Dracula

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of the most famous novels from the last two hundred years, and this new adaptation, starring Hustle’s Marc Warren as the Count and Sophia Myles as Lucy Westenra, takes a stab at bringing a raunchier modern take on it. Suffice to say, it is successful in portraying the underlying eroticism and the sexual repression of Victorian life present in the novel, however it some of its plot developments are truly a stab in the dark.

Viewers not familiar with Stoker’s novel will probably find this version entertaining and better than most of the Dracula film and TV adaptations that have come before it. But for this reviewer, the liberties taken with the plot are too much of a change. First of all Jonathan Harker is sidelined and killed off, Van Helsing is portrayed as a snivelling wreck and the villain Dracula is far and away from striking fear into the hearts of men. One would think that by having David Suchet under its wing, they would use him more wisely.

The writers take the theme of immortality from the novel and run with it. The minor character Arthur Holmwood (Dan Stevens) is made the protagonist and by giving him syphilis, they seek make Dracula’s arrival to England all part of Holmwood’s search for a cure to his disease.

It would be a decent piece of television, were it not for the shockingly bad editing and constant plot jumps. An intricate plot of such magnitude feels rushed in the 90 minutes provided. Dracula is a disappointment to say the least considering the hype. The only comfort one can find in this version is that it was produced by Granada and not the BBC.

Natasha Kundaiker