Interview With the Vampire

 

 

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"Libera me, Domine, de vitae aeterna" - "Free me, Lord, from eternal life": If a movie begins with a choir and boy soprano singing these words, in a requiem's style and overlaying the camera's sweeping move over nightly San Francisco bay, zooming in on a Victorian building's top-floor window after having followed the life on the street below like a hunter follows its prey - if a movie begins like this, you know you're not looking at your average flick, whatever its subject. (And if the first thing you catch is the Latin phrase's grammatical mistake, this is probably not your kind of movie to begin with).

Much-discussed even before its release, due not least to Anne Rice's temporary withdrawal of support and her no less sensational subsequent 180-degree turn, Neil Jordan's adaptation of the "Vampire Chronicles"' first part, based on Rice's own screenplay, is a sumptuous production awash in luminous colors, magnificent period decor and costumes, rich fabrics, heavy crystal, elegant silverware and gallons of deeply scarlet blood, supremely photographed by Phillippe Rousselot, with a constant undercurrent of sensuality and seduction; an audiovisual orgy substantiated by one of recent film history's most ingenious scores (by Elliot Goldenthal). Although the book only gained notoriety after the publication of its sequel "The Vampire Lestat," followed in short order by the "Chronicles"' third installment, "The Queen of the Damned," by the time this movie was produced, Rice had acquired a large and loyal fan base, who would have been ready to tear it to shreds had it failed to meet their expectations. That this was not unanimously the case is in and of itself testimony to Neil Jordan's considerable achievement (only underscored by the botched 2002 realization of "Queen of the Damned"). Sure, some decry the plot changes vis-a-vis the novel and the fact that some of the protagonists (particularly Louis and Armand) look different from Rice's description. But others have embraced the movie wholeheartedly; praising it for remaining faithful to the fundamentalities of Rice's story and for its production values as such. I find myself firmly in the latter corner; indeed, in some respects I consider this one of the rare movies that are superior to their literary originals - primarily because the story's two main characters, Louis and Lestat, gain considerably in stature and complexity compared to Rice's book.

While both film and novel are narrated by Louis (Brad Pitt), giving an interview to a reporter (Christian Slater) in the hope of achieving some minimal atonement for 200 years of sin and guilt, and while Lestat (Tom Cruise) appears on screen barely half the movie's running time, Lestat is much more of a central character than in Rice's novel; and vastly more interesting. For Anne Rice's Lestat only comes into his own in the "Chronicles"' second part, which is named for him and where we truly learn to appreciate him as the vampire world's aristocratic, arrogant, wicked, intelligent and unscrupulous "brat prince," who although completely lacking regret for any of his actions nevertheless shows occasional glimpses of caring, even if he would never admit thereto. *This*, however, is exactly the movie's Lestat; not the comparatively uninformed and, all things considered, even somewhat brutish creature of Rice's first novel. It is no small feat on Tom Cruise's part to have accomplished this; and in my mind his portrayal has completely eclipsed the character's original conception, which was reportedly based on Rutger Hauer's Captain Navarre in "Ladyhawke."

Similarly, while every bit as guilt-ridden as the character created by Anne Rice, Brad Pitt's Louis regains more inner strength - and more quickly so - than the narrator of Rice's book, rendering him more of an even foil for Lestat, and equally lending greater credibility to his initial selection as Lestat's companion, his actions to ensure his and Claudia's escape to Europe, and his later decision not to stay with Armand. (Indeed, Louis's and Armand's separation after the burning of the Theatre of the Vampires makes perfect sense in the movie's context; it would have undercut both characters', but especially Louis's credibility had they gone on to share years of companionship like in the book.)

Kirsten Dunst's Claudia was not only this movie's biggest discovery - not surprisingly, in an interview included on the DVD Dunst calls this "the most prominent role" of her career so far - she, too, embodies the novel's child vampire to absolute perfection; capturing her eternally childlike features as well as her Lolitaesque seductiveness and the ruthless killer hidden under her doll-like appearance. Doubtlessly furthest from the novel's character is Antonio Banderas's powerful and charismatic Armand: But while I do somewhat miss Rice's auburn-haired "Botticelli angel," I always had a problem imagining him as the leader of the Paris coven, in control even of the quicksilver-like Santiago (marvelously portrayed by Stephen Rea in one of his most overtly theatrical performances). Here, too, the movie - if anything - gives the story greater credibility; although it's admittedly hard to reconcile with parts of the "Chronicles"' later installments, particularly Armand's own biography.

In interviews, Neil Jordan and Brad Pitt particularly have mentioned the emotional strain that this movie put on all its participants; due its almost exclusively nightly shooting schedule, and even more so because of its incessant exploration of guilt, damnation and, literally, hell on earth. Anne Rice's vampires truly are the ultimate outsiders; no longer part of human society, they feed on it, can neither be harmed by sickness nor by methods the world has taken for granted ever since Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (which are in fact merely "the vulgar fictions of a demented Irishman," as Louis explains, simultaneously amused and contemptuous) and are thus, if not killed by fire and/or beheading, condemned to walk the earth forever, without any hope of redemption. It is primarily this element which has given Rice's novels their lasting appeal, and which is perfectly rendered in Jordan's adaptation. I'm still not sure I'd ever want to meet them in person, though ...

this movie was absolutely wonderful. presently my best friend and I are in the middle of reading the book, and still love both equally, but we've noticed all the differences too. if you don't want to know what happens in the book, don't read this book, only know that both are wonderful. In the book, Louis has no wife and child, he is instead mourning the death of his younger brother, who he believes he murdered. He becomes a cold shell of a man...etc. then the movie continues correctly. Louis, as a vampire, falls in love with Babette Franiere, a mortal who runs a plantation not 5 miles from Point Du Lac, Louis's old plantation. he helps her, gives her advice from the shadows. she learns of his true form, and calls him the devil and shuns him from her home. the movie continues. Louis and Claudia leave for Europe, they find that Lestat has sired (to turn a human to a vampire) another. The movie continues, but Louis and Claudia search all of Europe for vampires, but mostly all that they find are mindless killing machines. they finally reach paris, where they find: Theatre des Vampires- a play of vampires posing as humans playing vampires. other than these few differences, the movie is almost exactly like the book. but even with these differences, both are by far some of the best vampire lore/stories i've read/seen ever.

Okay, first let me say that I have not yet read the book by Anne Rice. I had heard that this movie was good. "Good" is not a strong enough word. While other movies about vampires tend to be more on the phony side, this movie, in my opinion, was very realistic and believable. I do agree that Interview with the Vampire is less of a horror film than it is a work of art, but that certainly isn't a bad thing. Overall, this is an awesome movie and I highly recommend it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars excellent movie
excellent movie that started the current vampire craze! Tom Cruise is the perfect vampire! recommend film for all Twilight lovers!

Published 7 months ago by summerland b.c.

5.0 out of 5 stars Real vampires!
This is one of the greatest vampire movie ever made! The story telling is to die for & Tom Cruise makes an excellent arrogant vampire (& note I do not like Tom Cruise that much)... Read more

Published on Aug 5 2008 by Martine

5.0 out of 5 stars "interview"... surpassed my expectations
I don't feel some of the other reviews do justice to this movie. I recently saw this movie for the first time last summer and i was never a fan of tom cruise, but as a result of... Read more

Published on Jun 7 2005 by Robin

5.0 out of 5 stars Movie Introduction to Anne Rice
A different view on vampirism, a city dwelling kind of vampire who enjoys the good life. Based on one of Anne Rice's several excellent books. Read more

Published on July 17 2004 by Antonio Canas

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvlous!
This is one of my favorite films! absolutly wonderful. It's true to the book as much as possible, and really brings the emotion across. Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by Renee Fizer

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best vampire movies ever!
I love Interveiw with the Vampire! Brad Pitt and TOm Cruise are great in it, and so is kirsten Dunst.

Published on May 31 2004 by FallenFromGrace

5.0 out of 5 stars the best vampire movie ever!!!
rarely when a movie is made based on a book does it truly do the book justice. in this instance, it does the book justice. Read more

Published on May 7 2004 by badfish_313

1.0 out of 5 stars DOESN'T LIVE UP TO THE HYPE
To begin with, I'm not sure why I expected anything good from this movie, since the novel upon which it is based is itself so overrated. Read more

Published on May 5 2004 by K. Jump

5.0 out of 5 stars A nigth with a Vampire
A Great movie with good performances and a greate story

Published on April 29 2004 by lady

3.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the only dissenter on Tom Cruise's performance
Anne Rice's dark and maudlin tales are among my favorite in the vampire genre. However, I never bought Tom Cruise as Lestat. Read more

Published on April 26 2004 by G. Findley

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