#Jacob Anderson is so much better at playing Louis than Brad Pitt it’s insane | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-mad-prince-of-denmark · 2 years ago

Text

Finally, I can put my dissertation on queer rep in horror to good use!!

While I disagree with the assessment that the ‘96 film completely lacks queer undertones, I do think that it tones down the original novel’s queerness significantly. Yes, both the book and movie have all the “vampire bites are like sex, transfer of body fluids, Louis and Lestat are life partners, etc” stuff. However, the original novel not only consistently reaffirms the romantic nature of Louis and Lestat’s relationship, but Lestat’s sexuality especially.

The ‘96 movie, by contrast, just kind of… alludes vaguely to the nature of Louis and Lestat’s relationship. You can very easily read queerness there, but it wouldn’t be totally impossible to ignore that entire element of their relationship. I think some people tend to overstate how solidly, canonically queer the film is mostly due to the time period during which it came out (for many, it was genuinely shocking to see a mainstream film starring two well-known, beloved Hollywood actors that even implied queerness) .

All this being said, I don’t hate the movie. That is, in fairness, a pretty low bar, I don’t like the original novel either. But I don’t think it’s terrible. Ironically, I think Tom Cruise (as much as he’s a total bastard and I hope he rots in hell) was actually really good casting for Lestat. Lestat is infamously very childish, petty, and emotionally abusive- all things Tom Cruise is alleged to be in real life! He plays it fine.

HOWEVER

The TV show is undeniably better. Not only in reference to the topic at hand (it consistently reaffirms the definitively romantic and sexual nature of Louis and Lestat’s relationship), but also it’s just like, better made? It removes a lot of the more uncomfortably problematic elements of the original novel, namely Louis being a slave owner. It’s incredibly well shot, and significantly better acted than the ‘96 film. And yeah, I think that leaning in super hard to the queerness of the story gives the show (pardon the pun) a distinct flavor and aesthetic that makes it genuinely very enjoyable to watch. And all this is coming from a lesbian who hates the original novel 😂

me @ tvc fans who don’t like the new show: I Know What You Are

#personal #literary stuff #also #there was nowhere I could really fit this in naturally #and I didn’t want this to be crazy long. but #since the show premiered everyone has been talking about how much better at playing Lestat Sam Reid is than Tom Cruise #I actually don’t wanna get super into that #I think they both have interpretations that make sense #and I need you to know it kills me to say that because I genuinely hate Lestat is a character #as I hate most Byronic characters and their trope namesake himself #bastard man #Reid’s portrayal is undeniably a lot more palatable and fun to watch #but ironically I think Tom Cruise is more close to book Lestat in that I genuinely hate both of them in the same very specific way #but no the thing I wanna say is #Jacob Anderson is so much better at playing Louis than Brad Pitt it’s insane #Brad Pitt is so deadpan in his constant moroseness that it reads as completely and utterly bland #he barely feels like a person. just a barely ambulating sack of depression #Who also owns slaves #even in the segments that take place in the modern day Brad Pitt just physically cannot emote as this character #he’s just sad all the time in the blandest shittiest way #you never at any point get why Lestat would want to turn this dude into a vampire #because he’s nothing but a sad sack #Jacob Anderson by contrast displays so many wonderfully complex shades of emotional angst #in the segments that take place during the modern day he feels like someone who’s nowhere near over his depression #but has reflected on it a lot and come to terms with it to some degree #we get to see him both disgusted with himself for his attraction to other men #as well as slowly open himself up to intimacy #and struggle to navigate this very specific relationship with Lestat #it is a tremendously layered performance on Anderson’s part #absolutely the opposite of Brad Pitt who reacts to almost every new terrible situation with the same blank sadness

97 notes · View notes