Ryan McNeil
It all seems so goddamned sexy. Eternal youth, endless talent, the ability to look and move like no other creature on this planet. It’s no wonder that we’re all so enamoured by The Children of The Night. They make it look so cool, so poetic. They get to hold tight to the best part of life and dodge all of the rest. What they don’t always tell us though, is that it comes with a price. It involves a lot of likeable people coming-and-going, and a lot of bothersome people staying alive no matter how little you like them.
Living for entire centuries isn’t just flirting with despair and isolation.
It’s a goddamned invitation.
Adam (Tom Hiddleston) is an undead musician living in Detroit. He is fascinated by analogue – his flat a war zone of wires, and plugs, amps, knobs, and dials. He creates endless amounts of music on his vast collection of beautiful guitars, but seems unwilling to properly release any of it for the listening pleasure of mass audiences. He only has two points of contact with the outside world. The first is Doctor Watson (Jeffrey Wright), who works in the research division of a hospital and supplies him with top grade blood. The second is Ian (Anton Yelchin), his man Friday who supplies him with everything else he might need…including wooden bullets.
Eve (Tilda Swinton) lives far away in Tangiers. She too lives a life of relative solitude, drifting out of her lair full of books only when she needs sustenance. For that, she meets another old soul hiding in Tangiers – Christopher Marleau (John Hurt), the legendary writer who decided not to shuffle off this mortal coil all those centuries ago after all.
Adam and Eve were once in love (go figure), but love has torn them apart. In a moment of concern, Eve reaches out to Adam and begs him not to do himself in. To ensure he sticks around, she comes to him in The Motor City and crashes at his pad for a while.
All begins reasonably well, with both of them catching up and reliving old times. Nothing good ever lasts though, and soon Eve’s sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) shows up and does an amazing job of upsetting the apple cart. If you think you’re set in your routine, try being a few centuries old! In every way that Adam and Eve are subtle and reclusive, Ava is loud and brash. She needs to be the centre of attention, and that’s just not something that Adam or Eve are interested in enabling.
For a while now, I’ve wanted more romance from my vampires. Not in the way that I wanted them to get down with each other – or with a human – so much as I wanted them to be well-read, wanted them to be poets, wanted them to be creators of anything besides devotees of piddling devotees who just wanted to be bitten. I long believed that vampires should be weary souls, tired and frustrated that they cannot leave this existence, and that the species they share this existence with keeps making the same mistakes…over…and over…and over…
That romance and weariness has long been missing from the vampires of popular culture, so when those qualities returned in ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE I was over the moon.
The story seems to understand that for vampires, there is a tenuous connection with the world outside of their own lair. They need it for sustenance, but need it to be a food source that doesn’t rouse suspicion. What’s more, this might be the first such story I’ve encountered that works in the toxins we are putting in our own bodies. When even the undead will not drink our blood – you have to believe that we’ve all fucked up somewhere. Really folks – if you’re a vegan, I’d be worried right around now.
The world outside of their own must be endured though, not just for a source of food…but also to acquire whatever goods and services spur one’s interest – be it music, literature, or invention. If your father ever told you a joke that began “So a vampire walks into a hardware store…”, you understand the absurdity of one of these characters trying such a thing. Finally, they need to interact with the world around them just to avoid going stir-crazy during the centuries they choose to inhabit this world. This need for connection – face time with another creature who understands their plight – is what gives Jaramusch’s story its lift.
If you squint just-so, you could almost see Hiddleston and Swinton as a couple. They compliment each other so well in their gothic beauty, and their love for creative energy underlines them as kindred spirits. Eve has a weakness for the writers the world has borne, and the words those writers have left behind. Adam is in awe of the brilliant scientists of our history, and dismayed by their continued fate. They create a perfect yin yang of creator and connoisseur; he wants to add more, she wants to consume it all. They are characters that are not extraordinary in stature or style, but in the way they look at our world, they make us feel like we are seeing it with fresh eyes.
Those fresh eyes are patient – patient eyes that have no time for the impulsiveness of youth, patient eyes that are not in a rush to make their train. They have seen it all before and will see it all again. Everything element of this film understands and underlines that, from its muted look to its quiet score. This is a film dedicated to the vampires who aren’t interested in being “sexy”. A vampire – and a film – that goes for sexiness is a human endeavour…
…and these vampires are so above that.
Love that closing paragraph! “…patient eyes that are not in a rush to make their train.” I’m going to think of Adam & Eve the next time I’m in a panic and rushing to jump on the “L”. One of the inordinate number of things I love about this film is how it can inspire so many different readings. You touched on a lot of things I considered, I guess, but maybe not as much as some others. There’s just SO MUCH to unpack.
Sigh. Can’t wait to watch it again.
Meanwhile, I think about it when I hear a subway down on the platform and yet take my time going down the stairs. I end up saying to myself “another train will be here in a sec”
Adam and Even wouldn’t rush, why should I? Of course, they have all of eternity…
PS – New Matineecast that dropped yesterday is all about this film. Go!
This film is dead sexy. The gorgeous red vinyl soundtrack is currenty on its way to me from the US. Great review Ryan.
Oh man – I’m thinking I’ll have to hit the record store later today and do a little splurging! What is it about coloured vinyl that makes it seem so much more awesome?
I like what you say about the way the vampires look at our world. There was a lot of potential in the ideas, but the film failed frustrated me with the slow pacing. Probably that pacing was deliberate so we get to experience the world as they do. I liked the look of the film, and I’m sure furthur examination could reveal interesting background details in Adam’s apartment and so.
I get that. It took me at least a third of the film to get settled into its pacing, and I’m pressed to think of a recent movie that felt this deliberate in its rhythm.
But yeah – how cool would it be just to wander around that set of Adam’s pad and poke through all of his toys?
GREAT review! This film touched us in similar ways I think…it was such a treat to see something so vivid and so human from Jarmusch, and as a vampire movie no less! His talent for redefining genres is still strong.
My thoughts: http://silverscreensessions.wordpress.com/2014/05/17/only-lovers-left-alive/