My theory about the priest at the beginning...
... is that he is Van Helsing's ancestor. That's why both of them are portrayed by Hopkins. Just a theory, though.
shareI've often thought about that it that way.
However, it is conflicting with the thought of Van Helsing being a man of science, medicine, and the unexplained / supernatural - and combining that with whatever spiritual or religious beliefs he has.
Didn't Van Helsing (can't remember exactly but am remembering as so - please tell me if I'm wrong) acknowledge Dracula's and Mina's timeless pull to one another? That Mina was Elisabeta reincarnated? That would conflict with his (assuming) ancestor's thought that she was damned to hell for suicide and that the two of them couldn't unite in heaven because of it.
Now come to think of it, it still could be true that they are ancestors - Dracula and Mina/Elisabeta were only reunited in mortal life, and Dracula died. Will they be reunited again? Up for debate.
Good points.
However, it is conflicting with the thought of Van Helsing being a man of science, medicine, and the unexplained / supernatural - and combining that with whatever spiritual or religious beliefs he has.
Didn't Van Helsing (can't remember exactly but am remembering as so - please tell me if I'm wrong) acknowledge Dracula's and Mina's timeless pull to one another? That Mina was Elisabeta reincarnated? That would conflict with his (assuming) ancestor's thought that she was damned to hell for suicide and that the two of them couldn't unite in heaven because of it.
Given the fact that the priest lived in the middle ages (a time were science was a form of blasphemy and heressy) and Van Helsing was a Victorian intellectual, of course they were going to have different opinions. Maybe the priest and his supposed successors would start investigating about Dracula and vampires in general, and as time and eras progressed, so did their knowledge in science and supernatural topics. It's been a while since I last saw the film, so I can't remember if what you said about Van Helsing remembering/mentioning all about Dracula's past. I'll have to watch it again, soon.
Now come to think of it, it still could be true that they are ancestors - Dracula and Mina/Elisabeta were only reunited in mortal life, and Dracula died. Will they be reunited again? Up for debate.
Indeed, and what the final sequence shows us is that both Dracula and Elizabetha are going to Heaven. Maybe, after Dracula's death, when Mina dies, her soul would reunite with Dracula in Heaven. share
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