I watched Byzantium and started rereading Strange Case of Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Byzantium was a breath of fresh air from any recent vampire
films I have seen.
The film was exceptionally well crafted, from the beautiful
color pallets to the costume design, cinematography and casting. The
performances felt really authentic and believable. I really liked how
supporting characters reacted with disbelief to the vampire story when it was
raveled to them. it made the whole world feel so much more real.
The use of gothic architecture throughout the film was also
really visually impressive. In the first scene of the writing class with the
teacher walking above the laying down students there was a constant use of
architecture elements to point to and frame the characters.
My only disappointment was the unrealized potential of the
story, I felt like it was a good story but I thought it might offer more in the
end. I liked the nonlinear narratives all-weaving together to slowly deliver
the plot but at the end of the film I did not feel entirely satisfied. There
were some twists but It felt like a little bit of a missed opportunity.
Byzantium has really powerful female characters and because
of their age and circumstances, have grown up in a completely patriarchal world.
It is really interesting how the characters deal with sex and violence and men,
in different ways in a more modern context. The contrast between Clara and
Eleanor adds a lot of interest to the film. I want to root for Clara, her
honesty is very endearing, but despite being hundreds of years old and
extremely wary of the outside world, she seems naïve, or maybe she just cant
hold back from the telling the truth and trusting people any longer? It’s the
complexity and subtlety of the characters and performances that really make
this film compelling to watch. Overall the story and characters had a much more
tangible sense of authenticity then any vampire movie I have seen recently.
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