The acting is great. I would dare to say that the script is one of the best for this kind of movies. But I would like to say something about the legendary Vlad Draculea, also known as Vlad Tepes (The Impaler) and see if the history has done him justice.
First of all, Vlad Tepes' father, Vlad Basarab, was known as Vlad Dracul not because he was part of a secret organization, as other movies suggested, but for the following reason:
He received from the emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg the highest Order that was given to a knight in those troubled days - higher than The Teutons' Order, The Order of the Maltese Knights or The Order of the Knights from Rhodos. That was The Dragon's Order. In Romanian, Dracul means The Devil. And from Dragon to Devil was only a small step.
Vlad (the father of Vlad Tepes (pronounced Tsépesh)) and Mircea, Vlad's brother were buried alive by some coward, traitorous nobles, just because the nobles didn't like the idea of a war against the Turks. Those nobles wanted peace with the Ottomans, even if this would have meant a harsh tribute in gold, silver, cattle and CHILDREN.
By that time, Vlad and his brother, Radu The Handsome, were forced guests at the Sublime Porte as a pledge that their father wouldn't have risen again against the Turks.
Vlad Tepes (now known as Draculea or Dracula) has punished very harsh the thieves, liars and the enemies. And that scared people as hell. Yes, he was harsh even for those days. But efficient!!! While he ruled the country nobody dared to steal anything!!! Why, in the evening, you could let a bag full of money in the middle of the road and in the next morning it would still be there. LOL! That's why in my country HE is a national HERO!!!!
The people are such a distorted beings. They couldn't see the forest but the trees. Some can't behave unless their are forced to do so. The good deeds are easily forgotten but the harm done... Well... That's another story. And Vlad knew that well.
Maybe if he had had the diplomacy of his cousin, Stefan The Great, the Lord of Moldavia, things would have been different.
Knowing all that... Can anyone blame Vlad Tsépesh (The Impaler) for trying to clean his country of thieves, liars, false beggars, traitors and lazy people?
Not to mention the fact that his little country, as well as the other parts of the future Romania, were as a shield to the rest of Europe against the Turks and Tartars. While the Romanians (then divided in Moldavians, Transylvanians, and Valachians) were trying to survive between the blows that came unceasingly from all sides, the rest of the Europe sinked in sloth, giving, when was requested help, only promises.
So, tell me! Which ruler was the worst? The one that sacrificed anything for freedom or the one that promised to help but never did, continuing to enjoy a life of pleasures and lust, as long as the peril was away?
