retrofitted to romantic teen idols.
Thankfully that has been the number of filmmakers and their counterparts on
television, decided was about time to return the monstrous qualities to these
creatures. Understandably the student met with mixed results but one of the more
interesting I have ever come up for us is under consideration here; ‘Only Lovers
Left Alive’.
Not only is it one of the most imaginative takes vampires that I’ve seen in
quite a long time but there is such a commitment to quality on both sides of the
camera that this entire film is infused in the ground up with a level of
craftsmanship rarely seen, particularly in this particular genre. Any fans of
various vampire franchises available the first thing that must be done is to
establish a set that defines the strengths and weaknesses of the supernatural
beings. It is a matter that the attributes defined natural law, fans demand that
there be a consistency in a given fictional world. In one a vanquished vampire
they crumble into ash one another they make listed in the sunlight. The vast
discrepancy in these details perceived by some as keeping the archetype fresh
while others use it as a rallying point for heated discussion. One
characteristic that is among the most pervasive is the mortality. Surviving on
human blood and nocturnal terror can exist for centuries or even millennia. The
persist discounts generations of their source of nourishment past through their
ephemeral lives.
It was considered something wonderful and rare that my late wife and I were
married for 34 years of the vampire couple Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda
Swinton) such a period of time with scarcely be considered a honeymoon. They are
vampires who have been married for centuries. As the film opens the couple is
living in a world apart, geographically literal sense. He resides in a Victorian
mansion located in Detroit, having a lute in a room packed with the accumulation
of untold years of collection. Meanwhile, Eve, Reagan’s degree to new evening in
Tangiers, her room filled with books. It appears that they have come to the
conclusion that the real danger of exposure and ultimately termination come from
indiscriminate hunting of humanity for food. Fortunately technology has made
some advances in most large human cities blood is routinely stored and fitted
for impurities. With so many blood-borne diseases vampires such as Adam and Eve
do their best to avoid the poisoning of a contaminated environment by obtaining
the ‘good stuff’, pure blood which is the equivalent to organic food for the
discerning vampire. Like an addict who was dealt with their addiction long time
both of these vampires have established the means to obtain the purest form of
what they require. Adam under the guise of Dr. Faust obtains his provisions for
contacting the blood bank, Dr. Watson (Jeffrey Wright). Employing a different
methodology with identical goals, Eve relies upon a very old friend, Christopher
Marlowe (John Hurt), who was one of the foremost playwrights and scholars of the
Elizabethan era. As far as the large was concerned he died in 1593, the
subterfuge perpetrated by himself. Personally Marlowe relies upon the protection
of a young human man. Although adverse to daylight, this sensitivity to light
demands the use of sunglasses at nighttime. In today’s culture this is something
that hardly stands out, particularly among the intellectual and artistically
obsessed segment of our society that they tend to associate with.
Adam and Eve have spent the long centuries of their existence serving as
Muses inspiring great accomplishments in the arts and sciences. Adam ‘s
inclinations lie in music as demonstrated by a collection of valuable antique
guitars and his predilection for listening to music on vinyl records which are
procured for him by a dealer of such things to his kind, Ian (Anton Yelchin).
Considering the extremely short life expectancy vampires pejorative term for
humans is ‘zombies’, the walking dead. The old adage that opposites attract
certainly true with this couple married in the 19th century. While
Adam is a sullen recluse, Eve embraces the world around enjoying the great
collection of literature she has accumulated, playing on iPhone and becoming
immersed in the rich culture of Tangiers. Adam spends much of his time recording
music on a four track studio in his home, saddened by the realization that none
of his oeuvre ever be appreciated by anyone else. This only exacerbates the
sadness he feels remembering the period of his long life but he was an
exceptionally popular rock musician with a cult following. Despite existing so
far apart the couple is still very much in love. Eve decides that it is about
time to drop in on husband. In a frenzy of packing Eve culls the best of
extensive literary collection prepare for her trip to the United States. There
is tenderness to the reunion that will lull you will away from the knowledge of
the deadly nature. At the long postponed intimacy the couple takes a drive
amused by a discussion with his long served to be the mutual bond their love;
literature, art and music. Such a discussion is more meaningful to them than any
others are not only of the lived some of the most creative times humanity has
ever experienced, but in many cases they provided the creative spark that
ignited the genius the men responsible for them. Although Adam and Eve are
thousands of miles apart they are telepathically linked so strongly that
distance means little to the relationship. From the vantage point of an immortal
couple years or decades physically apart has less impact on them that a spouse
leaving on a business trip.
The reunion is spoiled by the appearance of yet another vampire, Eve’s
younger sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska). Unlike Eve could accept the necessary
restrictions as a necessary aspect of the longevity but Ava is the perennial
party girl; uninhibited wireless willing to sate on hunger with anything less
and the warm blood flowing from the open neck of her prey. But Ava suddenly
intrudes upon the reunion it appears that her sole purpose is to annoy and
instigate. A principled way of achieving this goal is calling them out on their
own snobbery concerning humanity. The use of the term zombie was devised by Adam
resulting from his contempt what our species has done to this planet. What the
two of them are able to help some individuals to achieve greatness the
overwhelming majority of mankind do little more than infest this planet.
My chief complaint for the modernization of vampires and werewolves is how
they have removed the horror from their archetypes. Having grown up on the
Universal Studios creature features I was still belief that the monsters in
these movies should be scary not have their names drawn within hearts by dreamy
eyed teenage girls. This movie does not return vampires to horror but, all the
same manages to accomplish a far more difficult cinematically insightful
achievement. I have seen several vehicles for vampires touch upon the
psychological turmoil and emotional toll that is taken by immortality. So often
humans agreed to be the sycophant for vampires and hope being rewarded with
eternal life. Adam and Eve demonstrate a far different vantage point for such
longevity. A vampire movie can be excited, thrilling or even regrettably
romantic but the director/writer of this piece of cinematic craftsmanship, Jim
Jarmusch, has imbued his work with a sense of lethargy. I have been a fan of his
for quite some years and in several cases been able to see how he is taking a
short story expertly expanded into a full. To me this demonstrates equality in
this filmmaker that very few seem to manifest; exceptional care preparation. As
someone who was trained in the sciences I was always taught before major
endeavor to do a proof of concept. Mr. Jarmusch boldly took this step by first
visiting a story as a short film. Ties his works together that ties this works
together is this fascination with how an individual perceives the world around
him. In some cases such as ‘Broken Flowers’ or ‘Ghost Dog: The Way of the
Samurai’, he focuses on individual with inherently different vantage points in
the audience would be used to. This provided him with a platform to look at the
normal trials and tribulations of life most unusual set of eyes.
A film such as this reminds you that film is a valid means of artistic
expression, no less the novel painting or sculpture. Just as literature can run
the gamut trashy pulp mystery read on the beach to a novel great impact and
importance, likewise movies can be a source of pure escapism entertainment or
something that incites you to ponder the greater essence of life. This movie is
definitely an example of the latter. These vampires all refined, intellectual
beings over the centuries have found a way to avoid having to hunt and kill
humans in order to feed. For them such longevity is truly a two-sided coin. It
allows more than enough time to study and learn, gaining expertise in a plethora
of fields. It also means facing a potentially endless stream of years gradually
turning into decades and centuries. Adam and Eve have accomplished much in their
long lives inspired others to greatness as well. They are tired and bored have
subjugated their predatory instincts overcoming them with an adroit intellect.
This movie is so beautifully filmed with amazing cinematography by Yorick Le
Saux. Apparently, the disdain for more modern techniques and artistic endeavors
that was demonstrated by Adam is directly from personal preferences held by Mr.
Jarmusch. As an advocate of actual film the disdain for digital photography.
With an estimated budget of only $7 million was financially forced to use an
Arri Alexa photography system. Working with his cinematographer they achieved a
suitable look and feel of the warmer colors attributed to actual film to the
magnificent control of lighting and subsequent digital manipulations. They have
managed to capture within this film a rich color palette variety of textures
that often thought possible digital media. This is the type of movies that you
do not watch; you sit there opening your senses committing yourself to fully
experience the artistry of its creator.