Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Joe Chappelle

Writer (WGA):

Thomas Baum (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

More vicious than the myth.

Plot:

A warlord must fight a bloody battle in order to regain his kingdom. |

Plot Keywords:

1400s | Dracula | Sword Fight | Vlad The Impaler | Prince

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rudolf Martin	...	Vlad Dracula the Impaler
Jane March	...	Lidia
Christopher Brand	...	Bruno
Peter Weller	...	Father Stefan
Roger Daltrey	...	King Janos
Michael Sutton	...	Radu
Razvan Vasilescu	...	Aron
Radu Amzulescu	...	Inquisitor
Maia Morgenstern	...	Woman at Fountain
Claudiu Bleont	...	Sultan Mohamed
Claudiu Trandafir	...	Prince Karl
Dan Bordeianu	...	Vlad III - Age 18
Victor Ungureanu	...	Vlad III - Age 8
Dan Badarau	...	Vlad Dracula's Father
Sebastian Lupea	...	Teen Vlad Dracula

Also Known As:

Dark Prince: Legend of Dracula (UK) (video title)
Dracula: The Dark Prince (USA) (video title)
Passions of Dracula: A True Story (USA) (working title)
Vlad the Impaler (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

Australia:91 min | USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Kushner-Locke Company, The

Quotes:

Vlad Dracula: No... no... please! Lidia, come walk with me!
Lidia: I will always walk with you.
[kisses her cross, then jumps]

Ahistorical portray

As an avid reader of Romanian history, I had great expectations from this movie. I realized that the movie lacked the necessary resources to stage the great battles that took place, but I was still hoping for a fair portray of Vlad and his environment. I was left with a great disappointment, as both Vlad and one of his closest servants wore skin pants as taken from the rock-and-roll days of the 80s. The movie tries hard to give a Gothic impression of Wallachia, when this was hardly the case.

The battles are embarrassing to watch. In 1467, Mehmed II invaded Wallachia with up to 90,000 men. Vlad possessed over some 22,000 men, while 7,000 were sent to defend Chilia against his cousin, Stephen, who ruled Moldavia. The battle is presented with the Ottomans battling an army of Van Halen. Apart from the ahistorical description of the costumes, Hollywood added things that have no bearing to history. Vlad's conflict with the Orthodox priests is not documented, nor is it documented that he was to be killed by a priest when he was an infant. Vlad's brother, Radu the Handsome, is portrayed better, but the two never fought in a duel. The presence of other historical characters, which had great influence on the development of Vlad's reign, are lacking.

I could go on in an endless debate on why this movie is poor, ahistorical, and anachronistic; but it wouldn't be worth it. This is just a poor B-movie that failed in everything it set to do.