Merciful death is bittersweet.

Rating: 7/10 (16 November 2002)

Great sets and equally impressive costumes fill this lurid and dark vampire tale. Anne Rice adapts her best selling 1976 novel for the big screen. The story of depraved love, lust and hunger is told to a reporter(Christian Slater)by Louis(Brad Pitt)the conscience-stricken protege of the unremorseful and lascivious Lestat(Tom Cruise). Lestat tries hard to convince Louis that the blood of New Orleans aristocrats is the most pleasing of all. Louis would rather suck the blood of rats and chickens than to take human life. Joining them for companionship is Claudia(twelve yr old Kirsten Dunst)who favors sinking her fangs into whores and elderly women. Armand(Antonio Banderas)the oldest living vampire in the world lashes out his judgment of the three blood suckers.
It is fun watching Cruise and Pitt living as a couple in hopes of hiding their vampirish way of life. Miss Dunst is absolutely great as a character that ages thirty some odd years while staying in the body of a child. Note:Cruise was not Rice's favorite choice to play Lestat, but after the finished product was said to be more than pleased. Moody and gruesome, but a must for vampire fans.