Radu Jude's Dracula: A Satirical Epic on Romania's Vampire Myth
Romanian director Radu Jude has unleashed a wildly improvised and no-budget theatrical spectacle in his latest film, Dracula. This epic-length movie stretches the vampire legend into a knockabout cut-up satire, blending bizarre floor-show routines with angry social commentary. Notionally focused on the iconic vampire, the film instead becomes a chaotic exploration of Romania's cultural and political undercurrents.
A Make-Do-and-Mend Cinematic Experience
Jude's filmmaking style echoes the spirit of Brecht or Fassbinder, creating a pop-up cinema feel that seems almost ephemeral. The movie incorporates a hodgepodge of elements:
- Bits of television advertisements
- Low-quality AI used for questionable purposes
- Amateur dramatic scenes with actors in ridiculous costumes
- Improvised theatrical performances
This approach gives the film a raw, immediate quality that feels as if it might vanish after a single viewing, like a traveling troupe folding their tents and moving on.
The Bizarre Troupe and Their Floor-Show Routine
At the heart of the film is a rackety troupe of actors performing a floor-show about Dracula in what appears to be a restaurant setting. Veteran Romanian actor Gabriel Spahiu plays an aged, delusional thespian who once believed he truly was Dracula, while Oana Maria Zaharia portrays Vampira, a sexy representative of the undead.
The troupe's performances take unexpected turns, encouraging audience members to have sexual encounters with cast members while also offering families a more wholesome hide-and-seek romp where spectators chase vampire actors into the streets.
Set-Piece Mini-Films Within the Film
Interspersed throughout are self-contained mini-films on Dracula-adjacent themes. The most successful of these tells a communist-era story of a truck driver who falls in love with a local woman. When he confesses his marital status during a ride, she reacts with such horror that she jumps from his lorry and impales herself in a manner reminiscent of Vlad the Impaler.
Dracula as Symbol of Romania's Persistent Ills
Beyond the vampire mythology, Jude uses Dracula as a pantomime-phantom representing Romania's enduring social and political problems:
- Persistent strains of fascism
- Antisemitism
- Clerical arrogance
- Exploitative service economy
- Stakeholder capitalism
The film specifically references a failed Dracula theme park proposal from the late 1990s, where thousands of Romanian citizens invested money they would never recover—a pointed critique of economic exploitation.
Testing Patience with Moments of Startling Insanity
While the film stretches to epic length with stretches of tedium redeemed by sharp satire, it may test viewers' patience. Some critics note it lacks the energy and focus of Jude's previous works like Kontinental '25 or Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World.
Despite distancing itself from vampire industry clichés, the film acknowledges that Dracula himself has become something of a cliché through overexposure. Yet within this framework, Jude delivers moments of startling insanity and biting social commentary.
Looking Toward Romania's Political Vampirism
The film suggests Jude might one day tackle Romania's most pressing political subject directly: a biopic about Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu, exploring political vampirism in its most literal sense. For now, Dracula serves as a provocative, if uneven, examination of how national myths reflect contemporary realities.
Dracula will be screening at the ICA in London from April 10th, offering British audiences a chance to experience Jude's unique cinematic vision.
