WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
New Zealand, 2014, 86 minutes, Colour.
Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori González- Macuer, Stuart Rutherford, Ben Fransham, Jackie van Beek, Rhys Darby.
Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi.
The important part of the title is not the “shadows” but the “we”. “We” are, in fact, dwellers in Wellington, New Zealand, but vampires! Migrants from Europe, they found New Zealand a peaceful place to which to migrate and settle. Further, in fact, there are many witches, groups of werewolves as well as vampires peacefully living as citizens of the New Zealand capital. At least, that is what this film claims.
And who would think up such a scenario? The answer is Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. The two of them are very talented Kiwi writers, directors and actors. Waititi directed The Flight of the Conchordes and directed the moving New Zealand film about a Maori boy, Boy. Clement has acted in The Flight of the Conchordes as well as a number of American films including Men in Black 4 and gives his distinctive voice to the villain, Nigel, in the Rio films.
It is hoped that nobody is taking this too seriously. This is a comedy, and quite a funny comedy it is, plenty of rollicking jokes, deadpan verbal humour, and a smile on the audience’s face throughout the whole film. It is a very good example of the mockumentary genre, even with old-fashioned title-images from the New Zealand documentary unit of the past. It is Un- Reality TV!
Viago (Waititi) is the host for the documentary, welcoming the camera crew into his house, a flat which is shared with three other vampires. They are of varying age, the age of Viago himself almost 400, but they also have a resident in the basement, Petyr, several thousand years old and the image of the famous Nosferatu. We are soon at the kitchen table because Viago has called a meeting to discuss the roster for the chores, to criticise The Deacon, for avoiding his responsibilities and not wanting to wash up – but he is soon at the kitchen sink washing up bloodstained crockery. It is that kind of film.
Viago is a very pleasant host, working very well with the camera crew who seem to be in on every scene (no matter how impossible). A lot of amusing episodes within the flat. However, the vampires want to go out on the town and, not having any appearance in mirrors, they are not sure how properly they addressed – they are not, very old-fashioned. And often they are not allowed into clubs. Sometimes on the way they encounter a group of young men who turned out to be the local werewolves.
It does become a bit complicated when a young man, Nick, is invited into the flat and at the end of the evening is bitten and transformed. He thinks this is something of a hoot, giving him definitely a better lifestyle, and he has no hesitation in telling everybody what has happened to him. This does arouse the interest of a vampire hunter who comes to the house and wreaks a bit of devastation.
The other principal character is Stu, a rather silent, all laconic, passive young man, an expert in IT, who is able to introduce the vampires to the Internet and working on their laptops. This is especially the case for Vladislav (Clement) who has been disappointed in love, referring to his former partner as The Beast.
There is another entertaining character, Jackie, who desperately wants to be transformed but who is a vampire slave, doing all the cleaning and tidying up in the flat. She has no hesitation in talking to camera and explaining everything.
We have been told at the beginning that there is a big social event coming up, where all vampires, werewolves and local witches turn up for dancing. There are some climactic moments, especially with The Beast and some of the guests at the social taking a dim view of Stu gate-crashing, being an ordinary human.
And, in the appropriate words of Shakespeare, all is well that ends well! Quite a different entertainment.
1. A popular film? Tradition of vampire films? Of parodies and spoofs?
2. The career of the writers and directors? New Zealand film and television? Writing, direction, performances?
3. The title and its application?
4. The mockumentary, the logo of the New Zealand documentary film department? The influence of Reality TV? The film crew following the characters, filming them in every situation, even impossible situations and circumstances? The interviews with the characters, the talking heads straight to camera? Interviews?
5. Enjoyable, implausible? Vampires and folklore? Sleeping in the day, active at night, the need for blood, biting for blood – and the visuals of accidents and missing arteries!
6. Transformation of others, vampires and their human slaves? The gatherings, the social events? The werewolves? The witches? All set in Wellington and Wellington’s life?
7. The comedy, slapstick, the wit, parody, the werewolf gang, the jokes about images in mirrors, the old clothes and costumes, how to become modern when going out during the night in Wellington?
8. Viago, aristocratic, the introduction, the host to the documentary, his talking to the crew, his age, style, his manner, flight, interactions with the other characters, explanation of the flat and the flatmates, introducing each of the flatmates? His concern about the work roster, laziness, the rules and regulations, the meeting at the kitchen table? The outings, the clubs and no admittance? His parody of ordinary people? The memories of his love, his refusing to transform her, her living in the unit in Wellington and growing old, finally reunited?
9. Deacon, lazy, his relationships, his slave and the commands, at the meeting about the roster? His washing up the blood stained crockery? His friend Nick, Nick being bitten in the excitement? His being exasperated with Nick and his talk and behaviour?
10. Vladislav, his style, manner of speaking, his past and the visualising of his history, the parallel with characters like Vlad? His coping with ordinary things, the need for blood, his explanations to camera? Going out?
11. Peter, his age, looking like Nosferatu, in the cupboard, in the dark, his biting Nick, the vampire hunter and his destruction, his skeleton, the flatmates grieving?
12. The friendship with Nick, socialising, his being bitten, going out, telling everybody about the vampires, the vampire hunter, coming into the house, causing Peter’s destruction? The group exasperated with Nick? Nick bringing his friend Stu, the help with the computers, Vladislav and his work on the laptop?
13. Stu, his character, passive, happy in the company of the vampires, their respecting him, not transforming him? Bringing him to the social, the reactions against him? His reappearance – but with the werewolves and his being transformed?
14. Meeting the werewolves, in the town, looking like a Wellington street gang, the rivalries, the transformations? All coming to the social?
15. Vladislav, his stories of the Beast, the visualising? The irony of her being a woman, falling out with Vladislav? Her behaviour at the social, condemning Stu? Her not being destroyed – and the possibilities of a reunion?
16. Jackie, the slave, working for the vampires, explanations to camera, her husband, dominating him, wanting to be a vampire, the extent of her cleaning duties, finally being transformed and dictating to her husband?
17. The build-up to the social, the dancing, the music, the confrontations?
18. And a happy ending, everybody transformed – and getting along well?
