Interview WIth A Vampire

 Book v.s. Movie

Sexual Undertones

After comparing Interview with a vampire film and book version i have come to find a few differences and make assumptions as to why changes were made to the film. From the beginning of the movie on though out there are some big changes to the story line. Louis is a plantation owner in both, however in the book his brother dies and in the movie his wife dies. I believe this is possibly to dispel the homosexual undertones in Louis and Lestat's relationship. Having Louis's wife die whom he loves unconditionally very much tells the viewer, "LOUIS IS STRAIGHT." This makes the movie more mainstream. It also doesn't help that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise were cast as Louie and Lestat in order to attract female fans. 

Another change that movie writers made was making Claudia older in the movie than the book. In the book she is 5-6 and in the movie she is 12. She bonds with Louie, however as her mind grows older her body stays permanently in the form of a child. There are definitely sexual undertones in her relationship with Louie and her hatred towards her never aging body. He can also never reach emotional maturity. The writers of the movie made her older most likely to take out pedophiliac and incestuous undertones. 

Ann rice was extremely interested in sex, especially non-traditional sex.  She brings sexual undertones into Interview With a Vampire. I think the writers of the movies tried to take out as many sexual undertones that were not strictly, HETEROSEXUAL, in order to attract a larger viewing audience. 

Other Differences Between Book and Movie

1. Louis bites the interviewer in the book, and in the movie he throttles him.
2. The interview sets off to find Lestat in the book at the end, and in the movie Lestat is already waiting for him in his car and bites him. 
3. Louis and Claudia never encounter then mindless group of vampires on their way to pairs in the movie like they do in the book. 
4. Drinking dead man's blood has no effect in the book, but can kill vampires in the movie.
5. Lestat never comes to paris in the movie, like he does in the book.