by Danielle Momoh (’25)
Abstract:
This edit carves out the relationship between The Vampire Armand and Louis De Pointe Du Lac, particularly the dissolution of their 77 year romantic partnership. It leans into the melodramatic tones of the TV show, Interview With the Vampire, with the addition of a piece of Nicholas Brittel’s acclaimed Succession score imbuing the edit with a sense of gravitas and drama. The piece used here is String Con Fuoco. It uses a monologue from the acclaimed film Anatomy of a Fall as a backing track to tie the arc of Armand’s deceit to the themes of spousal abuse in the film. Armand’s betrayal then becomes more than a fantastical creature backstabbing another, but a man systemically gaslighting his partner while setting himself up as a hapless victim. The reporter that reveals his gaslighting happens to have the same name as the child of the couple in Anatomy of the Fall, Daniel. The monologue, and the edit at large, is from the perspective of Louis. We imagine him giving a righteous and admonishing speech to Armand, which he never actually gets to deliver in the show. In this manner, the edit is meant to be incredibly heartbreaking and cathartic.