DAYBREAKERS
Australia/US, 2009, 98 minutes, Colour.
Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe, Claudia Karvan, Vince Colosimo.
Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig.
2009 seemed to offer a glut of vampire filmes and television series, notably the Twilight films and True Blood. While Daybreakers is a vampire film, it is also, for the most part, not a vampire film. Meaning? It is really a film about human nature, human behaviour and the deterioration of human society using the mythical aspects of the vampire legends to offer an allegory. (There is comparatively little blood in the early part of the film; later there are some living dead gory, blood-drenched moments.)
Filmed in Australia (with some gun-tree countryside locations) standing in for the US, Daybreakers offers a more intelligent use of vampires than usual.
The premiss is quite simple – it is how the premiss is developed that makes for the unusual allegory. And the premiss is this: what if by 2009, vampirism has affected most of the human race so that society, which looks 'normal' on the surface, is in fact solely vampires who have to operate at night or in the dark while the humans are the minority on the edges of society, being hunted for the blood for the survival of the vampires?
One of the arresting aspects of the film is seeing the vampires conducting themselves reasonably, going to work, drinking blood coffee at bars, watching a familiar television news service, working in corporations and experimenting in laboratories. However, there is a more sinister effect of the almost complete transformation of humans worldwide. Humans are scarce. Human blood is even scarcer. Rationing is prevalent. Headlines are alarming. The lack of blood has a physically and mentally deteriorating effect which is growing more rapid and turning law-abiding vampires into marauding vagrants.
In the meantime, a corporation, presided over by Sam Neill who was suffering from cancer but 'turned' for life and immortality, is experimenting for blood substitutes. Sam Neill is usually suave in manner on screen and here this smoothness becomes more sinister (especially in his yellow eyes) as he manipulates his staff for greed and profit. His chief haematologist, Ed Dalton, is played by Ethan Hawke. He has been turned by his younger military brother (Michael Dorman) but is sympathetic to the humans and refrains from human blood. His sympathy is soon tested as he encounters a group of rebels led by Audrey (Claudia Karvan) and Elvis, who has been transformed back into being human (Willem Dafoe).
While the film builds up to something of an apocalyptic climax with the gory self-destruction of many vampires, it is overall a drama of dominating society in need of sustenance for survival (environmental echoes?), a rebel fringe group (as in The Matrix and Demolition Man) and the struggle for human hope and dignity.
1.The popularity of vampire films in the 21st century? Daybreakers as a vampire film? Not a vampire film?
2.The film as an allegory, of human behaviour, of human problems, mismanagement, greed?
3.The use of the vampire mythology, in a secular world context? The outbreak of disease, searches for cure, issues of life, scarcity of blood and sustenance, the fight for survival? The eruption of violence and the fight for survival?
4.The Australian co-production, the locations standing in for the US, the gum tree countryside? The score?
5.The offices and labs, the suburbs and the ordered housing settlement, the streets, buildings, the Underground? The contrast with the human homes out in the countryside?
6.The seeming normality: the work of the police, laboratories and investigations, experiments, the role of government, the television shows and the television news, the shops, the coffee bars? Yet the creatures living at night, in the dark? Blood for food?
7.The title, the girl burning herself at dawn in the opening? The later burning of the convicts in the sun?
8.Edward, an ordinary man, haematologist, in his car, smoking, his decision not to use human blood, sympathy for the humans? The story of his being turned, betrayal by his brother, his motives? The memories? In the lab, watching the holding place for the humans? Bromley and his views, discussions with Edward? The business of supplying blood substitute? The need for supply? Not seeking a cure, making money? Ed’s collaboration with Christopher, the experiment, the vomiting and the blood-burst?
9.Bromley, his life, suffering from cancer, his decision to turn and have a mortality? Trying to turn his daughter, his (**??or her?)choice? His losing her, her running away? His smooth manner, reliance on security? His using Frankie, getting back his daughter, turning her? Her being destroyed? His taking Audrey, the final confrontation with Audrey and Ed? Ed’s accusation of cowardice? His biting Ed, poisoned, dying? The allegory of vampires and humans, corporations, sacrificing everything for greed and power?
10.Frankie, younger brother, as a soldier, his role as a soldier to round up the humans? His strong loyalty and pride? Visiting Ed, his anger, bringing the gift of blood, smashing it? His following Ed, the apprehension of the humans? Turning Bromley’s daughter? His beginning to have regrets, the final helping, the contaminated blood, the vampires biting him and their dying? His death?
11.Audrey and her encounter with Ed, with the humans, the car crash, Ed helping them? Her return to his house, planning the rendezvous? Meeting Elvis? In the countryside? The issue of the cure? Their being chased? Taking refuge in the vineyard, the vat and the experiment, Ed being transformed? Hiding from the pursuers? Going to the senator’s farm, finding everybody dead? With Elvis, in his repair shop? Audrey being taken? Ed going to Bromley, the confrontation with Frankie, the taunts? With Bromley, putting the bar in the door, seeing the vampires destroy themselves?
12.Elvis, his story, as a vampire, car repairs, the pursuit, his accident and his transformation? Working with Audrey? The pursuit of the car across the bridge and his skills?
13.Christopher, his betrayal of Ed, his death?
14.The Subsiders, the lack of blood, the process of deterioration, mental deterioration? Starving? The roundups? The military killing them? The gardener in Ed’s home? The ordinary vampires looking on? The deterioration of society, the riots, the attack of the girl at the bar, the closing of the bar?
15.The television information, the role of the media, the information during the credits, the reporters, the events happening all over the world?
16.A vampire film with, initially, very little gore? The blood? The mounting gore and blood at the end – suitable, altering the tone of the film?
17.The use of the mythologies to illustrate human nature?
