#And everyone else in Interview with a Vampire

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Ellen’s Vengeance

Both Ellen and Professor Von Franz are characters who are ostracized by Victorian society. The archetype of the “Victorian patriarch” expels them both from his house and tries to do the same at his wife and children’s funerals, symbolizing they have no place in Victorian society. Ellen is seen as a “melancholic hysteric” who should be institutionalized and Von Franz is a “laughingstock” and a “charlatan”. So, when Von Franz is talking about “redeem us” or “our salvation”; he’s talking about him and Ellen. Only her can redeem them, both, at the eyes of Victorian society. But as Ellen tells him, she needs “no salvation”, and she doesn’t need to redeem herself either, because she has done nothing wrong besides being true to her nature.

Both Ellen and Von Franz are avenged by Ellen’s breaking of the Nosferatu curse because they are proven right, when Victorian society says they are wrong. They are vindicated. Von Franz symbolically gives Ellen back her agency and validates her nature (one for which she has been medicalized her entire life and against which she has been fighting this entire film), like Robert Eggers tells us in one interview: “She's an outsider. She has this understanding about the shadow side of life that is very deep, but she doesn't have language for that. She's totally misunderstood and no one can see her [...] this demon lover, this vampire [Orlok] who is the one being who can connect with that side of her."

“Vindication” in Christian theology is connected to another word: “Providence”. “She has been vindicated” and “she has won” have the same meaning. Which is exactly what Robert Eggers tell us about his ending: “But isn’t it interesting that this female archetype who understands the dark side of humanity and is sexualized keeps being reconstituted as the savior of Victorian culture?”

Victorian culture is sexual repression. One of the themes from “Dracula” novel Eggers is exploring in his film is “the threat of female sexuality”; the figure of the "sick woman" as one of the principal ways in which female sexuality manifests as a contagious disease. In “Dracula”, literary critics (especially feminists) associate this with Lucy Westenra character and her degeneration into vampirism; she’s “sexualized” and, as such, she’s punished by the narrative with death and vampirism. This is the angle Eggers is exploring in his story. Even Friedrich Harding blames Ellen for the “contagion” of his wife, Anna. Which is why Ellen also represents the revenge of her book counterpart.

By accepting Orlok of her own free will, Ellen is accepting herself, embracing her own nature, and wearing “her shame” like a badge of honor in that final shot. She takes ownership over her own sexuality, breaking free from Victorian society (medicalization and gender roles). She’s vindicated or avenged because she has been medicalized, drugged and tied-up because of her mediumship (diagnosed as “melancholy” and “hysteria” by Victorian doctors), but it’s her empowerment through free sexuality (sex) and spirituality (death) that saves the day, and proves Victorian society wrong. She breaks the curse and free them (herself and Orlok), and everyone else, from Nosferatu plague.

There’s nothing sad about Ellen and Orlok’s ending. They both get what they want. Orlok has the rotten vessel in which his soul is trapped in destroyed, setting his spirit free. And as Ellen dies in the physical world, she’s reborn as the great Pagan priestess she was always meant to be.

Ellen dying alongside Orlok also symbolizes her sexuality getting punished according to Victorian society (because Robert Eggers wants “to stay through the lens of the 19th century”), however, she’s the one saving everyone by accepting herself, and embracing her nature, at last.

Ellen doesn’t sacrifice herself because of Thomas nor to “save everyone”, those are collaterals of the true reason, which is accepting herself and taking ownership over her own sexuality. And the last picture Robert Eggers gives us of Victory society really drives home this point:

Friedrich Harding (the Victorian patriarch) dead on top of his wife’s corpse (Anna; the Victorian woman ideal) after sexually assaulting her: the ultimate symbol of Victorian women oppression. Wives owned by their husbands, with no agency whatsoever, her bodies and sexuality fully dominated by them, who could physically and sexually assault them with no fear of repercussions because they were their property; and who infected them with “blood plagues” (especially syphilis) quite often. Sex as a marital duty for male pleasure alone.

God-fearing, Christian values, morality, decency and concern with social reputation all fall apart in this scene, as Victorian society hypocrisy is brought to light by Professor Von Franz, the occult scholar.

And the last image of the film is "Death and the Maiden" motif, making the "plague theme" come full circle, and also the representation of these two occult characters: Ellen and Orlok, embraced and surrounded by golden sunlight and their symbolic lilacs.

Their union blessed by nature; the great Pagan priestess and the Pagan priest-shaman follower of Zalmoxis, both demonized by Christian Victorian society, together and their sexuality on full display, no longer shameful nor demonic. Ellen is naked (no more corsets); fully embracing herself, fully liberated from Victorian society. Ellen and Orlok are the owners of the secrets of immortality; death, resurrection, rebirth and reincarnation. Their spiritual and sexual union (Sex Magick) has healed them and the world, and the plague was lifted.

This is Christianity vs. Paganism. Friedrich and Anna are in dark (ignorance); while Ellen and Orlok are in light (knowledge). Both men “can’t resist” these female characters; but while Friedrich used Anna’s corpse for his own sexual pleasure; Orlok gave Ellen pure ecstasy (orgasm), their scene is about her sexual pleasure, not his. Friedrich and Anna are riddled with plague; while Ellen and Orlok are fully healed; Ellen healed Orlok from Nosferatu curse (“his affliction”), and Orlok was the only one who could heal Ellen "sanguine temperament" by draining her blood (“her melancholy”). They healed each other, and by consequence, they ended the plague for everyone else, and also redeemed Professor Von Franz, who emerges vindicated from their union.

[thepurplewombat]

I've seen a couple of takes floating along my dash that genuinely makes me wonder why people are shocked and horrified that there is a Fucked-Up Little Dude in the Fucked-Up Little Dude Show.

[dreadfuldevotee]

The way the everyone talks about Assad is truly hilarious to me. Rolin Jones keeps throwing him into the deep end just because he believes in his ability. Eric and Luke agree that Assad is soooo nice and sweet but gets scary as fuck when he gets in-front of that camera. Sam saying watching him perform is "spine tingling".

And then you hear from Assad and he's just all "I was shitting myself the entire time, idk what I'm doing"

[prouvaireafterdark]

thinking about how Lestat was expecting Louis to want to rehash all the reasons they're wrong for each other, but all Louis wanted to do was thank him and hold him and kiss his little crying face 😭

[jackharkness]

I write you a story But it loses its thread And all of my witnesses Keep turning up dead

[platoapproved]

OH NO I'VE JUST REALIZED SOMETHING. It's so obvious how did I just catch it.

So Lestat and Armand meet up earlier in Memnoch the Devil, and Armand is wearing all denim and is super dusty. Lestat sees him and lovingly thinks about wanting to clean him up, do his hair, etc. Armand responds 'yeah, you're always wanting that, back in Paris you wanted to perfume me and comb my hair and put me in velvet and embroidery'. (see here for excerpts)

WHEN LESTAT GETS BACK NEAR THE END OF THE BOOK ARMAND IS WAITING FOR HIM! Wearing velvet and embroidered lace! He has left his hair down and uncut like it was back all those years ago in Paris, only it's cleanly washed. (see here for excerpts)

He.... he gave himself the Lestat-likes-it-when-I-look-like-this makeover while Lestat was out.

[hyohaehyuk]

(x)

I swear this hate tweet that become a meme in the fandom is perfect to explain those photos above 😅

[acesstark]

favorite thing ever is how Louis is hallucinating lestat having perfect hair. like, that man was walking around with a shoulder-length bob full of split ends and flyaways, but in Louis’s mind he has the perfect, fresh out the salon, sleeps in a satin lined bonnet, Brazilian blowout. hallucination!lestat discovered deep conditioner, thank god

[lizardkingeliot]

if I think about how much lestat loves louis & vice versa I start tearing up. best friends, married, divorced, soulmates, each other's destroyer yet also savior....no one is doing it like them & no one will ever do it like them for the rest of time

truly the best friends

to lovers

to married in the church on the altar

to soulmates who had an attempted murder divorce but are still married

of all time tbh

[mmelolabelle]

Exclusive first look at Daniel Molloy and Lestat de Lioncourt in AMC’s Interview With the Vampire season 3.

[praetorqueenreyna]

IWTV is about 4 gay men psychologically torturing each other while the women in their lives get caught in the crossfire

[sapphickurapika]

hi yeah so i desperately need everyone to be aware of this scene between lestat and armand from the lestat musical.

[pink0paques]

POV: You're Armand

[flysafepapi]

personally, as ready as i am to see the Devil's Minion shenanigans

it'd be so fucking funny if Daniel's response for the first few episodes is just doing absolutely nothing. like if Armand came back at any point or whatever, and he just didn't react and straight up pretended that Armand just wasn't there. It does what he was intending, which is to irritate Armand beyond belief, and then it just turns into Daniel outright refusing to acknowledge his presence while Armand just starts knocking shit around to get attention like a cat

[salethe2]

Will you…do the fang thing again?

[jaggedjot]

there is an increasing danger that Assad may explain to Sam what RPF is