INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES

US, 1994, 122 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Stephen Rea, Thandie Newton.
Directed by Neil Jordan.

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, is one of several rather more `literate' horror films of the early to mid-'90s - Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Anne Rice has gathered a large following for her American horror novels, especially The Vampire Chronicles. She wrote the screenplay for Interview. (Perhaps part of publicity, she first denounced Tom Cruise as the choice for Lestat and then praised him to the skies - the praise seems unwarranted.)

Tom Cruise seems too `American wholesome' to be convincing and his performance seems too much of a career move than acting. Brad Pitt (a substitute for River Phoenix who died before production started) however, as the tormented Louis who surrenders to Lestat, is excellent. Christian Slater is the journalist for the interview. Antonio Banderas has an odd role as the manager of a theatre in late 19th century Paris. Stephen Rea, almost unrecognisable, is a vicious actor. Kirsten Dunst (Little Women) is excellent as the child/woman vampire.

Rice plays with the vampire legends and explores the perennial power of evil, of all kinds of vampires who prey on the innocent and destroy or corrupt. At times the film is powerful; at times, beneath the sumptuous sets, costumes and decor, somewhat ludicrous.

A subsequent Lestat film was Queen of the Damned (2001) directed by Michael Rymer.

Director is Neil Jordan, the Irish director of such effective films as Angel, Mona Lisa, and the winner of an Oscar for best screenplay for The Crying Game. Jordan already made a probe of horror themes in his Company of Wolves (1984).

1. The writings of Anne Rice? Literature to screen? Anne Rice and her own screenplay?

2. The tradition of vampire movies and audience expectations? The Dracula literature? The classics? The popularisation of the classics, especially Bram Stoker?

3. The vampire themes, the undead, immortality, blood, sexuality? The film using these themes - and critiquing the traditional treatments?

4. The American setting, New Orleans, the 18th and 19th centuries? The French influence? Paris in the 20th century? The collage of the 20th century - especially through movies? Paris and theatre? Old and new worlds - comparisons and contrast?

5. The themes of the undead, the desire for immortality? Eternal life - and the wish for death? Natural/unnatural? The worlds of light and darkness? The world of blood for survival? Vampires as symbols of evil? Personal choices or victims? Preying on other human beings?

6. The vampire undead and the quality of their life, their experience of death, possibility of emotional relationships, commitment, friendship, affection, sexual attraction, heterosexual, homo-erotic?

7. The sets, 18th century New Orleans, society, buildings, costumes and decor? The contrast with the alleys and their darkness? The change for the 19th century? Plague-stricken New Orleans? Paris, the world of the theatre? 20th century changes? The contemporary San Francisco settings?

8. The film in the tradition of the movies? The significance of cinema for the 20th century? Louis and his choice of films, what he had learnt through films, stories, emotions? The musical score?

9. The strength of the cast, director? Tom Cruise cast against type?

10. The San Francisco opening, night, Louis and the journalist in the empty apartment, the modern atmosphere? The beginnings of the interview, the reasons for the interview, the journalist and his eagerness, disbelief, the scoop, taping Louis? The film returning to San Francisco every so often? Louis, a creature of the night, his physical appearance, modern dress, pallor, anguish, the telling of the story? His motivation for choosing the journalist? Letting him be?

11. Louis and the voice-over, telling his story, the honesty of the tale, the anguish? His life in New Orleans, family, the grief with the death of his wife and child? The burdens of suffering he had to bear? His age, reaction? His losing faith, drinking, dissolute, the women? Open to the temptation to become a vampire?

12. Tom Cruise as Lestat, his screen presence, make-up, handsome, the vampire suggestions, sinister eyes, teeth? The world of the undead? His declaration that he had no choice? His talk about his creator in France? The sadness of his life, his cruelty, vengeful? The savagery of his killings, consuming the blood? The attraction towards Louis, erotic? Giving him the choice, tempting him, biting, the ritual drinking of blood? Transforming Louis?

13. The behaviour of Louis and Lestat in New Orleans, New Orleans society, the killings, the ugliness, Louis fascinated - yet not killing humans, the search for chickens, for rats? The thirst for blood? The prostitutes? The high society woman who had murdered her husband? Her lover? The comments on decadent New Orleans society? The killings as judgment? The vampires as instruments of vengeance?

14. Louis and his melancholy, his strength of character, his past values, his decision to become a vampire, bereft of hope, consequences? His attraction towards Lestat?

15. The plague, the victims, the mother and her death, the little girl, her grieving for her mother? The temptation to kill the girl? Lestat's attitude? Louis, the temptation, his choice, killing a human being, wanting a companion? His decision?

16. The girl, her age, the death of her mother, her experience, being transformed into a vampire, the adult/girl? Her appearance, her hair, her dresses? Louis' companion, their life together, the coffins? Time going past, her regrets, the cutting of her hair, its growing again? Their both being victims of Lestat and their antagonism towards him? Louis and his compassion, the destruction of the girl?

17. Louis, the desire to escape, the passing decades? Spurning Lestat, his travel to Paris, feeling at home, the desire to see the old world?

18. The world of Paris, darkness, Louis alone, finding company? The theatre, the owner and his erotic attraction? The actor and his vengeful attitudes towards Louis? The members of the company? The performances, Grand Guignol and the theatricalising of horror? The response of the audience? (Compared with the cinema audience?) The plays, the world of the late 19th century?

19. Louis, the vampires, the spectacle of their destruction, the theatre? The vengeful actor, the confrontation with Louis, his decapitation? The theatre engulfed in flame? The theatre owner, his rescue of Louis?

20. The 20th century, Louis wandering, the technological changes, changes of clothes, buildings? Attitudes? The variety of films that he saw?

21. The return to the United States, seeking out Lestat, Lestat's absence from the film - and now the 20th century recluse, living in squalor, regrets? The confrontation with Louis? Louis spurning him? Lestat following Louis to San Francisco, driving the car, offering the lift to the journalist, vampirising him?

22. The moral themes of vampire films? Morality and immorality? Audiences fascinated with the stories of the undead and immortality? Identifying with vampires? With Lestat? With Louis? The psychological interest of the stories, the subconscious, yearnings, reality? Death, violence? Survival? The reality and symbolism of blood? Sexuality and power? Evil, freedom and choices?