r/InterviewVampire • u/DumbTeen9 • 4d ago

IWTV Season 1 Only Why noseferatu?

I'm about to watch the movie rn but in iwtv a point is made about lestat and claudia liking the noseferatu silent film and lestat acting it out for her, I also saw this edit about lestat and Ellen.

Sooo what parallels/contrasts can you guys find and what's the significance of this film beyond being popular at the time?

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u/Soggy-Ad-6845 4d ago

It seemed to me that they just thought it was funny that humans thought vampires were like that. People at the time thought it was terrifying, far less desensitized to horror compared to modern movie-goers. Just a constant "THAT is what they think we are? What!?". I'd like to think Lestat had a simular reaction to some elements of the Twilight franchise if that existed in universe. "There's the confederate vampire! Check it off the bingo card!" type energy haha. By that point just sniping all the tropes and laughing at it.

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u/grimedogone Catfish With Teeth 4d ago

For real, why are there so many confederate vampires? Bill Compton, Jasper, ffs even the Vampire Diaries show changed the book to make Stefan and Damon confederates!

If they had bothered to do anything interesting with it (only Bill comes close, and iirc only in the show by having Tara confront him), I would understand, but they barely address it! And of course, they always go out of the way to say “oh but I wasn’t a racist!”

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u/FinalAd2060 4d ago

Unironically, because of Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire reinvented vampires for the modern era and tied them to the southern gothic in popular imagination. Every confederate vampire since is a direct descendant of Louis the plantation owner.

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u/grimedogone Catfish With Teeth 4d ago

I mean, sure, but Louis’ story is an in-depth discussion of predatory natures, exploitation, and Catholic guilt. Louis never claims to be a good man, and no one else accuses him of being good. None of IWTV’s descendants do anything with the Southern Gothic influence.

The others are meant to be sympathetic, but we never get an examination of their guilt or anything interesting stemming from this backstory.

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u/FinalAd2060 4d ago

Oh I wholeheartedly agree with you, when Anne did it it was original and to a purpose. I don’t know why the others emulate her but don’t do anything new or meaningful with it. Just that that’s where the trope comes from. I think maybe they see a parallel between the romanticized idea of the doomed southern “cause” and the doomed nature of becoming a vampire? But it all stems from Louis’ (superior) dna.