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Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 12/05, 2/25

IntVamp
2/25: Interview with the Vampire has aged well.

First, it's the narrative structure that makes the film absorbing to watch, thanks to Neil Jordan who heavily adapted the screenplay from Anne Rice's novel published in 1976. Second, the unbelievable casting of three superstars (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas) is the difference-maker. And the more the merrier is them giving very strong performances. It's hard to rank these guys because their characters have a distinct personality.

Third, the cinematography is mind-blowing. Without doubt, Philippe Rousselot was robbed of an Oscar nomination. I only wish that New Orleans was shown more. Fourth, this is the best vampire movie ever made, and I've seen a lot already with almost all of them stinkers. Its only competition is Bram Stoker's Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, but both are completely different in nature. There's a great deal of humanity going on that's high on romanticism without ever being about gore. Fifth, the special effects are extraordinary with hardly any trace of CGI.

If there's a small negative, the movie should be longer. I just couldn't get enough of it. Hard to shake off is Lestat's ability to survive. He explained that he fed on the blood of alligators, snakes, and toads, among others, after being poisoned with laudanum which should've weakened him. Then, he showed up at the house before being set on fire and yet survived it. How is that possible? I only ask this compared to the vampires who went through a similar episode but perished in Paris.

Back to the cast, Tom Cruise sure dominates the show for a while. Then, there's Antonio Banderas at his sexiest which will reach its peak in Desperado a year later. He's really Armand. My favorite moment is Antonio Banderas doing this mouth thing when he moves his hand over a lit candle. It's so random. Brad Pitt is an inspired casting choice. Armand summed his character the best: "A vampire with a human soul. An immortal with a mortal's passion." I thought Kirsten Dunst was annoying the last time I saw the movie, but she's fine now and was 11 years old at the time. However small his role is, Christian Slater is perfect as the interviewer, hence the film title.

All in all, Interview with the Vampire is a rare beautiful-looking horror masterpiece.