This is the kind of movie that has a limited audience. It's what you'd call "artsy", maybe even "pretentious". It's not exactly a break-out-the-popcorn-and-huddle-on-the-couch movie. I can see why people would think it's overrated.
But I love it. Anyone who loves Bram Stoker's novel--not just the movies--needs to watch this because it is the most faithful adaptation of the book. It's not a perfect adaptation, but it preserves the basic plot which every other Dracula movie has more or less butchered. Most of the text in the movie comes straight from the book.
It also recreates the ethereal atmosphere of the old Universal movies but adds very modern cinematography and themes. The best part of this movie is that it is visually gorgeous but not excessive. You'll know that all the sets are made of cardboard, but you won't care. The film itself speeds up and slows down to create drama. It's simple but still beautiful, unlike the overwhelming decadence of Francis Ford Coppola's version. And ballet is a perfect medium for expressing both the emphasis on the body and the repressed sexuality of the story. The sex is satirized to an extent, too. Mina doesn't understand why Jonathan won't do things with her that he did with Dracula's brides. Van Helsing is kind of a fetishist. Seward and Morris seem to be flirting at one point. The film even features Dracula's hairy palm, which has never been done before on film.
If you're more of a fan of the book than the movies, you really should see this. If you want a horror movie, well, this isn't it.
But I love it. Anyone who loves Bram Stoker's novel--not just the movies--needs to watch this because it is the most faithful adaptation of the book. It's not a perfect adaptation, but it preserves the basic plot which every other Dracula movie has more or less butchered. Most of the text in the movie comes straight from the book.
It also recreates the ethereal atmosphere of the old Universal movies but adds very modern cinematography and themes. The best part of this movie is that it is visually gorgeous but not excessive. You'll know that all the sets are made of cardboard, but you won't care. The film itself speeds up and slows down to create drama. It's simple but still beautiful, unlike the overwhelming decadence of Francis Ford Coppola's version. And ballet is a perfect medium for expressing both the emphasis on the body and the repressed sexuality of the story. The sex is satirized to an extent, too. Mina doesn't understand why Jonathan won't do things with her that he did with Dracula's brides. Van Helsing is kind of a fetishist. Seward and Morris seem to be flirting at one point. The film even features Dracula's hairy palm, which has never been done before on film.
If you're more of a fan of the book than the movies, you really should see this. If you want a horror movie, well, this isn't it.