Fresh on the success of Godfather III, DRACULA was Francis Coppola’s first real, personalised film in quite some time. Filled with marvelous visuals, a foreboding and beautiful tone, and the off-beat but nonetheless dazzling design that Coppola’s films are often characterised by, the film is ultimately only so-so yet viewers continue to take a second look.

Coppola’s version of DRACULA is actually the most faithful adaptation of the legend–as he himself explains, no one had ever really adapted Bram Stoker’s novel, instead the films had all been spin-offs of a sort. His presentation however, is utterly unqiue–instead a hyper-stylised impressionistic sort of gothic romance, made in the old-school form of German Expressionism, with all the surreal and exaggerated touches that go with that label. Slanted sets, double-exposure, forced perspectives, and tricks of shadow and light are fused with contemporary design, mainly from Japanese costume designer Eiko Ishioka, and the result is a marvel to behold. This take on Dracula is played with all the elements of an opera, showing the character not as simply an evil force but also as a tragic hero who sold his soul to Satan to avenge the death of a loved one and now lays trapped by his deed. For all that is good about the film, it is not without its faults–the first 45 minutes are terrific, but then the film becomes somewhat plodding, and the romantic angle often feels clunky and undoes much of the dark gothicism that came before it, and its climax feels somewhat abrupt and not as built up as it ought to have been. The best scenes are when the film is at its darkest and most bizarre, namely all of those which take place in Transylvania or which involve the title character in his demonic guises.

While the film is not perfect, it still is a powerful and often engrossing take on the legend, totally unique and yet faithful to the source material. If the film ever faulters it nonetheless has enough merit that I find myself constantly coming back to it, and over the years has now aquired quite an audience that continue to be drawn to it as well.

The Video: The transfer here is stunning, with excellent sharpness and solid black levels–and this is a very dark film. There has been some debate about altered coloring and excessive grain levels, but supposedly this transfer is derived from reference material. Personally, the film looks the same way I remember it, and while there is indeed some grain in certain shots, the confinement to only certain shots leads me to believe it is inherant in the negative and not simply a poor print–I noticed that grain was heaviest in some of the special effects shots, so perhaps it is simply to some of the special processes used. Personally, I was not bothered in the least (supposedly in the high-def version it is more bothersome). DRACULA looks great, certainly the best I have seen it, and I would rate this a very good transfer.

The Audio: No complaints from me here. The film comes in 5.1 surround, well-balanced and effectively used.

The Extras: Fans have been asking for a special edition of this film for years and they will not be dissapointed. This set is loaded with features, and they are all terrific. Disk one has an introduction by Coppola and of course a commentary track. Coppola commentary tracks are often the best feature in his DVD’s and this is no exception. The man is candid and interesting, explaining his choices, voicing his thoughts and not afraid to criticise his own failings.

Disk two has a roster of documentaries. The longest is the 30-minute “making of Dracula”. With illuminating interviews with all the cast and terrific and candid on-set footage, this documentary is terrific. We see footage from the private rehersals and acting exercises, which are very rare and seldom recorded, we see the cast reading the novel together, we uncover choices and motivation used in the production and we are thankfully allowed to see some heated disagreements as well. Shorter featurettes cover the designing, the costumes, and the special effects of the film. These are all about 15-minutes each and highlight the unique aspects of the film, such as the fact that the film was photographed entirely in-camera with techniques from 1900 to the unique and bizarre costuming of Eiko Ishioka. Again, candid behind the scenes video and interviews play a big role in presenting an honest and interesting document on the film. There is also a full 30 minutes of deleted scenes, though transfered from videotape, but they are nonetheless quite interesting. Finally, a transcription of an in-depth Cinefex article and trailers (including Coppola’s upcoming Youth Without Youth) round out the disk.

Overall, this is a great DVD with extras that offer a good look into the film and may make you appreciate its uniqueness all the more.  It comes highly recommended.