It's like walking through a dream, with a beautiful, haunting, sometimes disturbing but humorous story attached. It's amazing how Guy Maddin takes the mood of the silent film era (including film speed, story-telling, and the feel of disintegrated celluloid) and tells the story of Dracula as a ballet. Initially, I thought that seeing a silent ballet of a story we all know would lure me to sleep immediately, but I was happily surprised that I wanted to absorb every second of this film.
The costumes, movement and facial expressions are so memorable, and while the film is in black and white, key portions are emphasized in color. The inside of Dracula's cape is red, for instance, as are the wounds he inflicts. Money is shown as bright green, because there is a parallel of money being the source of his evil within. Sounds too surreal to be true? Perhaps, but highly recommended.
The costumes, movement and facial expressions are so memorable, and while the film is in black and white, key portions are emphasized in color. The inside of Dracula's cape is red, for instance, as are the wounds he inflicts. Money is shown as bright green, because there is a parallel of money being the source of his evil within. Sounds too surreal to be true? Perhaps, but highly recommended.