15.The end, Mary continuing the Van Helsing mission, saving the world from vampires?
16.How well did the film use the genre and its conventions – and more?
