What do William Lawes, Smokey Robinson, Christopher Marlowe, and Dr Strangelove have in common? They are only a few of the many individuals alluded to in what is one of the most unique movies ever made. If you are familiar with the movies of Jim Jarmusch such as DEAD MAN, NIGHT ON EARTH, or MYSTERY TRAIN then you’ll have some idea of what his take on a vampire picture might be but even if you do, you cannot imagine how rich and rewarding ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE can be. Of course the film is not for everyone especially those expecting a traditional vampire flick. The literary and artistic references as well as the languid pace and the total lack of action will leave many viewers (and reviewers) cold and bored to tears. This is not your father’s vampire movie but a meditation on life, eternity, the undying beauty and power of art, and on man’s many failings and the consequences thereof.
Imagine a vampire movie where the principal vampires are centuries old and are named Adam and Eve. From the posters it resembles THE HUNGER with Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie but it isn’t. One of the characters is playwright Christopher Marlowe, also a vampire, who is 450 years old and spending his last days in Tangier. Adam & later Eve hang out in Detroit amidst the ruins of the once fine city and consume “the good stuff” – untainted blood from special containers – while coexisting with humans whom they refer to as “zombies”. They possess a weltschmerz reminiscent of Klaus Kinski in NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE and yet they prevail. Imagine all the things a pair of lovers would have seen come and go and come again since the world began. That’s only part of ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE. High minded and pretentious? To some it will seem so but others will find it deeply satisfying.
There’s also transcendent performances from Tom Hiddleston & Tilda Swinton and a wonderful supporting role for John Hurt as Marlowe. The cinematography is hypnotic, the music appropriate, the writing sublime and the direction knowing and sensitive. There are several remarkable set pieces including the initial visit with Marlowe, evening rides in a white Jaguar through the ravaged areas of Detroit, and the havoc wreaked by Eve’s little sister (Mia Wasikowska) when she comes to visit. This is such a complex and layered movie that it will take several viewings before it yields all its secrets. Too bad some of the extended and deleted scenes on the special features section weren’t left in. If this sounds like something that you’d like to experience then go for it. Others who want a traditional or fashionable vampire picture need to look elsewhere. One of my Top 10 favorite movies of all time.
The Capsule Critic 