NEW Dracula-pages From A Virgins D (DVD)

 

 

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Blood! Crosses! Madness! Ballet! Bats! Garlic! And of course, VAMPIRES! "Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary" is exactly the sort of adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel that you'd expect from Guy Maddin -- an elegant, surreal silent film that plays with symbolism, light and splashes of color, as well as the interesting fact that it's all done in ballet.

The first half is the story from the point-of-view of Lucy Westenra (Tara Birtwhistle): she's a wealthy young woman with three suitors she must choose between. However, every night she is visited by Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang) until she rises again as a vampire, despite the best efforts of Dr. Van Helsing (David Moroni). You can guess what happens.

With the help of the clairvoyant Renfield (wha?), Van Helsing and the boys find out what is happening back in Dracula's hometown -- a real estate agent named Jonathan Harker (Johnny A. Wright) was attacked by Dracula's brides and imprisoned by Dracula himself. Now, his fiancee Mina (CindyMarie Small) is Dracula's next target.

Guy Maddin is best known for making silent, black-and-white movies in the German expressionist style, and "Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary" is one of those. But it's much more elegant, delicate and subtle than Maddin's other movies, although there are splashes of his surreal style here and there (Lucy's mom lives in a glass coffin/ventilator cranked by maids).

The movie is full of light and shadow, Victorian finery, creeping mists, splashes of brilliant color and some truly striking imagery that lingers in your mind (the body on a stake, bathed in morning light). There are some moments of dark humor ("Infants for supper?") but most of the story is very dramatic and romantic.

And almost everything is conveyed through ballet -- Lucy's dance with Dracula in a snowy graveyard, Mina and Jonathan's romantic dance in the convent, and the newly-vampirized Lucy's wild wanton dance with Van Helsing and her suitors. Downsides? Well, I honestly don't understand the whole "chest full of money" scene, and Maddin makes some of the story's themes a bit too explicit.

And fortunately the cast is brilliant, both as actors and dancers. Zhang Wei-Qiang is handsome, seductive and a sublimely powerful dancer, and Birtwhistle is wonderfully graceful both when she is and isn't dancing (her "sleepwalk"). Small's dancing is disrupted by a weird moment where Mina tries to unzip Jonathan's fly, but the rest of the dancers are great as well, right down to the Brides.

"Dracula: Pages From A Virgin's Diary" is a beautiful blend of Bram Stoker's story and classical ballet, a dreamlike little story filled with beauty. Definitely a must-see.

There have been many film versions of Bram Stoker's tale of vampires, DRACULA, but none have been done with such grace and raw sexuality as this film version (called DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY) based on the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production. Directed by Guy Maddin to Gustav Mahler's music and Mark Godden's choreography, the ballet covers the old story of the vampire Count Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang) and his seductions of Lucy Westernra (Tara Birtwhistle) and Mina Murray (CindyMarie Small) until his ultimate destruction at the hands of Dr. Van Helsing (David Moroni). With its stark black and white images, mixed with various color tinitings and almost painted-on highlights the film is both stark and beautiful in its presentation.
Since this film is essentially a filmed ballet, all of the acting is done in mime. As a result, the film is given an almost silent film (complete with sub-titles) atmosphere to the whole proceedings. Zhang Wei-Qiang makes for a romantic, yet imperiously aloof Dracula, while CindyMarie Small is just the right blend of innocence and desire as Mina. However, it is Tara Birtwhistle's Lucy and David Maroni's Van Helsing that truly capture the attention. Birtwhistle exudes both playfulness and raw sexuality in her stunning portrayal, while Maroni's intense bearing makes him a formidable foe for Dracula.
The entire ensemble does wonderful work and the film goes at a good clip at 74 minutes. However, the film's first half is probably more interesting to non-ballet fans as most of the special effects and wild staging seem to take place here. The DVD has some wonderful extras including some radio interviews with the producer and director, a Canadian news story about the film, photos, and an insightful commentary by Maddin.
For fans of ballet, Dracula, or both, this film is definitely a must-see and something that I would highly recommend.

This is one of those films people will be talking about for years to come. It's a truly unique and beautiful work. The amazing thing is that Maddin (or rather his under appreciated cinematographer) uses the camera like a ballet dancer. So you've got lots of kinetics going on three levels: The Dancers, the incredible camera work as it flows with the movement, and the cool fast Montage editing made famous by Russian director's from the 20's like Vertov, Kuleshov and Eisentein.
No doubt about it, the plum role is Lucy Westenra and it always has been. The first half of the film is gorgeous as she steals the show from Dracula himself. I liked the Renfield make-up too, which brings to mind Lon Chaney's lost vampire from "London After Midnight"
So what spoiled the soup for me? The Intertitles are Horribly done and stupid as Maddin tries to thwack us over the head with his post-modern 21st century glibness. Worst of all is that the titles look modern, like some junky Photoshop file pasted over the incredible 16mm black & white film. They really break the visual and metaphorical illusion that you're watching some long forgotten silent film. They're not funny nor informative, just badly done and poorly thought out.

The director's comments are OK. Most director's talk too much, and DVDs give them a shameless chance to indulge. But this is worth watching to see how they filmed the ballet. For you film buffs, the guy is using a 16mm Bolex with only 100 feet of film at a time. That means he can only shoot for 20-30 seconds before having to stop and re-crank the clockwork motor! This camera guy really did it old school, and it shows how film making was back in the dawn of cinema. Vampire fans, Film Buffs, & Anne Rice afficianadoes will love this. Just close your eyes during the intertitles....

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5.0 out of 5 stars Guy Maddin films the ballet "Dracula" as a silent movie
Actually, if you stop and think about it, the idea of filming a ballet as a silent movie makes perfect sense. Read more

Published on May 22 2004 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

5.0 out of 5 stars The single best ballet movie ever
Pairing the singular vision of Guy Maddin with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production of "Dracula" was sheer genius: "Dracula," with its emphasis on the advent of modernity and... Read more

Published on May 20 2004 by Jay Dickson

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