Saskia Levy- Rodgers Writer

Interview with the Vampire, 1994, Directed by Neil Jordan. 

Where to watch: Netflix. 

I change, therefore I am alive. 

A beautiful Gothic Horror film, based on the eponymous novel by Anne Rice, published in 1976. 

In modern-day San Francisco, Louis, a vampire, feels the urge to confess his never-ending life to a rather sceptical at first, yet fascinated journalist. Louis starts with his wealthy life as the owner of a plantation in New Orleans, devastated by the premature death of his beloved wife. From his despair and disgust with life, a certain Lestat de Lioncourt crept out from the shadows to offer him a choice, a choice he claimed never to have had himself… With this encounter begins a new life, a new dawn for Louis, who is now confronted with an even greater abyss than the loss he suffered in his mortal life. Conflicted with the demands of his vampiric nature, reluctant to kill but also refusing to die, damned to walk in a world without love- by extension without life itself and without light…   

As much as the movie is a visual delight, and Tom Cruise gave a very convincing flesh to one of the most iconic vampires ever born in literature, Lestat de Lioncourt, there is so much more to think about from this movie. 

To quote the vampire Armand: The world changes, we do not; there lies the irony that finally kills us. 

There are many other quotes that we could discuss in length, but for this article, we’re going to focus on this one and how relevant it is for us. 

First, this quote resonates with Alvin Toffler, stating that the illiterate of the 21st century will be the one who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn… In our times of rapid changes and fast pace, the smartest one won’t necessarily be the one who knows the most, but the one who can quickly adapt to a new setting, a new system, a new technique… One may argue that this has always been, as Darwin’s theory of evolution postulates that all life on earth is designed to change and adapt… Second, this quote gives a new meaning to death; death is what cannot change. In contrast, life is what is changing constantly, and our only certainty is inevitable change. Our psychic life is thriving in new situations, in different settings. If we cannot change through life, we cease to live it and become what we could call an undead- there is a pulse but no beating heart, our body is moving but our soul is fading. Therefore, to embrace changes is to embrace life itself. Let’s make a bold move, let’s rethink Descartes’ I think therefore I am, by I change therefore I am alive!