Freak369's Full Review: Francis F. Coppola and James V. Hart - Bram Stoker...
Have you ever sworn that you've written a review of something only to find out that you didn't? That's the case with "Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film And The Legend". I picked this up shortly after seeing the film; after flipping through it at the bookstore I knew that it would be something that I would read over and over again. Not only is it jam packed with scenes from the film but it also encompasses some of the technical aspects, cut scenes, script excerpts and historical information about Vlad The Impaler. One thing that I really adore about this book are the photographs that are featured; while some of them may be exact copies of what was seen in the film, over half of them are from cut scenes or things that were edited out. Sometimes it's the smaller things that really make a book endearing; the gold coins that were specially crafted for the film, Dracula's map of London and parts of Mina Murray's diary are just a few of the things that make this a must have book for fans of Dracula.
Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Film And The Legend
I wonder how many people purchased this book thinking that it would be solely about the Francis Ford Coppola production. If it were just that, there would be no complaints from me but this also includes a lot of historical information about Dracula, legends that surrounded the Bram Stoker creation and how the character has evolved over the years. While it is a soft cover book, it has held up well over the years and has seen a lot of use. When Halloween rolls around this is one of the many books that I put out for guests to read and so far, almost everyone that has either flipped through this or read it in it's entirety has fallen in love with it. So what makes this so special? As I said, the photographs are incredible but what really makes this impact you are sections on how the scenes were created. Not just the basics but the length that everyone went to to make it as visually stunning as possible. From costume designers to choreographers, writers to location scouts; Coppola demanded perfection and he almost achieved it, if only he would have cast someone other than Keanu Reeves as Jonathan. It seems Mr. Reeves accent came and went at well, something that has plagued him in other movies.
There are more than a few script excerpts in the book, they are easy to read but there are a few of them that aren't 100% true to what you see in the film. While some may say that this is a con, to me it is a definite positive because you get to see another view of them film before it was revised. There are some abbreviations that you'll want to know before you start reading the script sections: (O.S), off screen, (V.O), voice over, (POV) point of view. It would have been nice if these would have been listed somewhere so you didn't have to go outside the book to find out their meaning but I have been told that later editions of the book did have a small list of the abbreviations that were used. That's the price you pay for buying a first edition. One section that really blew me away was the creation of the castle and crypt that you see in the film. Seeing the castle in various stages of completion really makes you appreciate the fact that Coppola went with a solid scheme of things instead of a minimalist take; according to the initial entry of the castle design Coppola wanted to have backdrops and the absolute bare minimum of detail in the background so that viewers would have no choice but to concentrate on the characters, their mannerisms and clothing.
The book spans 172 pages from start to finish and there are well over 200 photographs in it, sorry as much as I love this book, I'm not going to sit here and count the exact number. Other eye candy includes maps, drawings, rough sketches, costumes, locations and letters written by Mina, Jonathan and Dracula. One of my favorite stills from the movie is on page 33; the scene when Jonathan is lifted up by the Dark Driver and placed inside the carriage. Making it an even more impressive entry into the timeline of the book is the script of the scene that includes the gypsies, drawings of the carriage design and how the scene played an important role in the film. This is just one of many encapsulations, for lack of a better word, that you will find when reading this. While the book is broke up into section, once you start reading it you'll see that within the sections there are smaller niches designed to show you the amount of work that went into a scene that ran only twenty to thirty seconds. Heavy editing is something that really plagued this film and this book proves it, alas, it is something that I highly recommend to anyone that viewed it and fell in love with it.
The copy that I own is a first edition and has a cover price of $14.95 but if you look at reputable online book sites you should be able to pick it up for a fraction of the original price. It is something that you can read over and over again and find something new each time; it's something that has really opened my eyes to the amount of work that went into filming on a soundstage rather than on location. This isn't what I would consider a complete companion to the film but the pieces that are included from the original script [as well as some revisions], introduction from Coppola, character evolvement, cast commentary and behind the scenes images enhance what you see in the film. This is one of the few books that covers Coppola's version of Dracula that goes into detail about 'the brides'; as a fan of the film it's hard to imagine them being portrayed any other way that what was captured on film. The historical views of Dracula are interesting and provide some very detailed fodder for film buffs.
The Bottom Line
About the only negative that I have is that the table of contents at the beginning of the book is extremely vague; when you first start reading it you have to go through a lot of different sections if you are looking for something specific. If you are hoping for an index at the back of the book to make finding things easier you will disappointed to know that there isn't one. I've read this more than a few times from cover to cover and am extremely impressed with what was added to it. If it were just a 'picture book' of scenes from the film it would have been visually appealing but the companion text makes it something that educates you as to what went in to taking a fictional character and bringing it to life, or in this case, life after death. The love story between Dracula and Mina is endearing and heart felt and this book does nothing to tarnish that. Getting to see how the film was shot and how scenes were edited helps to fill in some small plot holes and makes me hope that there will be an extended release for the anniversary.
The official pictorial book tie-in, including the screenplay, to the epic motion picture from Columbia Pictures--starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, A...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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