Wonderful.

Rating: 8/10 (17 March 2001)

There are a number of reasons as to why opinion is so divided over the board in regards to this movie. I could state several, but I would rather emphasize the point that most individuals tend to overlook: this is not a horror movie. In fact, neither the movie nor the book were intended to fall into that particular genre, but rather, they were meant to provide a look into what the life of a vampire may be like.
As director Neil Jordan has said, there is an inherent problem in this when it comes to translating the concept to a narrative: since vampires are immortal, the threat of danger is practically non-existent. As a result, we must settle for the emotional corrosion that everlasting life can cripple one with--a concept that is perhaps so farfetched to today's populace, who would rather identify with more realistic matter, that it becomes impossible to grasp and come to senses with. If somebody is going to be a monster, it is much more entertaining to make them out to be droning, thoughtless creatures, as opposed to the philosopher which Anne Rice argues develops over time. At the very least, there's action to be seen in the screen when this is the case.
Given how much I adore the novel, I was surprised at the overwhelming response I had when I finished watching the film. Typically, movies based on literary works tend to exclude much of what makes the original material a joy to experience, opting to include only the elements and feelings that are discernible throughout as large an amount of viewers as possible. Yet this work manages to convey nearly all of the base elements of the novel, particularly in the mood and in the feelings of the characters involved. Lestat is as charismatic here as he was in the novel; Louis is still the very definition of detachment; Armand, the one who purports to know all, once again hints at the fact that he is as insecure as Louis about immortality; and Claudia retains the very essence of evil that was multiplied tenfold in comparison to every other character in the story. She remains as vindictive as ever, though to a slightly lesser degree.
There were two substantial changes that were made from the novel which require mention. One is that Armand is now featured as an adult as opposed to an immortal with the body of a teenager. It works for the better, and did not irk me, but it simply makes you realize that out of just about any literary work, Anne Rice's characters are perhaps some of the most complex to adapt to film; imagine casting a six-year old girl to play the part of Claudia. The performance Kirsten Dunst gives is beyond belief even for her age, but it does bring me to the second point: it appeared as though Claudia was toned down just a bit from the novel. In it, she was constantly immersed in books, and in addition spoke with rather evolved vernacular, which gave the haunting image of a true adult trapped in the body of a child. In the movie, however, Claudia retains a large amount of her immaturity due to her somewhat plain dialogue, and she even resorts to speaking like a child in a few scenes, as when she says, "I shall never ever grow up." The innocence is portrayed fine due to the movie not showing any of her kills in action, but the character lacked a certain edge... which is surprising, considering how faithful all of her other action were to the original work.
There remains not much to be said, other than to state that this is an extremely "classy" movie, with some expertly handled sexual innuendo that seduces just as strongly as that of the novel. Watch it knowing what you are getting into firsthand, and take delight in some of the most unique and captivating characters to be created in modern literature. And keep in mind that this story, as Anne Rice has stated, is more about us than vampires. It is a wonderfully introspective piece of work.