NADJA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.6
United States, 1994 U.S. Availability: varies (limited) Running Length: 1:37 MPAA Classification: R (Sex, vampirism) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Elina Lowensohn, Martin Donovan, Galaxy Craze, Peter Fonda, Jared Harris, Suzy Amis, Karl Geary Director: Michael Almereyda Producers: Mary Sweeney and Amy Hobby Screenplay: Michael Almereyda Cinematography: Jim DeNault Music: Simon Fisher Turner U.S. Distributor: October Films
Hip. Cool. New Wave. Chic. These are only some of the adjectives applicable to Michael Almereyda's new take on the vampire legend. Of course, one other term springs to mind, but it isn't nearly as complimentary. Pretentious. There are times when NADJA becomes too full of itself, as if the writer/director is attempting to prove that he's more than just a film maker; he's an *artist*.
Hal Hartley regular Elina Lowensohn is the title character, and her erotic, exotic portrayal of a female vampire may be the best on-screen presentation of the undead since that of Bela Lugosi. Cloaked and cowled in black with flawless skin and well-defined eyebrows, Lowensohn's Nadja is a startling creature, and the camera clearly loves her. Her European accent is also perfect for the role. (How important was Lugosi's to his Dracula?)
NADJA opens in modern-day Manhattan, where there are apparently all sorts of vampires and zombies roaming around. One such is the venerable Dracula (although he doesn't last more than ten minutes into the film), while others include his daughter Nadja and her twin brother Edgar (Jared Harris). Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Fonda), a nutcase vampire-killer acting like an aging hippie who dropped too much acid during the '60s, has driven a stake through Dracula's heart and is now after the kids. Helping him in his quest is his nephew (or is it son?), Jim (Martin Donovan, another Hartley favorite), whose wife Lucy (Galaxy Craze) has fallen under Nadja's spell.
One pleasant aspect of NADJA is that very little is played straight. Much of the film is done tongue in cheek, and there are a number of sly, satirical references to the legendary Dracula story. Visually, allusions vary from NOSFERATU to PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE. Almereyda is clearly having fun with his material. His vision of Van Helsing as a borderline maniac is clever, and a number of double entendres (including one about being "born again") are worth a hearty chuckle.
Filmed in sterling black-and-white interspersed with Pixelvision sequences (created using a Fisher Price toy camera), NADJA is occasionally exquisite. There are scenes of stunning beauty and fevered chaos, with eerie music playing to their accompaniment. Unfortunately, Almereyda doesn't restrain his artsy visual inclinations, and his weird style becomes self-indulgent. Used too often, even the best tricks grow tiresome. NADJA is a prime example of this. And when the plot dries up an hour into the proceedings, the director apparently thinks that canny cinematography can keep things going to the end. It doesn't work, and NADJA struggles to reach the final credits. Smoke and mirrors only work when the audience can't see through them, but, in this picture, they're painfully obvious.
David Lynch's involvement in something this bizarre should surprise no one. In addition to his executive producer credit, Lynch has a cameo as a morgue attendant. Although he never steps behind the camera, the man who made ERASERHEAD and BLUE VELVET is full of praise for Almereyda, which is expected considering NADJA's offbeat style. But where Lynch's films always possessed an edge, NADJA doesn't have much to recommend it beyond atmosphere, occasional playfulness, and Lowensohn. As vampire movies go, this one lacks bite.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews