Home

Sanguine Seduction

image by Veronica V. Jones

The Sensual Solitude of Only Lovers Left Alive

Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as Eve and Adam.
Tom Hiddleston as Adam.
Tilda Swinton as Eve.
Mia Wasikowska as Ava.
John Hurt as Marlowe.

As we grow older, we are eventually forced to reconcile the world of our youth with the world of today. Having done so, we must invariably conclude that world has only gotten worse. Two elder vampires in Only Lovers Left Alive seem to have reached a similar conclusion, as they lead small, quiet lives on opposite sides of the globe.

When the burden of eternal life seems to be weighing too heavily upon Adam, his lover Eve leaves her beloved Tunisia and returns to console him in his wasteland of choice: Detroit. When their peaceful existence is further threatened by the sudden arrival of Eve’s impulsive sister Ava, chaos ensues in earnest.

This languid, character driven tale is a much more intimate view of vampires. These creatures live in introspective seclusion from the world, each other, perhaps themselves. Mr. Jarmusch seems to be showing us that a vampire’s greatest weakness may ultimately be the weight of their lengthy lives… a kind of terminal nostalgia, that can only be cured by love — and a little blood.

Written by in September of 2014. Last edited March 2016.

Related Features

Up Close and Personal with the Walking Dead

Andrew Lincoln as Deputy Rick Grimes walks down the road carrying a lot of weapons and a gas can. A man in silhouette wanders down a hospital corridor in shambles.

Winona Nelson

A winged woman with long dark hair soars through the sky. A pale regal woman in dark robes, an elaborate headdress, and bloody hands floats A young man reaches into his reflection in the water, and the reflection reaches back. An enraged vampire -- surrounded by fire -- bares their fangs and raises their blade A slender woman hides her face behind a passive mask, with a wall full of other masks behind her. A slender woman in a flowery dress walks with a large hyena.

Olivier Ponsonnet

A purple-skinned alien woman wears an elaborate headdress. A languid woman with short black hair has a red stain on her lips. A mysterious man with a large facial tattoo stares intently.

Miguel Coimbra

A woman with long brown hair and pointy ears crouches on a branch in a deep forest setting. A man in full balistic armor wields a large rifle. An attractive woman in a tank-top rests, her natural and cybernetic arms crossed. An armored warrior fends off a lion in a dust-shrouded arena.

Vampires Done Right in 30 Days of Night

Josh Hartnett in 30 Days of Night. Melissa George in 30 Days of Night. Danny Huston in 30 Days of Night. Megan Franich in 30 Days of Night.

Comments

Be the first to comment!