(Streamed via FilmRise)
From the title, you’d assume (as I did) this was going to be a smutty softcore version of the Dracula legend. However, it’s a rather fascinating, if only intermittently successful bait-and-switch. The first tip-off this isn’t going to be what you think is comes during the opening credits, which state it’s “based on a ballet”. That’s right folks, this is actually a ballet version of Dracula!
Now, as I’m sure you all can guess, I’m definitely not a ballet kind of guy, but if you want me to watch your ballet movie, making it an adaptation of the Bram Stoker classic is a step in the right direction.
Another cool touch is that it’s entirely done in the style of an old silent movie. The title cards are updated and modernized, but the sepia-tone look alternately resembles a German expressionist picture and a ‘90s music video. This helps to gives the ballet sequences a timeless and sometimes dreamlike feel.
One other novel twist: Dracula is Asian.
The film takes some liberties with the novel, but it is rather faithful in most respects. The big difference is that the first half of the movie is devoted to the character of Lucy (Tara Birtwhistle) and her seduction at the hands of Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang). She gets several big dance numbers in her bedroom, and another one in her crypt when Van Helsing (David Moroni) and company come calling to drive a stake through her heart.
This is the most effective section, mostly because it feels like a breath of fresh air compared to so many other dull retreads. The second act kicks off with a fast-forward recap of Dracula’s business with Jonathan Harker (Johnny A. Wright) before he moves on to try to put the bite on Harker’s fiancé Mina (CindyMarie Small). The finale, in which Dracula gets his eventual comeuppance is kind of cool, but for the most part, the second half pales next to the stuff with Lucy.
Combining ballet with Dracula is such a simple but provocative idea that I’m a little surprised it hadn’t been done before. I can’t say Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary works as a whole, but it remains an interesting attempt. It's certainly more memorable and offbeat than most of the movies I’ve watched this month.
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