Dracula's Brides (Bram Stoker's Dracula)

Dracula's Brides are minor character in the story of Dracula. This article will cover the 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula version as played by Monica Bellucci, Michaela Bercu, and Florina Kendrick.

Appearance
The brides are Romanian by nationality due to Romania being their homeland, and thus speak the language as well. Their manner of dress consists of layers of robes draped around their bodies (though when first seen, they were mostly naked) with a bit of headwear (one of the brides also had live snakes in her hair, giving her the appears of a Gorgan). The brides wear no footwear, moving around barefoot with anklets. They are likewise very pale in accordance with their inhuman nature and have fangs as well.

Abilities And Personalities
It is unknown if sunlight affects them as Dracula is shown being able to withstand sunlight with no ill affects, though they are mostly either within the castle or seen during the night. They seems to be able to appear seamlessly within object such as the bed during Harker's stay in their room as well as appearing unnoticed.

Like their master, they can climb and stick to walls as seen when one of the brides was flung to a wall by Dracula. The Brides also seem to have powers of hypnosis as well when they seduced Harker and tried to control a vampiric Mina into attacking Van Helsing. They're also quite strong, managing to kill the two horses that were with the pair with demonic power.

Being vampires, they are, of course, vulnerable to religious symbols such as crosses and holy wafers. Though how big the symbol is dictates how strongly it can ward off demonic power. Harker was given a small cross at the beginning of the movie, but one of the brides managed to melt it after momentarily shrinking back. However in a deleted scene, Harker manages to get them to back off by making a makeshift cross.

Personality wise, they're sexual deviants, reveling in their demonic nature. They take pleasure in draining and feeding on Harker, though are smart enough to know not to go overboard as they drain enough to keep Harker alive but weakened so they can continue feeding off of him. Likewise they're not afraid to disobey their master when blood is involved.

The bride played by Kendrick (who resembles a gorgon) appears to be the leader and seems to take the most delight in draining Harker. She is the last bride to appear before Harker and bites him immediately (as opposed to the other two brides, who kissed and licked Harker before biting him, suggesting they were more interested in affection and sex as opposed to draining him). She is also the one who tries to persuade Mina to join them when she is on the mountain with Van Helsing.

The bride played by Bellucci is perhaps the most seductive of the three. She is the one who lured Harker to their chambers, calling to him in a low, sultry whisper (how she knew his name is not explained), and is the first to kiss him.

The bride played by Bercu states that Dracula has never loved when he stops them from feeding on Harker. This gives some insight into the relationship between Dracula and the brides. It is likely that in his loneliness, he turned the three into vampires to act as companions for him but never truly loved them and even refers to them at one point as "bad memories". While being seduced by Dracula, it is likely that they could have been in love with him (Bercu's vampire in particular).

Synopsis
The brides are first seen when Harker stumbles into their chambers while exploring the castle. One of them hypnotizes Harker into laying on the bed in their chambers which they seem to haunt with their power. One bride appears from in between Harker's legs from under the sheets. Another one likewise appears on Harker's side, both nude from the waist up. The first bride starts to move up to Harker and pulls open his shirt to reveal a cross given to him by a passenger on the couch ride to the castle. The bride shrinks back at first but regains her composure and uses her powers to melt the cross into liquid.



With the symbol gone both brides proceed to kiss and seduce Harker. Things seems to go fine until one of the brides bares her fangs and bites into Harker's arm with an inhuman growl. It's then that a third vampire bride shows up to get her share. As her two fellow brides bite Harker's arms and chest, she opens his pants and bites into Harker's groin. With Harker completely entranced, the brides go on a sexual frenzy, kissing and feeding on Harker, while an overhead mirror casts no reflection on them, as if invisible forces are pulling at Harker's clothing.

As the frenzy reaches its peak, Dracula suddenly appears and immediately stops it. He grabs one of the brides and flings her to the ceiling where she scurries to a corner of the wall. The other two brides likewise get away from Harker. Dracula chastises them for disobeying his order The bride that was flung to the wall counters in Romanian that " You yourself have never loved." But he rebuffs this claim stating that he has in fact loved before, and vows he will love again. The brides all cower around Dracula like kittens asking if they're to have nothing that night. Dracula presents them with a baby, They take it and crowd around it, but we're spared the visual details of the baby's fate as Harker blacks out.

The brides were apparent to be sisters and princesses that were given to Dracula as an award for his actions in the army, it is not sure who got turned first but there might have gotten turned together, the red head bride and the European bride seemed to be the closest as it is seen in Harker's seduction scene and as for the snake bride, she is seen the be the leader of the three and the most vicious of the three although they are equally blood thirsty, it is not sure how the snake bride got the snakes in her hair but it seems that she got them from being trapped in their lair for so long that the snakes got knotted in her hair.

In a deleted scene, Harker attempts to escape from the castle and gets as far to where the gypsies are loading Dracula's coffins to be shipped to London. He finds Dracula resting in his coffin and tries to stake him, but Dracula awakens and scares him. Harker tries to get away only to run into the brides who proceed to drain him again.

Dracula soon leaves for London leaving Harker alone with the Brides who would continuing feeding on his blood while keeping him weakened so he doesn't escape. Harker manages to gain enough strength to do so, a deleted scene showing him warding off he brides with a makeshift cross and escaping out a window and into the moat. Depriving the brides of their human meal.

The next scene of the brides is near the end of the movie as the protagonists are chasing Dracula back to his castle. Van Helsing and Mina split from the group and take a separate path. As they near the castle, they set up camp for the night. However Mina, suffering vampirism after having been bitten by Dracula and drunk his blood, starts acting more aggressive. It's revealed that the brides are doing this via hypnosis, with the vampirism helping the process. They try to manipulate Mina into biting Van Helsing but he snaps out of it in time and uses a holy wafer to bring Mina to her senses.Seeing the brides try to re-work their charms. Van Helsing makes a ring of fire around Mina to protect her while fending off the brides who try to get in close to reclaim Mina. Van Helsing's ring and faith prove too strong however and they flee, but not before killing the duo's horses to impede their travel.

The next day Helsing enters Dracula's castle and finds the brides' chamber where they sleep on slabs during the day. Helsing decapitates them while they sleep (though one of the brides clearly feels it but can't awaken to do anything about it).

Once all three are beheaded, Van Helsing takes the brides heads and throws them off the mountain side while yelling Dracula's name.