| Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Thomas Baum |
| Directed by | Joe Chappelle |
| Starring | Rudolf Martin Jane March Christopher Brand Peter Weller Michael Sutton Roger Daltrey |
| Theme music composer | Frankie Blue |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Avram 'Butch' Kaplan |
| Cinematography | Dermott D. Downs |
| Editor | Joe Rabig |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | USA Network[1] |
| Release | October 31, 2000 (2000-10-31)[1] |
Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, alternately titledDracula: The Dark Prince andDark Prince: The Legend of Dracula,[2] is a 2000biographical film directed byJoe Chappelle. The film follows the exploits ofVlad the Impaler, thehistorical figure that the title character fromBram Stoker's 1897 novelDracula was named after. The film premiered in the United States on theUSA Network on October 31, 2000.
Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula tells the story ofVlad Dracula, the historical figure who gaveBram Stoker's Dracula his name. Vlad is a dispossessednoble and apatriot who fights the occupation forces of theTurks hoping to avenge the murder of his father by Romanian nobles and the capture of his brother by the Ottoman sultan. TheKing of Hungary (Roger Daltrey) becomes Vlad's ally and, with his support, Vlad and his men attack the occupying Turks and turncoatRomanianboyars and seizes the throne ofWallachia, in the movie called simply (and anachronistically) "Romania".
His bride, Lidia (Jane March), discovers what Vlad does to the bodies of his enemies and is horrified. She begins to lose her grip on sanity, claiming to hear the voices of the dead. He reluctantly banishes her to a convent, which he later regrets and amends. However, Lidia remains the same and ultimately commits suicide, leaving Vlad dispirited and alone with their adolescent son. Vlad's brother, Radu, arrives at the head of a large Turkish invasion force.
The narrative of the film is presented as evidence given at a hearing following Vlad's alignment with theRoman Catholic King of Hungary. At the end of the film, Vlad isexcommunicated by theOrthodox Church shortly before being assassinated by Radu and having a vision of Lidia calling his name. As a result of his condemnation by the priests, Vlad is found to have risen from the grave and gained eternal life, free to roam the earth (as he has been denied entrance to both Heaven and Hell) implying that he has now become the veryvampirefor which his name is famous.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Vlad Dracula the Impaler | Rudolf Martin |
| Lidia | Jane March |
| Bruno | Christopher Brand |
| Father Stefan | Peter Weller |
| King Janos | Roger Daltrey |
| Radu | Michael Sutton |
| Orthodox Priest | George V. Grigore |
Critical reaction toDark Prince: The True Story of Dracula has been mixed. John Walsh ofMaxim said, "For such a familiar story,Dark Prince has all the excitement of something brand new. These characters can easily become caricatures, growling for gore and calling down vengeance from heaven. But the excellent cast and ferocious battle scenes make for one of the best war movies to hit TV in a while."[3] Ryan Cracknell of theApollo Movie Guide wrote,Dracula: The Dark Prince is a welcome extension of the Dracula brand. Unlike the multitudes of generic rip-offs that come out annually, this low-key effort finally puts a new spin on an old myth."[4]
"The combination of above-par acting, interesting storyline, and lovely Eastern European scenery make this USA Network production worth watching."[5] "It's an impressive attempt at rehabilitating the image of Vlad Tepes (Rudolf Martin), the famous Transylvanian prince who inspired Bram Stoker as the model for his vampiric count in the novel {-Dracula}." The New York Times
Mark Bourne ofThe DVD Journal said, "It plays hell with the facts and reduces its potentially gripping subject to cheesysoap operatic melodrama. ... It's not awful, but it is awfully ordinary. For the real goods, find McNally and Florescu'sDracula: Prince of Many Faces: His Life and Times instead."[6] Christopher Null ofFilmcritic.com said, "It's obviously fluffed up but at the same time it's a bit repetitious, with countless battle scenes that don't offer much closure. In the end we're left with the notion that Vlad the Impaler was (and remains) a national hero, not a demon walking among the dead. And that might put a crimp in your enjoyment of the Bram Stoker stories."[7] Melissa J. Perenson ofSciFi.com wrote, "Though flawed,Dark Prince nonetheless offers a rough-hewn look at the man who would be known simply as Dracula. But the lack of connection between the so-called reality and the modern-day myth left me wanting."[8]
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 20% on the 'tomato meter', with an average rating of 4.5/10 from 5 reviews (as of 12/10/2012).[9]
Rudolf Martin (who played Vlad Dracula inDark Prince) also played Count Dracula in theBuffy the Vampire Slayer episodeBuffy vs. Dracula. Owing to the ending ofDark Prince, the film has an unintended sense of continuity with theBuffy episode as both cast the same actor to play the same character.
