Guy Maddin’s extraordinary take on Bram Stoker’s novel is certainly unlike any other adaptation. Anyone familiar with Maddin’s previous work will know what to expect – he specialises in films that emulate the look and feel of silent movies of the 20s and her he brings that aesthetic to an adaptation of Mark Godden’s ballet version of the story staged by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Originally shot for television and broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it subsequently had a second life on the festival circuit.

The title appears to refer not to any of the women in the film, but to Jonathan Harker (Johnny Wright) as his is the only diary seen in the film, an unexpected subversion of the audience’s expectations. And it’s not the only change that Maddin and Godden have made to the story. It follows the basics of the plot fairly accurately – and includes some of Stoker’s business usually ignored by other adaptations – though events are restructured. Almost uniquely, it dispenses with the usual business of Harker travelling to Castle Dracula (we see a particularly surreal, highlights only flashback to his ordeal later in the film) and begins with Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang) already making a play for Lucy (Tara Birtwhistle), now promoted to the story’s central character – at least for the first half of the film. She’s placed in the care of Dr Van Helsing (David Moroni) who suspects that she’s fallen under the spell of a “vampyre” and sure enough, she dies when Dracula is accidentally invited into their home by her mother (Stephanie Ballard). Lucy revives (the press refers to her, as children do in Stoker’s novel but rarely in the films, as “the bloofer lady”) and after she kills several children is tracked down and killed by Van Helsing with the help of her suitors Arthur Holmwood (Stephane Leonard), Jack Seward (Matthew Johnson) and Quincy Morris (Keir Knight).

Dracula’s attentions now turn to her friend Mina (CindyMarie Small) who is in a convent attending to her fiancé, Jonathon Harker who had travelled to Castle Dracula and was set upon by Dracula and his vampire brides, narrowly escaping with his life. The film comes to a frenzied climax as the vampire slayers storm the castle for a wonderfully dramatic showdown with Dracula (who appears to “bleed” gold coins when his jacket is torn – throughout the book, we’re reminded of Dracula’s wealth like this, a plot element often ignored in film adaptations. Here, Dracula is conspicuously wealthy with money “stolen from England” we’re told.

Chinese actor Zhang Wei-Qiang is an unusual but surprisingly effective choice for Dracula, giving the vampire lord an added exoticism that many other adaptations lack. He’s as seductive as Count as any we’ve seen on screen. Other cast members have clearly been cast for their dancing abilities rather than their acting though their sometimes heightened performances perfectly suit Maddin’s melodramatic style. They certainly look the part, even if some of the moustaches are ridiculously fake…

It’s essentially a filmed version of the stage production but filmed in Maddin’s signature hallucinatory style. His love of silent cinema and its techniques seems a natural fit for a Gothic horror. It’s not a dry ballet film either, largely immobile cameras filming the action from the third row of the stalls – it’s a dynamic and exuberant film, Maddin’s cameras swirling around among the dancers, catching their energy in a way that few such adaptations ever manage. He deploys every cinematic trick he can muster to plunge us into the story to often quite startling effect – the killing of Lucy for example becomes a staggering set piece full of odd lighting, slow motion, fast edits and splashes of computer-generated red as she’s run through by Van Helsing and his gang.

For those of us naturally resistant to the appeal of ballet, Maddin’s immersive and inventive direction makes even some of the lengthier routines bristle with vibrancy and eroticism. He knows when to stand back and allow the dancers to do their thing, but also isn’t afraid to choose the unexpected camera angle or to move in for a close-up of to capture facial expressions usually lost in traditional ways of filming ballet.

It’s not an entirely “silent” film as sound effects are frequently heard and they’re usually quite odd ones – the sound of railways for example, or the ghostly wail of an air raid siren heralding Lucy’s bedroom being invaded by dancing imps. Nor is it entirely in black and white – whole scenes are tinted as you’d expect, there are splashes of red here and there, Dracula’s gold is suitably tinted and his paper money stained green, and there’s a glorious moment at the climax where the vampire slayers exit the castle and wander out into a colourful dawn.

Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary is a beautifully shot (by Paul Suderman) and edited (by Mddin’s long-time associate deco dawson – a falling out after Dracula ended their partnership). Deanne Rohde’s production design is stunning – the towering, expressionist sets are perfect for Maddin’s warped vision, adding to the film’s hazy, surreal atmosphere. Add to this Gustav Mahler’s almost overwhelming music (the film uses excerpts from both his first and second symphonies) and you’ve got a Dracula film quite unlike any other. It’s thoroughly compelling from beginning to end even if ballet is something you’d normally shy away from this should prove engaging and rewarding.