Criticism | Review of Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice

The reviews of David Perez “Davicine”:
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Based on the iconic novel by Anne Rice and created by Rolin Jonesthe series follows the story of love, blood and immortality of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (sam reid) and Claudia (Bailey Bass), related to the journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). The original series of the streaming service AMC+, Interview with the Vampire by Anne Ricearrives in Spain exclusively on January 12, 2023.

In the shadow of a great literary saga

The “Vampire Chronicles” is a series of fantasy novels written by Anne Rice that talk about the story of the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, accompanied by a series of enigmatic vampiric characters. Over the years they have been recognized as some of the best novels dedicated to the current vampire myth, making it impossible to stop thinking about this literary saga when talking about the world of vampires, just like when talking about gothic and terror, being these books a real delight for lovers of vampire mythology.

In the same way, it is difficult to get the memory of the previous adaptation out of your head (which is not the only one, since Queen of the Damned also starring Lestat) as an American horror drama film directed by Neil Jordanalso based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Anne Rice, and starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst Y stephen rea. That cast stuck with many of us, and even now the film remains a true gem to behold. For this reason, facing a series with a completely new cast that tries to tell us the same story again seemed like a difficult task, but it emerges victorious thanks to a new approach to the same plot, with certain liberties, updating the aesthetics of the recontextualized time period. and, above all, for the incredible chemistry between Jacob Anderson Y sam reid.

in the series Interview with the Vampire by Anne RiceResentful of the limitations of life as a black man in early 20th century New Orleans, Louis cannot resist the ultimate escape offer made by the rake Lestat, becoming his fellow vampire. However, Louis’ new intoxicating powers come with a violent price and the arrival of Claudia, Lestat’s child vampire, will set them off on a decades-long journey of revenge and atonement.

Certain freedoms… but salvageable

To prevent it from being left in the dark, and to avoid continuing to emphasize it too much in the following paragraphs, it must be made clear that Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice takes its liberties by shifting the time period from 1700/1800 to 1910 New Orleans, serving almost as a semi-sequel to the story of journalist Daniel Molloy and his in-depth conversations with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac. When the series begins, Molloy has just received a box of cassette tapes accompanied by a letter signed by Louis, being the same tapes with the recordings of his interview sessions (with the vampire) from fifty years ago. Daniel still has the scar from Louis’s bite on his neck, but the proposal to review his project one more time is too tempting to resist, even as an already established writer.

Despite all these liberties, the narrative framework is maintained, and the series always presents two time lines, Louis’s past being as present as the moment in which he talks to Daniel, in the midst of a pandemic, and although the conversations do not attract everyone. excess, what does hook us are the experiences of the leading vampire from the very moment he meets who will be his companion for years, Lestat. For those who are fans of the original work, or have seen the previous adaptations, it will be evident not only the change of era or the change of race of the protagonist, but also his profession, shocking how at that time a black man had great power thanks to his business and contacts, although the racism he suffered is always present.

A timeless love like never seen before

Whenever we talk about a great romance, we think of sappy movies that have gone down in posterity, or love classics like titanic (as much as she did not want both lovers to be saved), but what is certain is that “Interview with the Vampire” has a different kind of love on its pages, and this adaptation tells the story of two men who fall in love with a way that to date had not been represented on the screen.

There are several Lestat stories that have come to life on the big screen, but to date the homosexual relationship between the two had not been recreated in such an open way, having gone almost more through hints in previous film adaptations. Although Lestat is bisexual, the way in which they explore Louis’s journey as a gay black man in the 1900s is truly fascinating, although in the early episodes of Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice We see how, even after growing his brothel empire, Louis continues to answer to a white master, Lestat being much more than his lover, as he is his creator and mentor.

Jacob Anderson like Louis de Pointe du Lac and sam reid as Lestat de Lioncourt are in charge of giving life to this couple of vampiric lovers in Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, and they manage to prevent us from having memories of their relevant and previous film adaptations, thanks not only to the captivating beauty of both, but also to the obvious chemistry in each scene they share, many of the moments we share with them being all passion and pain. Their romantic scenes make clear the authenticity of their relationship, making it more than logical that Louis is attracted to Lestat. But there is another character that we had our eyes on, well Kirsten Dunst he set the bar very high with only ten years in interview with vampire from 1994 as the young Claudia, and despite making herself wait until the meridian of the series, Bailey Bass She lets herself be seen as Claudia in this new version, being equally sadistic and also living in torment, being in this series a fourteen-year-old girl destined to exist eternally in the most frustrating stage of adolescence.

A captivating and blood-soaked series

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice It not only surprises with certain twists that would often leave us with a bitter aftertaste but here we welcome them with open arms, but also with a pleasant storytelling style that manages to captivate us due to the high level of detail that each story they tell us has, all of them with a captivating atmosphere. Its only negative point could be its pace, because despite the way Louis introduces each stage is pleasant, there is no doubt that for many viewers it will be excessively slow, since it takes time to adapt to the context and for us to enter the stages. different moments that the protagonist goes through, but if we let ourselves be caught up in his dialogues, we will also end up seeing something positive in those parts in which the series becomes too long.

Likewise, a story like this one needed a perfect balance between terror and romance, between the macabre and the beautiful, alternating passion with violence and unbridled sex, managing to emerge triumphant in all of this, moving freely between obscene beauty and direct brutality of some of the scenes they recreate explicitly. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice it is a whirlwind of emotions and actions in which its protagonists must give their all to feel fully fulfilled.

In addition, a series that revolves around the world of vampires needs to be well watered with blood, and here they spare no expense in showing us spurts of blood as well as scenes with quite gory touches, recreating some particularly twisted bloody moments. This would not have worked well if it did not have a good team behind the special effects, making use of everything in their power to make the series as explicit and bloodthirsty as possible when the story calls for it, something in which it improves. to previous adaptations that did not have as many computers to capture certain images.

In summary, Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice It is the bite we needed in the world of vampire series, being a recommended series both for those who enjoy the original work and for those who come to this new adaptation unaware of the material it adapts. Despite feeling somewhat long with only 7 episodes, we feel trapped by these vampires thanks to its captivating atmosphere, the intact essence of the original text and the great chemistry of its leading couple. Hopefully it will be the beginning of a long series of adaptations by the author par excellence of the vampire world.

List of episodes of ‘Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice‘

The Serie Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice It is made up of 8 episodes of around 50 minutes each.

Episode 1. Amid growing wonder…

Louis de Pointe du Lac lives in 1910 in New Orleans as executor in charge of his family fortune. When he meets the vampire Lestat, Louis’ life begins to unravel in a supernatural way. One hundred and ten years later, Louis tells his story to journalist Daniel Molloy.

Episode 2. … Chasing the ghosts of your old self

Beginning his life as a vampire, Louis learns the rules of vampirism from his creator and partner Lestat. Louis discovers growing differences between himself and Lestat. In Dubai, Louis reveals more of his modern vampire lifestyle to Molloy.

Episode 3. My very nature is that of a devil

Louis continues his life as a Storyville businessman. When an old friend comes to town, Louis’s relationship with Lestat is put to the test. Louis’s business becomes intertwined with rising tensions in New Orleans, leading to a new chapter in Louis’s vampire life.

Episode 4. The ruthless search for blood with all the demands of a girl

Claudia’s transformation into a teenage vampire completely changes the lives of Louis and Lestat. As Claudia questions them, Louis and Lestat are forced to confront their own about turning a teenage girl into a vampire. Claudia learns the dark realities of her new life.

Episode 5. A vile hunger for your beating heart

Claudia leaves home for a university stay and to learn more about vampires. Meanwhile, Louis and Lestat live through the Great Depression and receive surprising news from Louis’s sister. When Claudia returns, tensions in the family come to a boil.

Episode 6. Like the angels put in hell by God

Lestat tries to make peace with Louis. The vampire family decides to live together once more. A surprising act by Lestat leads the family to decide to leave New Orleans once and for all. In Dubai, Molloy makes a shocking realization.

Episode 7. The thing stood still

The vampire family plans to leave town after a big Mardi Gras ball. Claudia and Louis conspire behind Lestat’s back. In Dubai, Louis reveals a new element to the interview that changes everything.

Episode 8. Behind the scenes

An hour-long special that discovers the ins and outs of the new adaptation of the iconic novel by Anne Rice. Featuring interviews with the series’ creative team and cast, the show explores the origins of the project, costumes, special effects, New Orleans locations and other details of the production.

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