VAMPIRE ACADEMY
US, 2014, 106 minutes, Colour.
Zoe Deutch, Lucy Fry, Gabriel Byrne, Joely Richardson.
Directed by Mark Waters.
A first alert to this film was the advertising tagline, ‘They suck at school’. Had this film been a slight parody, a vampire academy instead of the police academy, this might have been the most clever part of the film.
But, there is more to it than that.
Based on a popular novel by Rachelle Mead, this is yet another contribution to the extraordinarily wide popularity of vampire stories in recent times, fostered by television’s True Blood as well as the popularity of the Twilight series. This film lies somewhere in between, veering more towards Twilight than to True Blood.
Somewhere, in a rather unlikely United States, there is an exclusive mansion which is the home to the Vampire Academy, confined, it would seem, to older teenagers and their education, both classical and in vampire law and physical arts to combat enemies. At the opening, Rose (a more than feisty and attractive Zoe Deutch) is guarding a more seemingly delicate student, Lissa (Lucy Fry). Lissa is actually a princess from a long line of vampires and is destined to be Queen – although she has fled the Academy.
When the group is captured and returned to the Academy, (St Vlad’s!) there is an explanation, with technical names, of the various layers of vampire status, of protectors and of hostile vampires who are bent on destroying the more respectable ones (who are able to get their blood supply from willing humans who volunteer!). It is only the hostiles who can be killed by silver knives. Once back at the Academy, we meet the rather surly headmistress, Olga Kuryenko, and the rather ill provost, Gabriel Byrne.
There are the variations on high school enmities and friendships amongst the vampires, Rose being rather free because she is only part of vampire and decidedly human. A visit from the Queen, a rather absurd episode as she is dressed in robes and ermine, played by Joely Richardson, challenges Lissa to live up to her expectations.
After the high school episodes, and a school dance, there is some melodrama as one of the characters reveals a sinister side and abducts Lissa. Rose, and the guard, Dmitri, to whom she is more than attracted, come to the rescue.
A final glimpse at what looks to be a field of lost souls, of sinister vampires, indicates that there could be a sequel.
1. The title? Based on a popular novel? The intended audience, young, female?
2. Touches of 21st-century realism? The Academy, isolated, the exteriors, the castle-like building, the grounds? Interiors, classrooms, the hall? The musical score?
3. The vampire tradition, the film commission? Twilight and the younger audiences?
4. Rose and Lissa, the car, the music, the argument, the crash, the deaths, the effect? Rose and Lissa and their escape from the Academy, their empathy, Rose knowing what was happening? The reasons for leaving the Academy? The pursuit?
5. The explanation of the Moiri, the levels of existence the status in this vampire world? The relative powers? The vampire rituals? The importance of blood? The link between the wall?
6. Dmitri, finding the women, the return to the added to the Academy, the fight at the gates, the hostile vampires?
7. St Vlad’s, the principal, her manner, dealing with the two young women? The Provost and his status? His daughter, Natalie? The students, their classes, their physical training? Age? The studies, activities, assemblies?
8. Rose, feisty, her role with Lissa, devoted, Lissa drinking her blood, the talk of gossip? Dmitri and his training, her interest? The injury, being healed? The other young men and their attentions? The clash with media?
9. Lissa, as a princess, intended Queen, her powers, healing, the importance of the escape, her dependence on Arose, for blood, for friendship? The crash, being caught, a cat? Back at the Academy, the discussions with Victor, with the Queen’s speech? But her liking for question, the dead fox, or the others and their antagonism?
10. Kristian, his attraction to Lissa, seeming sinister, his powers?
11. Dmitri, his devotion, his strength, help?
12. The warnings, the blood statements on the wall, the dead fox, the computer face and its warning? Who was responsible? The motivations?
13. The dance, performance?
14. The intervention, Victor and his being sinister, his illness, wanting to be healed, tormenting Lissa, the battle by drawing the power out of her, breathing it into Victor? Natalie and her transformation? Loyal to her father? The final fights? Victory on the side of good?
15. The arrival of the Queen, this and her assertiveness, new organisation of the Academy? The vision of lost vampires and the possibility of a sequel?
