30 DAYS OF NIGHT

US, 2007, 118 minutes, Colour.
Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster.
Directed by David Slade.

The vampire race does not die. Neither do the vampire movies. Here is one which has quite an exotic setting and a different variation on the theme.

The setting is northern Alaska, the town of Barrow, small population, some homes, stores, generating plant and a sheriff. For 30 days, the town is in complete darkness. What better time than this for some wandering European vampires to come across the straits to North America and wreak destruction?

This is an above average vampire film though it will best be appreciated by fans who want something a little more substantial than shocks and gore. It opens like an eerie thriller just before the sun sets for a month. There are suggestions that something is wrong so that by the time the small community is set upon by the vampires, we are feeling more than a little edgy.

Josh Hartnett plays the town sheriff and for the first part, he acts just like a sheriff with a town in difficulties and afraid. When the situation becomes more desperate and the citizens are either destroyed or trying to hide from the onslaught, he takes on a heroic stand. This is complicated by his estranged wife missing her plane to get out, his grandmother being killed and his younger brother being part of the lessening number of survivors.

A lot of the action has the group hiding, trying not to be discovered and then having to flee to safer places of refuge. In the meantime, the vampires take over the town. Their leader is played by Danny Huston as a dominating and terrifying presence.

While dawn comes again after the 30 days, the tone of the ending is rather downbeat and heroic rather than everything neatly solved.

1.The impact as drama, horror, nightmare?

2.Originality of the plot, traditional elements of vampire films: the isolated location, the Arctic, North America, the vampires, from Europe, wandering, their dress, language, cruelty? Using messengers as bait? The theme of self-sacrifice?

3.New Zealand standing in for Alaska, the snow locations, the Arctic atmosphere, the town, the plants, the diner, homes, the dark? The atmospheric score and style?

4.The editing, pace, shocks, suspense, eeriness, emotions? Audiences identifying with the townspeople? Plausible?

5.The real setting and its effect, possibilities of identification with the characters and their plight?

6.The town, ordinary, life, the sheriff, the working plants, businesses, preparation for the dark, the effect of the dark on people, alcohol forbidden, waiting for the thirty days to be over?

7.The introduction to the town, characters and situations, the sunset, Eben and Billy, their work, the destruction, the dogs being slaughtered, Stella and her work, the crash, the lift to the airport, too late? The stranger in the diner, his way of speaking, confrontation with Eben, in jail? Talking about ‘they’ and their coming?

8.The vampires, from Europe, coming to the US, talking about nightmares and existence, wanting to eradicate humans, their cruelty, literally bloodthirsty, the brutal killings, decapitations, the blood, the brooding, staying in the town? The cumulative destruction, people’s screams, the distance, their malice? Using women and children as bait? The fights? The leader, his personality, his confrontation with Eben, his death, the vampires and the effect of the sun, the woman’s death, their leaving?

9.Eben in himself, Jake his brother, Helen his grandmother, the work at the police station? Working with Billy? Stella and the separation, the tension? The reasons? His not picking Stella up, Billy taking her to the airport? The eerie atmosphere, the death of the dogs, the stranger in the diner, Eben’s reaction, putting him in jail, interrogation? Jake and Helen, their reaction to the stranger? The dark, Eben as leader, taking responsibility, helped by Stella, Billy and his family, the giving the ticket for Gus and the reason to bring him into the community? The beheadings, Helen’s death? Hiding, in the diner, the days passing, the escape to the attic, the group in the attic, the tensions, the old man, going out, supplies? Discovering John, the fight and his death? Going to the store, the attack by the child, the old man being infected? The plant? The build-up to the fight, Stella and the child, his decision to inject himself, the death of the vampire leader, going with Stella to watch the sunrise, his burning and death? Self-sacrifice?

10.Stella, her life and work, separated, trapped in the town, her love for Eben, helping him, her regrets, saving the child, her fears, hiding, the burning down of the town, the ending with Eben and the sunrise?

11.Billy, his family, his work, surviving, killing his family? In the plant, infected, Eben killing him?

12.Gus, his heroics, the machine and the death of the vampires?

13.The women, strong, their fears, surviving?

14.Jake, his being spooked by the stranger, his fears, leading the group to safety, his grief at Eben’s death?

15.Danny Huston as the vampire leader, sinister, malicious? The other individual vampires, the crowd?

16.The building up of tension, the vampires burning the town, the confrontation with Eben, the sunrise and their disappearing?

17.How interesting a variation on the vampire theme?