Do u ever not realize how starved for affection u are till someone hugs u a bit tighter than normal and you find that you really don’t want to let go
I never thought about this scene in this context before, and I don’t know if you were going for seriousness or not, but by this point in the both the film and the novel, Lestat hadn’t had any real affection other than the baiting of the musician for some time.
Thanks! I was indeed going for serious. They have actual irreconcilable differences, but they both still desperately miss how it was in the beginning, when they could both be free to live under the delusion that this setup was in any shape or form “natural" and sustainable. It was the honey-est of honeymoons, for all of them. One happy family.
Claudia was the glue that held them all together, so when she understood the truth of it all and severed ties with Lestat, that’s around when Louis must have, to some extent, as well. In the book, he seems to pull away from both of them emotionally as her frustration and disillusionment grows.
So yes, by this point, Lestat hadn’t had any real affection (aside from the flirting w/ strangers we all know he’s so talented at) other than the baiting of the musician for some time. It appeared that the love between Lestat and the musician was a pale shadow of what he had with Louis and Claudia. That musician seemed to give him the kind of unconditional love that Lestat’s dogs had given him back in the Auvergne. An unquestioning loyalty, which is good, but love from Louis and Claudia was worth more, which is why he didn’t just leave them immediately, but rather stay and taunt them with the idea that he might turn someone else. He was challenging them to fight for his love, in threatening to replace them, he wanted them to beg him to stay. They didn’t.
Aw thank u! I kind of regret bringing it up, but the flesh is always better on the other side of the window… oui?
Real talk here, though: I love that they chose a realistic woman for Claudia to want to be, not some stick-figure blonde. Later, the lady killed on stage at the Theatre Des Vampires is more like that ideal, society’s projected perfection, but we’re not talking about her right now. This woman has kind of unusual boobs, as far as what we normally see in film, these are natural boobs, not hiked up in a bra to conform to some kind of perky ideal, and this woman has an actual tummy, maybe she’s had children, maybe she’s pregnant, either way, she appears to have FLESH THAT FUNCTIONS and is natural. “Pure Creole” as Lestat says appreciatively. And she’s kind of humming to herself, doing some kind of treatment to her body, just at peace with herself and the world, it seems. Claudia wants ALL of that.
Later, we see Claudia humming (the same tune?!) as she draws from this model trying to achieve that same inner peace. Why do artists art? One reason is they’re trying to capture an ideal and/or something ephemeral, something that brings peace when you can put it down on paper. Writing can achieve that, too, as can making music, as can all the creative arts.
That’s definitely part of why I’m an artist. It’s a burning need to capture and become something through the creative act. An evolution of sorts.
You see why I’m trapped in this fandom? It touches on everything! I can never leave.
Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
I love this production still for so many reasons but one of them definitely is that Louis isn’t really able to protect Claudia while she’s holding his arm down; she’s put herself in front of him, she’s actually trying to shield him from the flailing-around-on-fire-vampire in the room. Louis probably feels extra guilty for setting Lestat on fire but he had to choose sides, and he’s chosen Claudia and freedom.
#seriously tho #claudia #darling #love of my life #i can’t protect u if youre gonna hold my arms down ok #i need them free to throw oil lamps around #just fyi
Gothic Novels of the Twentieth Century, by Elsa J. Radcliffe. I don’t remember how I ran across a mention of this book on Google, but once I did, I was entranced and had to own it. Yes, it’s a list of gothic novels, by author, up to about 1978, with occasional snarky commentary.
What Ms. Radcliffe had to say about Interview with the Vampire:
Seems indicative of this generation when psycho-socio-philosophy creep even into the literature of horror-Gothic. The absurd lengths to which introspection may go are at last met in this study into the inner life of a vampire. Some of the details of vampire life elaborated upon I found repulsive and without redeeming social value. The whole thing just doesn’t come off, in my view – as seems to be true, now that I think of it, with most vampire stories.
So this has circulated long enough, @takemetocoffin-or-losemeforever made this, and IT IS A PERFECT SCREENCAP&TEXTMEME COMBO BC:
– Look at Claudia’s face. She looks like she JUST told them. It had to be said.
– Louis is all *shitshitshit how can i answer her without lying… “I’m only gay for Lestat…” No, that sounds weird… “We’re only gay sometimes…. like for 20 minutes at a time…” No, sometimes it lasts longer… so conflicted… If I wait long enough maybe Lestat will have a better answer.
– Lestat is just standing there growling, not sure if he should be offended or impressed that she figured it out despite his efforts to keep certain things behind closed doors.If I wait long enough maybe Louis will have a better answer.
I-want-my-IWTV 