It takes the historical Vlad as its inspiration and also melds the historical truth into the mythical fiction at the end of the film. The movie shows the dark politics of 15th century South Eastern Europe with smaller states caught between the powerful Hungarian Empire and the conquering Ottoman Empire. The people suffer as corrupt barons and nobles switch sides back and forth to line their own pockets. Prince Vlad Dracul (Dracula's father) is forced to send his sons, Radu and Vlad, to the Sultan's court but is himself betrayed and killed. Young Vlad escapes whilst Radu seems to take to the Sultan's court. Vlad gains the backing of the Hungarian King and returns to his native Wallachia in modern day Romania. Through raiding against the corrupt nobles (boyars) and with popular support he becomes Prince and marries his beloved Lydia.
Already, his heart is hot for vengeance and justice against the corrupt Boyars who betrayed his father and bleed the ordinary people dry (no pun intended!!). They are called to Vlad's castle for a feast...only to discover that the toothpicks are a little on the large side and end up in places that would make you anally retentive to say the least. It begins, the impaler legend is born and the ordinary people hail their new Prince as their Messiah - here to deliver them from the oppresive yoke of both the Boyars and the Turkish invaders, which he does through numerous battles and impalings.. To Vlad a son is born but Lydia starts to uncover Vlad's methods - in one scene we see a reference to the (in)famous story of the gold chalice at the well. Legends tells of a town in which there was a well. At this well, Vlad left a golden, jewel encrusted goblet for all to use from the lowliest peasant to the richest noble. To attempt to take it was to be turned into a human popsicle/lollipop. Lydia sees the chalice at the well and talks with a local peasant woman who talks proudly of her Prince and not so kindly of those who would try and steal it.....Lydia looks up horrified at the decaying corpses of the impaled. The Church is also starting to become a little dubious about Vlad's Drac-onian methods and a priest by the name of Stefan (Peter Weller) befriends Vlad and offers hims advice, amidst dark whispering amongst his fellow ecclesiasts that Vlad is the Anti-Christ not a Messiah for the Romanian people.
"I'm a guy who gets straight to the point. You can stake your reputation on it"
Lydia's mind finally seems to snap when her son seems to display his father's predilection for tough justice. She witnesses the smile on the boy's face upon seeing Turkish ambassadors who refuse to remove their turbans before Vlad have the same turbans nailed to their heads. Vlad has her sent to a convent. Ultimately, Vlad is driven out by the advancing Turks in part led by his younger brother Radu. He finds himself a prisoner of the Hungarians.
After several years he is released and is married off to one of the Hungarian King's daughters and offered their support - but only if he renounces the Orthodox faith and embraces the Roman Catholic. Vlad cares nothing for Church politics and the inherent hypocrisy there-in. He takes up Catholicism in name only as an expedient means of regaining his throne and liberating his people. The Orthodox hierarchy have him placed on trial as the Anti-Christ....and ultimately betray him to his brother Radu, who seemingly kills Vlad. He is entombed.
The story does not end there however.......for can the Dark Prince REALLY be slain?
This movie is great with good acting, especially from Rudolf Martin as Vlad (all brooding beetle-brow and rock singer hair) and Peter Weller as Father Stefan. You can only wonder what the movie would have been like with a big Hollywood budget - something of the epic scale of movies like "Gladiator", "Troy" or "Kingdom of Heaven" - we can but hope that such a movie is one day made (as long as it doesn't end up a travesty which so many recent Hollywood historical epics have been - Oliver Stone's "Alexander the Great" anybody?).
Despite its budgetary short-comings this movie is engaging, dark and moody. You are left to make up your own mind was Vlad a legendary hero of his people (think King Arthur or Robin Hood) as most Romanians still see him today; or was he the dark murderous madmen that many Medieval writers (normally his enemies interestingly enough) portrayed him to be. Messiah or Anti-Christ? You decide....but ask yourself.....what would you have done to protect your people in such dark and dangerous times....
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