Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Based on the novel by Anne Rice, this film was to be the first in a series of adaptations of the hugely popular series, The Vampire Chronicles. Sadly - as far as I am aware - only one other of her series was adapted to the screen: Queen of the Damned, which I intend to review in due course. Nevertheless, this film was the first screen adaptation, and in my opinion, the better of the two.

A young journalist named Malloy (Christian Slater) sits down - armed with a tape recorder and his packet of cigarettes - to interview a strange man he knows only as Louis (Brad Pitt). As soon as the interview begins, Louis tells his interviewer that he is a vampire, and has been so since 1791.

He does away with all the stereotypes, telling him that he is not scared of the light, that he quite enjoys looking at crucifixes, and that a stake through the heart would have no effect on him.

Malloy (Christian Slater) and Louis (Brad Pitt).

For the remainder of the film, we see his own life told in flashback, and meet the vampire who initially turned him: a charismatic young man named Lestat (Tom Cruise). The two of them are on a bit of a killing spree through eighteenth-century New Orleans, as of course they require a daily dose of blood to survive.

One night, Louis comes across a young girl named Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), whose mother has been killed by Lestat. Louis takes pity on the young, recently orphaned girl, and turns her into a vampire.

The three of them become a “family” of sorts, and continue to terrorise the local community, and over time, Louis and Claudia become quite close.

Meanwhile, Malloy is drawn further and further into Louis’s intriguing story, and becomes more and more desperate to share it with the wider world. But does Louis want to be universally outed, or does he just need to unburden himself to this one man? And what will his outing mean for all the other vampires out there, who are quite content to continue their lives in the shadows?

Lestat (Tom Cruise) and Louis (Brad Pitt).

The screenplay, by Rice herself, is nothing short of excellent. Naturally, as you might expect, the quality of the adaptation itself is fantastic. All the key elements of her brilliant novel - written after her son was diagnosed with haemophilia - are there, and the characters are all as alive on the screen as they ever were on the page.

Elliot Goldenthal’s score is also brilliant, perfectly suited to the tone of the film. It is predominantly orchestral, and is just as majestic as the scenes it accompanies.

Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is a wonder to behold, with significant sections of the film naturally taking place in almost total darkness. There is plenty of great camera movement, bringing the viewer right into the centre of the action, uncomfortably at times.

It is in the production design (courtesy of Dante Ferretti) and costume design (Sandy Powell) where this film comes into its own. With the majority of the film set in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, these elements of the production do a brilliant job of transporting the viewer back to these times with breathtaking realism.

Claudia (Kirsten Dunst).

The performances of the cast are amazing across the board. Even Tom Cruise - who isn’t generally renowned for his acting ability - does a fabulous job bringing Lestat to life. But the clear standout is Kirsten Dunst, who brings an incredible maturity to her role, particularly as the character ages (of course, she doesn’t age physically, but her immortal character continues to grow older on the inside, and she carries this off brilliantly).

There are also some great performances from both Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea, but I won't go into too much detail, for fear it would spoil your own enjoyment of the film and its twists and turns.

Director Neil Jordan has made a reasonably enjoyable film here. It is truly a shame that most of the series never saw the light of day as adaptations, but this film at least showcases not only the brilliance of the production team and cast, but also the brilliance of creator Anne Rice, whose expansive mythology continues to be the greatest example of the genre.

7 1/ 2 out of 10.