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Byzantium | A Refreshing Bite in the Vampire Genre

Writer's picture: Nicolas SchueleNicolas Schuele
4
4/5

"Byzantium (2012)" is that rare breed of film: the kind that surprises you and catches you off guard for all the right reasons. Flashy it is not; predictable, even less so. Yet, somehow, it stands out in a genre that has been done to death (yeah, no pun intended). Neil Jordan, who handled the much higher budget "Interview with the Vampire (1994)", once again takes center stage and shows he can handle an inherently deep vampire story quite well. Saoirse Ronan, who plays the lead, was literally born the year Interview came out. Crazy, right?


Byzantium

The Power of Eleanor's Story


What has lingered, what I loved, is the telling by Eleanor. So much is told through her penmanship; a diary over many years. Unsophisticated, very efficient; the touch of a story of love. Saoirse does carry that on: quiet, very focused in her intensity that does appeal. No faking; no dramatic show-the honesty and believable effect that it all existed.


Beethoven and Bloodlust


The score leans heavily on Beethoven’s Sonata in C Major, which brings an unexpected elegance to all the bloodletting. There’s something about classical piano juxtaposed with eternal damnation that just works. It elevates the film without ever feeling pretentious—like it knows it’s a vampire movie but refuses to settle for being just another one.


Byzantium

A Moody, Atmospheric World


Visually, the film is stunning: a seaside setting with crumbling buildings and overcast skies has set up such a mood, which perfectly fits with the story. Obviously, Neil Jordan can set scenes. It is one of those films where every shot seems to serve a purpose, even the dragging ones. And no, it's not all action, but then again, that wasn't the idea. That is an atmosphere-and-character movie, both of which nail it completely.


Some Rough Edges


Not everything in the movie works perfectly. The whole vampire brotherhood subplot felt a bit unnecessary to me, like it was trying to add tension that wasn't needed. A few of the side characters didn't leave much of an impression either—they're more like placeholders than fully developed people. But honestly, these are small complaints in an otherwise engaging film.


Byzantium

Worth Your Time


Byzantium is a bit new, even when one has tired of these stock, generic vampire movies. It is very emotional at its core and visually impressive with really good performances as Neil Jordan relaxes his arms and is quite pleased with the ability to do a little something new in genre elements with Ronan and Arterton fleshing their characters in such a fine degree. It's imperfect, memorable-which is the important factor here for such genre fare.

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