Nostalgia pervades every scene of Jim Jarmusch’s latest film, Only Lovers Left Alive. The vampire film is wrought with literary references from the 20th century, as Eve (Tilda Swinton) teases husband Adam (Tom Hiddleston) for hanging out with the likes of Lord Byron and Mary Shelley and hangs out with her best vampire pal, the turned Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt).
While they mostly reference the Victorian Era as their temporal stopping grounds, their names, knowledge of all human existence, and reference to humans as “zombies” suggest these vamps were born as the first uncorrupted attempt at humanity or a select few evolved specimens.
Jarmusch’s approach to vampire lore is a lot more reflective of humanity than the myriad of other vampire entertainment prevalent today. His vampires view humans as soulless Earth walkers that care for nothing besides their own immediate need to feed their desires. They are the kind of vampires who would happily sponsor a highway or plant a tree. Fans of classic vampire lore will be happy to note these vampires still exude a vibe of ‘80s-era sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.
Hiddleston and Swinton keep the tired brooding vampire motif, but the plot and their onscreen chemistry make it work effectively. Their know-your-every-move kind of love is a refreshing change from the we-just-met-but-your-mystery-makes-me-want-to-be-around-you-forever kind of love. Living forever means that their relationship is mature and lacks the naivety of young love.
Instead, their brooding comes from eons of watching the world turn to waste. The undead omnisciently observe the world neither as caretakers or aggressors; rather, the vampires are doomed to walk among passionless people and wait for a better time. While they see the world as filled with filth and sorrow, Jarmusch allows the audience to inhabit their universe of great music, knowledge, and passion. The soundtrack to the film is entrancing, especially when combined with the euphoric image of the vampires drinking blood.
Swinton in particular delivers a multilayered performance, as her character can at one moment be sweet, wise, hungry, disciplined, fun, and dark. With her pale perfect skin and Hiddleston’s supremely toned abs, the actors make incredibly attractive vamps. Each has a physical image that compliments their onscreen poise and lure. The cities of Detroit and Tangier are equally expressive, and both act as characters themselves. Shells of their former glory, the locations comment on how human beings destroy and desolate their surroundings, leaving it up to the undead to fill them with life.
As in his previous film, Stranger Than Paradise, Jarmusch explores characters who are interesting enough to render an action-saturated plot unnecessary. His sui generis outlook is a fresh take in a currently overpopulated genre, and the result is contemplative, witty and mesmerizing journey worth taking.
