INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE / ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

VAMPIRES

 This book by Anne Rice describes many relationships and experiences that Louis, the vampire, had during his life.  To me, the book captures the themes of immortality, loyalty, love, and detachment.    The book has a good/evil theme with sexual tension surrounding the different relationships.  Most of the relationships consist of love and hate feelings.  The story contains heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and pedophilia.  As the book begins, I found it interesting that Louis was giving an interview to a boy reporter.  I believe the intention was to expose the young boy to the positive and negative aspects of relationships along with immortality, love, and manipulations that can occur.

The relationship between Lestat and Louis starts out nurturing as Lestat teaches and guides Louis as he transforms into a vampire's life.  This seemed to me like a father/son relationship, but it turned into an immortal companionship.  Louis has conflict.  He is a vampire, but still has human feelings and clings to his human identity.  This causes an internal conflict (human morality) versus external conflict (vampire actions).  When Louis starts thinking about breaking up, Lestat turns a young girl, Claudia, into a vampire daughter in order to secure their relationship.  In my opinion, Lestat is very possessive and manipulative for his own purpose.  This works for awhile.  Louis acts as her father/protector.  Claudia matures mentally and intellectually, but not physically.  This maturity causes Louis to lust for her.  Louis falls in love with Claudia and an affair begins.  A lover's triangle is created which Claudia intends to end.  So, she kills Lestat to get him out of their lives.

Since Lestat is immortal, he survived.  Louis and Claudia visit Europe and meet another vampire named Armand.  Louis and Armand immediately form a strong, deep emotional connection which Claudia despises.  Again, a lover's triangle surfaces.  Since Claudia is insecure, she feels Louis will leave her.  She convinces Louis to create another vampire to serve as a replacement companion for her.  Madeleine is her new partner.  Lestat returns to seek revenge.  His accusations succeed in killing Claudia and Madeleine, but Louis is rescued by Armand.  

Louis never seems to fully recover from the loss of Claudia.  He was truly in love with her.  The emotional connection and partnership between himself and Armand quickly fades.  Louis returned to New Orleans.  Because of all his pain, sorrow, and bad experiences, he decides to be alone and never create another companion for himself.  Louis's decisions reflect the feelings of people who have experienced bad relationships and basically decide to live alone rather than to be hurt again in another relationship.

Movie:  ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (2013)

The theme represented in this movie is very different from the Interview With The Vampire novel.  This film is a story about two vampires, Adam and Eve.  They have a strong monogamous relationship that has lasted for many centuries even though they have lived apart.  This vampire couple has class.  They dress well, love music and literature, and are very sophisticated.  Eve comes back to live with Adam when she recognizes that he has become despondent and depressed.  Together, they have a great life and relationship.  Eve's younger sister, Ava, comes to visit and causes a big disruption in their home.  Adam eventually kicks her out.

What makes Adam and Eve different throughout most of the movie was that they did not suck blood from victims.  They got their blood delivered through a supplier.  However at the end of the film, the supplier dies.  This is where the movie turns dark because in order to survive and with no choices left, Adam and Eve are now forced to get their own supply of blood.  They attack and suck blood from a pair of young lovers.  This film shows the human nature of survival and strong relationships.