Interview with the Vampire
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| Interview with the Vampire | |
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| Directed by | Neil Jordan |
| Written by | Anne Rice (novel and screenplay) |
| Starring | Tom Cruise Brad Pitt Kirsten Dunst Antonio Banderas Stephen Rea Christian Slater |
| Release date(s) | November 11, 1994 |
| Running time | 123 min.; 118 min. (DVD) |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Interview with the Vampire is a novel by Anne Rice about vampires written in 1973 and published in 1976 by Alfred A. Knopf. In 1994 the book was made into a popular Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as the main characters Lestat de Lioncourt and the protagonist Louis de Pointe du Lac, respectively.
The book and the film center on themes of immortality, loss, sexuality, and power, quickly becoming a cult success, with a major influence on present Goth culture. The novel was followed by several sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles.
The novel was set apart from its predecessors of the vampire genre by its confessional tone from the vampire's perspective, touching on existential despair and the sheer boredom of lifeless immortality.
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[edit] The film
In 1994, Neil Jordan directed a film based on the novel, using a screenplay written by Anne Rice. The movie starred Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis, Antonio Banderas as Armand, Stephen Rea as Santiago, Christian Slater as Daniel Molloy (credited only as "Malloy"), and Kirsten Dunst as Claudia. Image:Lestat4.jpg
The film opens with Malloy (Slater) beginning an interview with Louis (Pitt), a vampire who had intended on feeding on Malloy, but has changed his mind and agreed to tell his life story. Louis opens with his "birth into darkness": his becoming a vampire.
After losing his wife and child during childbirth in the late 1700s, Louis loses his will to live. He lets the world know of his wish to die, but Lestat de Lioncourt (Cruise), a vampire, feeds on him first and offers him a choice: death, or life as an immortal. Louis chooses to live the life of a vampire, and Lestat feeds him from his wrist, completing the transformation.
Louis finds the transition from mortal to immortal discomforting. Although he now has a natural thirst for blood, he still feels his mortal morals pulling him down. He learns from Lestat that he can "merely survive," on the blood of animals such as rats, but the thirst still haunts him. After feeding on one of his servants, Louis burns down his plantation mansion and frees all the slaves working there. Lestat and Louis then flee the plantation for New Orleans.
Life in New Orleans is not much different for Louis, as Lestat still tries to tempt him to feed on human life. Louis wanders out into a rainy night after fighting with Lestat, stumbling upon Claudia (Dunst), a young girl who just lost her mother to the Black Plague. While comforting her, Louis can no longer hold back his urge, and feeds on the girl. Lestat finds and turns the girl into a vampire, as Louis cannot bear the thought of himself killing someone so young.
Claudia becomes somewhat of a protege for Lestat, as their lust for killing is almost equal. However, being immortal, Claudia learns that she will always be a young girl (around 10 years old in the movie), unable to grow up. Louis reveals it was he who fed on her and Lestat who turned her into a vampire. She develops a hatred for Lestat, but feelings for Louis keep her from developing hatred for him. While attempting to make peace with Lestat, she feeds him "dead blood" and slits his throat, apparently killing him. Louis and Claudia then dump him into the swamp.
Louis and Claudia find life after Lestat quite enjoyable. Louis becomes almost obsessed with finding others of "their kind" and Louis arranges for them to go to Europe to continue their search. On the eve of their departure, Lestat returns as somewhat of a swamp creature and attacks Claudia, but Louis sets him on fire and they escape to Europe.
Their search in Europe leads them to Paris in 1870, where they discover a theater of "vampires pretending to be human pretending to be vampires." The leader, Armand (Banderas) takes a liking to Louis, much like Lestat did, but the theater's main actor, Santiago (Rea), suspects Louis and Claudia are responsible for Lestat's death, a crime punishable by death among these vampires.
One night after returning from a talk with Armand, Louis finds Claudia has brought home a woman named Madeleine, whom she wishes Louis to feed on and then turn into a vampire as a companion for her. Louis at first resists, but then gives in, killing "the last of me that was human." Shortly after, Santiago and the other theater vampires burst into the room and kidnap all three. Madeleine and Claudia are burned alive via sunlight, while Louis is sealed in a coffin. Armand rescues Louis, but Louis is too late to save Claudia and Madeleine. Louis takes revenge on the theater by burning it to the ground, killing all the vampires inside while they are sleeping.
Louis returns to New Orleans in 1988, where he finds a weakened Lestat living in an old cemetery. Lestat has apparently been feeding on rats as Louis once did, hence his vulnerable state.
Louis ends the interview, but Malloy is angered when he finds out there is not more to tell and wishes to become a vampire so he will know what its like. Louis attacks him and chokes him, but Malloy begs for his life and Louis lets him go. Malloy gets in his car and drives to the Golden Gate Bridge, where he is attacked by Lestat and fed on. Lestat then offers him "the choice that I never had."
[edit] Miscellaneous facts
- Anne Rice was very vocally opposed to the casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat and compared it with casting Tom Sawyer as her vampire. After seeing the finished film she apologized by taking out a full page ad in Variety (magazine). Rice also initially wanted River Phoenix to take the part.
- The screenplay is credited to Anne Rice.
- River Phoenix was cast as Malloy the Interviewer but died shortly before filming began. Christian Slater took the part and donated his salary to some of Phoenix's favorite charities.
- Christina Ricci, Dominique Swain and 'Erin Moore' auditioned for the role of Claudia.
- Author Anne Rice wrote the part of Lestat with Rutger Hauer in mind. Upon learning that Tom Cruise had been cast, she was quite disappointed and expressed concern that Cruise could not carry the part. After attending a screening, Rice wrote a letter of apology, quite pleased with Cruise's portrayal.
- Cruise wanted a private set, and hence tunnels were built to escort the actors to and from the set. This was done so that the vampire's makeup effects would remain a secret.
- Cruise was placed on an elevated platform during some scenes to reduce the height difference between his character and other vampires.
- The scenes set on the riverfront in New Orleans (including the infamous "Chat Noir") were filmed on a false front built on the levee downriver from the actual French Quarter. The entire set was constructed around the old section of Jackson Barracks, a National Guard post.
- The river scenes were done by removing such modern items as the Greater New Orleans Bridge and radio towers and replacing them with 18th century sailing vessels in post-production.
- Many buildings and street lights were darkened for the filming by agreement with the companies and the city. The set was immediately torn down after the filming.. The Victorian house that inspired Anne Rice's novel on which this film is based is located at 503 Divisadero Street near Alamo Square in San Francisco.
- The character Lestat's full name is Lestat de Lioncourt. He was based on Anne Rice's husband, Stan Rice and even given Stan Rice's Birthday of 7 November.
- The estate of Louis (Brad Pitt) in the beginning of the film was filmed at the historic Oak Alley Plantation located on the Mississippi River in Vacherie, Louisiana, which is near New Orleans. The plantation's "guest book" is on display and was signed by Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
- The character Louis's full name is Louis de Pointe du Lac. Louis was based on Anne Rice as she grieved for her deceased daughter, Michelle. Louis was even given Anne Rice's Birthday of 4 October.
- 'Stephen Rea' (Santiago) makes regular appearances in 'Neil Jordan' films.
- Johnny Depp was offered the role of Lestat.
- Evan Rachel Wood auditioned for the role of Claudia.
- Heathcote Williams was going to be in this film but was replaced
- Author Anne Rice was so pleased with this adaptation that she took out a two page ad in both Vanity Fair and the New York Times endorsing it as "a masterpiece".
- The Old Coliseum Theatre in New Orleans, seen when Louis goes to see _Tequila Sunrise_ (1988) in 1988, burned down on 3 February 2006.
- During the cinema montage sequence (depicting the passage of years) towards the last part of the film, where Louis exalts about being able to "see" the sun for the first time in centuries, the clip of a rooster crowing to indicate the coming of dawn is from the silent vampire film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).
[edit] Characters
Louis de Pointe du Lac was born in New Orleans in 1766, and was made into a vampire by Lestat in 1791. He has glossy black hair and glittering green eyes. Anne Rice wrote Interview with the Vampire after the death of her daughter, and Louis, as the main character, is portrayed as melancholic and depressive as a projection of Rice's own feelings at the time. He displays emotion that is uncommonly human for a vampire, and feels moral remorse in killing humans when he feeds. Louis, faithful, passive and frequently displaying weakness, strongly contrasts against Lestat.
Daniel Molloy is a reporter who records Louis' life story. He has ash-blond hair and violet eyes and looks young and boyish for his age. After the interview, he wants to become a vampire, feeling that Louis wastes his "gift."
Lestat de Lioncourt was born in 1760. He has long, pale blond hair, and blue eyes that frequently appear gray when reflecting light. In 1779, he flees to Paris with his friend Nicholas to become an actor. There, an old vampire named Magnus ambushes him and makes him into a vampire against his will. Then, after teaching Lestat nothing, Magnus hurls himself into a huge bonfire telling Lestat to scatter the ashes else he will rise again and destroy Lestat. He is the narrator of five of the books in the Chronicles, in which he portrays himself as the hero. His fledglings are Gabrielle, Nicholas, Louis, Claudia, the musician, David, and Mona Mayfair. In [[Interview with the Vampire]] when Louis returns to New Orleans and finds Lestat in the remains of their old flat, Lestat is accompanied by another fledgling which is never named or elaborated on or re-introduced. Lestat is bold, brash, impulsive, fearless, and lives without regret, and contrasts strongly both physically and in personality with Louis.
Claudia is a very young girl turned into a vampire in 1794 by Louis and Lestat. She is described as a radiant, doll-like child with golden curls and big blue eyes. Although she remains eternally in the body of a small child, she mentally grows into a woman, and eventually comes to despise her two "fathers" for condemning her to remain trapped in a small, helpless form. Louis is horribly attached to Claudia, feeling guilt for his part in her creation, and thus is distraught when she dies.
Santiago is the classical vampire and member of the Théâtre des Vampires. He is dark-haired and dark-eyed. At first he seems to be a jokester, but then turns out to be a cruel murderer. He kills Claudia and Madeleine. Louis avenges Claudia's death by decapitating him.
Armand was created in the 15th century by Marius. Armand is the leader of a group of vampires and manages the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris. His character is embossed by a lot of shocking experiences. He is very intelligent and swore never to make a vampire, until he made the dying Daniel Molloy a vampire in Queen of the Damned. In the book he is described as a youth aged seventeen, with auburn hair and large brown eyes, but in the movie he has long black hair and appears much older.
Madeleine is a Parisian dollmaker in the 1860s who lost her daughter and, after meeting Claudia, begins to love Claudia as if she were her own flesh. She has dark red ringlets and violet eyes and a small, childlike mouth. Louis holds a poor opinion of Madeleine, opining that she lives in a fantasy world and doesn't fully comprehend the risks involved in associating with Claudia. Eventually Claudia convinces Louis to turn Madeleine into a vampire, to serve as a companion for Claudia. She and Claudia are killed together by the coven of the Theatre des Vampires.
[edit] External links
- Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview With The Vampire at Tom Cruise Online.com
| The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice |
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| Interview with the Vampire | The Vampire Lestat | The Queen of the Damned | The Tale of the Body Thief | Memnoch the Devil The Vampire Armand | Merrick | Blood and Gold | Blackwood Farm | Blood Canticle |
| New Tales of the Vampires |
| Pandora | Vittorio the Vampire |
| Characters |
| Lestat | Gabrielle | Louis | Claudia | Armand | Magnus | Those Who Must Be Kept | Maharet and Mekare | Marius | Pandora Bianca | David | Jesse | Khayman | Daniel | Mael |
de:Interview mit einem Vampir es:Entrevista con el Vampiro fr:Entretien avec un vampire it:Intervista col vampiro (film) he:ראיון עם הערפד nl:Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles ja:インタビュー・ウィズ・ヴァンパイア pt:Interview with the Vampire (filme) ru:Интервью с вампиром: Хроника жизни вампира (фильм) fi:Veren vangit sv:En vampyrs bekännelse zh:夜访吸血鬼
