Since John Polidori set the imagination on fire with The Curse Of Dracula, there have been many people who wanted to annihilate the Prince Of Darkness and his bloodsucking clan; vampires scared us, amused us, and even seduced us with their deadly charm and alluring power. And, before you say that you have seen it all, wait until you see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
The film explores the secret life of Abraham Lincoln (an excellent performance by stage actor Benjamin Walker) and the untold story that shaped the American nation. Bekmambetov brings a fresh voice to the bloodthirsty lore of the vampire, imagining Lincoln as history's greatest hunter of the undead, giving us the portrait of the man and leader we've all studied and the seminal events that defined him, interwoven with the immersive, visceral action of a vampire story.
At the same time, it presents The Great Emancipator as America's first superhero; Lincoln's entire life mirrors the classic comic book superhero mythology. It's a duality: during the day he's the President of the United States; at night, a vampire hunter.
When watching a film by Bekmambetov, it's like unwrapping a grand present: you know exactly what's hidden behind the spectacular wrapping, but as you open the present you discover that it's a box within a box, within a box, revealing an extraordinary surprise that changes your views on film and the immense visceral impact of the film medium.
Bekmambetov's first feature, Escape From Afghanistan, was a violent and realistic look at the war between Russia and Afghanistan; Night Watch, and its sequel Day Watch, was a Russian fantasy film filled with deadly vampires; and his Hollywood directorial debut Wanted revealed a secret society of assassins, was based on Mark Millar's comic-book miniseries.
3D is an incredible medium for a filmmaker like Bekmambetov, who uses it at its most effective, so make sure to see the 3D version. In fact, the detail of each scene is so crisp that you can actually see specks of dust clouding the air.
Bekmambetov's unique stylistic approach allows ordinary worlds and events to explode, and characters implode; as a director he fully explores the emotional depth of the colourful characters and as a filmmaker he uses the medium to its utmost extreme. He allows his audience to feel the action and experience the emotions, propelling us into a fast-paced and fantastic adventure filled with twists and turns around each bend. He also has the unique ability to mine the sub-textual landscape of the story, exploring mythological and political themes that are socially relevant without overloading the content.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is exciting escapism that you do not want to end; each moment is an absolute delight that offers first-rate entertainment that offers everything you can ask for and more.
It's not just a film about vampires, but also tells the touching story of lifelong friendships, the bond between families that unites and divides, and undying romance - make sure not to know too much of the story as it will definitely spoil the enjoyment.
The action scenes are awesome and totally overwhelm the senses. Bekmambetov uses slow motion with great effect, allowing the meticulous detail and well-choreographed action of each scene to flourish. Besides its spectacular visual and special effects, cinematography and production design, the humanity of the story and its romance are perfectly contrasted with the monstrous bloodsuckers, whose lust for blood equals the humans' quest for peace and equality.
It is interesting how the film uses the vampire legend to highlight the appalling nature and consequences of slavery, and shows how it reflects humankind's call for domination. As the film states: "History only remembers the legend, not the man, the battle, not the blood," that real power does not come from hate, but from truth, and that "we are all slaves to someone else's convictions".Fact and fiction bleed seamlessly into perfect harmony, submerging logic into a world of fantasy, magnificently turning the impossible into plausible reality.
If you are looking for entertainment with bite, that is amusing and thrilling, and leaves you with plenty of food for thought, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an experience you dare not miss.
For screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith, who flawlessly adapted his best-selling novel of the same name: "Lincoln's life story is an archetypal superhero origin story. He's as close to an actual superhero as this country's ever seen. Forget about vampires. Lincoln had neither family name nor money. His mother died when he was a youngster. In fact, everybody he loved had died. With no education, and armed with just his mind, he became president and saved the nation."
Grahame-Smith noted that his idea for his book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter came from an observation that he made during a 2009 tour to promote his previous tome, Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, another unexpected connection between disparate cultural entities.
The author/screenwriter recalled: "That year marked the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth and many of the bookstores on my promotional tour had two displays: one featured books about Lincoln's life; the other was a vampire-themed display, including the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse books [upon which the television show True Blood was based]. It led me to think about combining the two subjects." Grahame-Smith's vampires were polar opposites to the romantic figures captured in the pages of the books he saw on display. His creatures of the undead pay proper reverence to the classic tradition of vampires in the movies. "The vampires in our movie aren't romantic or funny and they certainly don't sparkle," he noted. "Our vampires are bloodthirsty and cunning - and most frightening of all, they've become a part of the fabric of everyday life, working as blacksmiths, pharmacists, and bankers."
The vampires' principal foe is one of history's most beloved figures, who many consider our greatest president. The combination of rich period atmosphere, a unique perspective on Lincoln, and the army of the undead he's hunting, makes for a motion picture experience like no other. For the writer who gave birth to it all, the film's release caps a journey that began with his best-selling book. A key element in capturing Lincoln's personality was making sure his humour came through. "He could be the life of the party, and was an exciting and entertaining man," Grahame-Smith summed up. "I think he'd love our movie."
Read more about the making of the film at www.writingstudio.co.za/page4127.html
