Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
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A modern-day interview reveals the centuries-long saga of two vampires and the girl they raised in secret.
The story
In 1991 San Francisco, a reporter named Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, a man who claims to be a vampire. Louis recounts his transformation in 1791 New Orleans by the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. The narrative follows their long lives together, including the decision to turn a young girl named Claudia into a vampire. The story explores their survival through the centuries, their travels across Europe, and the complexities of their immortal existence. The film frames these historical events through the lens of a contemporary interview, building a gothic atmosphere of longing and consequence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1991, reporter Daniel Molloy interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, who recounts his life starting in 1791 Louisiana. After the death of his wife, Louis is turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt. They eventually turn a young girl, Claudia, into a vampire. After 30 years, a disillusioned Claudia kills Lestat, and Louis helps her hide the body. They flee to Europe, eventually settling in Paris in 1870, where they encounter the coven of Armand. After a series of conflicts and the creation of another vampire, Madeleine, they are punished by the Parisian vampires. Louis eventually escapes and later finds a weakened Lestat in 1988. The film concludes with the interview, where Lestat reappears on the Golden Gate Bridge to offer Molloy the choice of becoming a vampire.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Neil Jordan
- Writers
- Anne Rice · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Cruise · Lestat de Lioncourt; Brad Pitt · Louis de Pointe du Lac; Antonio Banderas · Armand; Stephen Rea · Santiago; Christian Slater · Daniel Molloy; Kirsten Dunst · Claudia; Domiziana Giordano · Madeleine; Thandiwe Newton · Yvette
- Genres
- horror; fantasy; romance; drama
- Themes
- immortality; guilt; loneliness
- Tone and mood
- gothic; atmospheric; melancholy
- Setting
- New Orleans (1791, 1988), Paris (1870), and San Francisco (1991).
- Premise and plot tags
- vampire; period piece; supernatural
- Source material / true-story basis
- Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name
- Content notes
- violence; gore
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews, praised for its production design and performances.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · scale: percentage · review count: 68; Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Art Direction · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Score · Nomination; Golden Globe · Best Supporting Actress · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The character of Louis was originally intended to be female to ensure the relationship with Lestat was heterosexual.; The actor who played the role of Daniel Molloy, Christian Slater, donated his salary to the charity of the original cast member, River Phoenix.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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