As a literary figure gets adapted into a film character, filmmakers take some extreme liberties. Nowhere has this been more prevalent than with the character known as Dracula. When Bram Stoker penned the novel Dracula back in 1897 there is little doubt that he had no idea the direction his character would be twisted into in the future.
From Nosferatu in the twenties to Bela Lugosi in the thirties to Peter Cushing in the fifties and now to modern versions like True Blood, the vampire myth and the Dracula character in particular has seen so many theatrical versions it’s amazing. Into this landscape comes Dracula Untold.
In this latest take we are introduced to Vlad ‘The Impaler’ Tepes (Luke Evans) before he became the Count. He is a family man and leader trying to save both his family and his people and he becomes one of the undead to do it. We as the audience are given no real back-story on Vlad’s past and the film suffers from that. It also suffers from a very dark colour palette and it’s lack of any colour outside that of the gray scale makes for a fairly dreary visual experience.
The story has its moments of interest but the film is very easy to dismiss and its staying power in your mind is quickly diminished. If you are a fan of all things undead, the film is a modern take on an old story and should be seen, as for the rest of us it’s a rather indifferent experience.
Rob Hudson
www.draculauntold.com.au
