Will stay with you and haunt you

Rating: 7/10 (31 January 2008)

Visual splendour and strong acting dominate this meandering, self indulgent epic of the life of one very miserable vampire.
Neil Jordan ("The Crying Game") has filmed Ann Rice's epic novel with distinctly dark overtones both visually and comically in order to enhance the evil mood, yet the homosexuality of some characters, clearly prevalent in the book, is barely hinted at here. Word is Tom Cruise was unhappy with such connotations, but no-one really knows why the references were omitted. This leaves us with something less than Rice's fascinating tale which many have called a literary classic of its genre, yet Jordan and Rice (who adapted her original story for the screen) still deliver a disturbing and tragic film about one man's shattered dream of immortality and his struggle to come to terms with what he is.
Cruise justifies the rave reviews he's been receiving (who better than Ann Rice to blow his trumpet after publicly canning him when he was cast) for his portrayal of the malevolently evil LeStat, a vampire who has no qualms about his disposition and eccentric taste. In fact he rather enjoys the sport of luring his next victim for a feed, aristocratic or Creole preferably. His chosen companion is Louis, a broken man after the loss of his wife and child, he desperately yearns for a way out, and so recklessly takes LeStat up on his offer of a new life with no pain or suffering. Brad Pitt manages to outshine Mr. Cruise in a superb showing as a vampire so guilt ridden about his blood lust that he cannot bear to face another night of horror. So downcast is he that LeStat believes they may benefit from adopting a new companion and so young Claudia (Kirsten Dunst in a wickedly excellent performance) becomes a sort of surrogate daughter with a "hunger" to match that of her "maker".
Adding to the devilish goings on are European vampires Armand (Antonio Banderas), a lonely but heartless leader, and Santiago (Stephen Rea), a ruthless henchman. Christian Slater also drops by as the interviewer, a role originally slated for River Phoenix who sadly passed away before filming could be completed. His untimely death (at only 23) shocked legions of fans who had toted him as the next James Dean, perhaps an all too accurate assessment of a very talented young actor. Slater assumes the part admirably, and he donated his salary to some of River's favourite charities in honour of his memory.
A warning then for the faint hearted or those of you who are easily spooked. Although "The Vampire Chronicles" is not a thriller that will have you hitting the roof every three minutes, it is most definitely unnerving, so those prone to nightmares are well advised to stay away. Stan Winston's make-up and special f/x are all convincing enough to give you the shivers, and there's little left to the imagination.
Jordan successfully stops things from becoming gratuitous however, and though "Vampire" is at times self-interested and perhaps overlong, he has once again triumphed with a picture that won't surprise you quite as much as "The Crying Game", but it certainly will haunt you with images and characters that will stay with you long after you've left the theatre.
Monday, January 2, 1995 - Village Centre Melbourne