Interview with the Vampire (1994)
If I'm being honest, it's difficult for me to give an unbiased review of Interview with the Vampire as a fan of The Vampire Chronicles. The first time I saw it, I scoffed at the theatricality of it all and saw it more as a bad-but-enjoyable sort of movie; with each rewatch, however, there's something delightfully new that I discover. Perhaps this is a good summary for Cruise's career at the time, especially with the choice to play Lestat de Lioncourt, a bisexual vampire antagonist that seemed to be a far cry from his normal acting fare. But to start and stop there would be selling Cruise and Interview with the Vampire too short.
One of the largest appeals of The Vampire Chronicles in general also happens to be one of its biggest flaws, depending on how someone looks at it. Specifically, The Vampire Chronicles are melodramatic, and Interview with the Vampire remains loyal to this approach. However, I don't believe that melodrama is intrinsically bad. Instead, in certain contexts, it can be used very effectively. Interview with the Vampire works well with the melodrama and creates an intriguing environment for the viewer to emotionally engage with. This the the story of a vampire, after all, one that hates his life because of all the emotional turmoil he's gone through. Likewise, the film is dark and dreary and then lights up (sometimes literally) with the heat of emotions that can't be held back anymore.
This also does a lot to reflect the juxtaposition between vampires and sex in the film, as well. I've written about sexual liberation in Interview with the Vampire before, so I won't completely unpack it here, but just as eroticism simmers and then suddenly burns bright, so does the movie. At its core, Interview with the Vampire reads more like a romance than a horror movie about vampiric exploits, which is only furthered by the fact that Louis begins and ends alone and searching for anyone who can understand him.
The film's production is excellent. The costumes in particular stick out to me, but the sets are also designed in a way that aids the film's mood. In addition, the score of the movie is something that stood out to me this watch. Lestat comes with a harpsichord melody, one that rings very reminiscent of the classical era of classical music and establishes the setting further. Later, when Claudia enters the picture, Lestat plays a Beethoven-esque sonata. This was a very clever and subtle musical cue that moves the story forward in time and further cements Lestat's background as a vampire of the 18th century when combined with his harpsichord line. Furthermore, when drama strikes, the scores takes a very drastic shift into something that imitates early modern classical music with very striking and dissonant staccato. This is more of a stylistic choice to match mood rather than remain historically accurate, but the jolt into a different era of music definitely cements the chaos of the moment.
It's for these reasons that I'm largely an Interview with the Vampire apologist. Sure, maybe the acting can feel a bit overdone, but if they're supposed to chew the scenery, that's simply a difference in opinion on what makes a film good.
As for Cruise's performance in particular, he's absolutely outstanding. Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles, was unhappy when he landed the role of Lestat, but famously wrote a public apology letter to him after seeing his performance. It's uncanny how well Cruise plays Lestat, although my appreciation for him in the part increased tremendously after reading the books. Lestat keeps in line with Cruise's trend of playing arrogant characters with daddy issues, although Lestat's father is understandably absent from the film. Cruise claimed that he read the book to get into character; whether this is true or not is irrelevant, really, just because of how wonderful he was at understanding the complexity and underlying sensitivity of Lestat, even if that sensitivity is usually hidden. If roles like Charlie Babbitt, Ron Kovic, and Danny Kaffee proved that Cruise could act, then Lestat proved that Cruise is versatile. Truth told, this is one of my favorite performances of his.
Anyone who's a fan of semi-campy, homoerotic vampire films absolutely need to watch this movie. Not everyone will like something like this, but I really do think there's something for everyone to appreciate. And for anyone who's interested in Cruise as an actor, this is a must-see to understand his range and career projection further.
Rating: 3.45/5 - March 29, 2020
One of the largest appeals of The Vampire Chronicles in general also happens to be one of its biggest flaws, depending on how someone looks at it. Specifically, The Vampire Chronicles are melodramatic, and Interview with the Vampire remains loyal to this approach. However, I don't believe that melodrama is intrinsically bad. Instead, in certain contexts, it can be used very effectively. Interview with the Vampire works well with the melodrama and creates an intriguing environment for the viewer to emotionally engage with. This the the story of a vampire, after all, one that hates his life because of all the emotional turmoil he's gone through. Likewise, the film is dark and dreary and then lights up (sometimes literally) with the heat of emotions that can't be held back anymore.
This also does a lot to reflect the juxtaposition between vampires and sex in the film, as well. I've written about sexual liberation in Interview with the Vampire before, so I won't completely unpack it here, but just as eroticism simmers and then suddenly burns bright, so does the movie. At its core, Interview with the Vampire reads more like a romance than a horror movie about vampiric exploits, which is only furthered by the fact that Louis begins and ends alone and searching for anyone who can understand him.
The film's production is excellent. The costumes in particular stick out to me, but the sets are also designed in a way that aids the film's mood. In addition, the score of the movie is something that stood out to me this watch. Lestat comes with a harpsichord melody, one that rings very reminiscent of the classical era of classical music and establishes the setting further. Later, when Claudia enters the picture, Lestat plays a Beethoven-esque sonata. This was a very clever and subtle musical cue that moves the story forward in time and further cements Lestat's background as a vampire of the 18th century when combined with his harpsichord line. Furthermore, when drama strikes, the scores takes a very drastic shift into something that imitates early modern classical music with very striking and dissonant staccato. This is more of a stylistic choice to match mood rather than remain historically accurate, but the jolt into a different era of music definitely cements the chaos of the moment.
It's for these reasons that I'm largely an Interview with the Vampire apologist. Sure, maybe the acting can feel a bit overdone, but if they're supposed to chew the scenery, that's simply a difference in opinion on what makes a film good.
As for Cruise's performance in particular, he's absolutely outstanding. Anne Rice, author of The Vampire Chronicles, was unhappy when he landed the role of Lestat, but famously wrote a public apology letter to him after seeing his performance. It's uncanny how well Cruise plays Lestat, although my appreciation for him in the part increased tremendously after reading the books. Lestat keeps in line with Cruise's trend of playing arrogant characters with daddy issues, although Lestat's father is understandably absent from the film. Cruise claimed that he read the book to get into character; whether this is true or not is irrelevant, really, just because of how wonderful he was at understanding the complexity and underlying sensitivity of Lestat, even if that sensitivity is usually hidden. If roles like Charlie Babbitt, Ron Kovic, and Danny Kaffee proved that Cruise could act, then Lestat proved that Cruise is versatile. Truth told, this is one of my favorite performances of his.
Anyone who's a fan of semi-campy, homoerotic vampire films absolutely need to watch this movie. Not everyone will like something like this, but I really do think there's something for everyone to appreciate. And for anyone who's interested in Cruise as an actor, this is a must-see to understand his range and career projection further.
Rating: 3.45/5 - March 29, 2020
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