The last film to be unveiled in competition at Cannes this year is also one of the most anticipated: Jim Jarmusch‘s “Only Lovers Left Alive.” A last-minute addition to the competition (presumably the print will still be wet, as it were, hence its late screening), it sees the idiosyncratic indie helmer assemble a superb cast including Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska and Anton Yelchin, for a film that promises to be that rarest of things; a fresh take on the vampire movie. We’re still a few days away from the screening, but a host of enticing new photos from the film have arrived, along with an official synopsis and a director’s statement from Jarmusch that lets us know what to expect. And we can’t wait. Check them out below, and keep your eyes peeled for our review of “Only Lovers Left Alive” when it screens on the Croisette next Saturday.
musician, deeply depressed by the direction of human activities, reunites with his
resilient and enigmatic lover.
Their love story has already endured several centuries at least, but their debauched
idyll is soon disrupted by her wild and uncontrollable younger sister.
Can these wise but fragile outsiders continue to survive as the modern world
collapses around them?
unconventional love story between a man
and a woman, Adam and Eve. (My script was
partially inspired by the last book published
by Mark Twain: The Diaries of Adam and Eve
— though no direct reference to the book
is made other than the character’s names.)
These two lovers are archetypal outsiders,
classic bohemians, extremely intelligent and
sophisticated — yet still in full possession of
their animal instincts. They have traveled the
world and experienced many remarkable
things, always inhabiting the shadowed
margins of society. And, like their own love
story, their particular perspective on human
history spans centuries — because they
happen to be vampires.
But this is not your usual vampire story.
Set in the very distinct cities of Detroit and
Tangier, and taking place almost entirely
at night, Adam and Eve must have human
blood to survive. But they now live in the
world of the 21st century where biting the
neck of a stranger would be reckless and
regressive — for survival, they must be certain
the blood that sustains them is pure and free
of disease or contamination. And, almost
like shadows, they have learned long ago to
deftly avoid the attention of any authorities.
For our fi lm, the vampire is a resonant
metaphor — a way to frame the deeper
intentions of the story. This is a love story,
but also the story of two exceptional
outsiders who, given their unusual
circumstances, have a vast overview of
human and natural history, including
stunning achievements and tragic and brutal
failures. Adam and Eve are themselves
metaphors for the present state of human
life — they are fragile and endangered,
susceptible to natural forces, and to the
shortsighted behavior of those in power.
