Director Igor Legarretas Spanish vampire fantasy dramaAll the Moons (Todas las Lunas), opens to the sounds of Spain in the grip of a civil war. The year is 1876, and the Carlist Wars that began in 1833 when King Ferdinand VIIs death ignited a power struggle for succession to the throne, are now drawing to a close.
The creature of the night is symbolic of immortality that dwarfs the life span of humans. Using the carnage of war as a backdrop to the opening of the story, Legarreta positions the vampire as a tragically romantic figure wandering amidst the ruins of human decay. When we contextualize it in this way humanity is the rubble; the vampires are the scurrying rats.
Opening with the bombing of an orphanage that severely injuresa young nameless girl (Haizea Carneros), who is later given the name Amaia, the tragic tone never lifts. A mysterious woman, Madre (Itziar Ituo) emerges out of the night and hears the desperate and fearful plea for help.
Mistaken for an angel, she warns the wounded girl that she must want it from the heart. Accepting Madres offer, a kiss heals her wounds, but shes told from now on she must avoid the sunlight. The woman also explains that just as she has saved her, so shell one day have the choice to do the same for someone.
Things do not go as planned, and their union is cut short when soldiers force them to flee. Separated, Amaia is forced to learn about her new nature and how to fend for herself on her own, but then she finds shelter with Candido (Josean Bengoetxea), a man who lives in the shadow of his own tragedy.
Tomas AlfredsonsLet the Right One In(Lt den rtte komma, 2008) remains the last greatvampirefilm. For the first time since then, a worthy challenger emerges to end the drought. Its prudent to exercise caution because whileAll the Moonslooks likely to become a festival darling, having been awarded best director and cinematography at the 25thedition of the Fantasia Film Festival, it could still fly below the radar.
A muted response would complement its muted narrative nature. It successfully explores the mythology and nature of the vampire, touching upon philosophical ideas that define its individuality within the sub-genre. If it fails to make the same mark that Alfredsons film did in 2008, itll be a grave pity, but it suggests that we should direct our gaze to Europe for the eventual successor.
Legarreta demonstrates command of his craft not only as a technician but as a storyteller. He exercises a precise control of intent thats never compromised by runaway themes and ideas. He and his co-writer Jon Sagal could be accused of missing opportunities to explore the themes more thoroughly, but the pair understand its necessary to make choices.
They constrict the focus of the narrative, implying themes and ideas are present. Otherness and the prejudice of fear are not literally addressed; instead, expect that the audiences awareness and knowledge of genre and stories can turn these spectres of ideas into something tangible.
Remainingminimalist in its narrative structure, its driven forward by the emotions of the characters resonating with the audience. Its a letter from the heart of the storytellers about the tragedy of their characters, who somehow manage to find heartfelt meaning in their sad life experiences.
The simple premise of saving a life is delicately realised, and is not taken literally. Rather, the storytellers are attentive to the idea that the metaphorical death, and what the people we meet bring to our lives, is a transformational experience.Its a core idea that could have been the concept for a short film, butAll the Moons works as a feature-length story.
The moments have time to breathe, and one sequence where Amaia seeks sanctuary in the wilderness is a silent short film within the feature. Divided into chapters, it has a transitory pace, slicing through time to pick out the moments that come to define her life story. All the Moons is not meditative. It takes an observational approach to emphasise the need to simply be with the character, asking us to feel first, think later.
Teasing whether shell give in to her vampiric nature, were asked to consider the vampires true nature. Traditionally its the werewolf that represents duality.All the Moonschallenges this, continuing on fromChristopher Walkenscivilised vampire, who controls his predatory urges inAbel FerrarasThe Addiction(1995).
Legarreta introduces the idea of dominant and submissive personalities, considering how the human side could be submissive to the dominant vampiric nature, or if theres a tussle between the two for dominance. If were vulnerable to unstable emotional responses, and as C.G Jung wrote about contradictory first and second personalities, then the vampire is a more complex being than one transformed, their humanity lost forever.
Amaia cannot detach herself from her humanity, maybe as a result of her separation from Madre, and making a home with Candido. He keeps the flame of her human self burning, and Amaias twist of fate forces us to consider how both the mind and the body must transform.
The vampire is representative of our desire to escape death.All the Moonsbeautifully captures the tragic figure of the vampire as a cursed creature. Amaia is scared of dying, but she comes to understand that you cannot be alive if you are able to see all the moons.
Were anxious about death, as we should be, but without an end, life loses its meaning. Vampire films are a statement that our fear is a blessing, not a curse. These stories penetrate the infantile fantasy of immortality.All the Moonsis a tender story about wanting to be loved and understood, to be allowed to live and to die. Who of us cannot identify with these simplest of desires?
Visit link:
Fantasia 2021: Fear Is a Blessing in Spanish Vampire Fantasy 'All the Moons' - PopMatters
- At Least Three Women Were Infected With H.I.V. After 'Vampire Facials' - The New York Times - May 1st, 2024
- Vampire Facials Presumptively Linked to HIV Transmission - The Cut - May 1st, 2024
- Brad Pitt's 30-Year-Old Vampire Movie Was Originally A Female Story (You Won't Believe Who Almost Starred In It) - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- 'Abigail' Surpasses Universal's Last Two Vampire Films at the Box Office - Collider - May 1st, 2024
- NY Premiere of Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" Season 2 - Clinton Herald - May 1st, 2024
- 'Vampire facials' at unlicensed spa likely resulted in HIV infections: CDC - Fox News - May 1st, 2024
- CDC reports first cases of HIV transmission through cosmetic injection in women who received vampire facials - The Independent - May 1st, 2024
- Reginald The Vampire Season 2: Jacob Batalon Teases The Aftermath Of The Angel's Arrival In New Episodes - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- May 2024 TV preview: Hacks, Interview With The Vampire, Bridgerton, and 18 other shows to watch - The A.V. Club - May 1st, 2024
- Release schedule for all 8 episodes of Interview With The Vampire season 2 - Winter is Coming - May 1st, 2024
- Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us - UNCUT - May 1st, 2024
- CDC: 3 women infected with HIV through vampire facials - FOX 26 Houston - May 1st, 2024
- Abigail review: Horror comedy heist thriller is one of best vampire films in years - UNILAD - May 1st, 2024
- 'Vampire Facial' Linked To 3 HIV Cases | WOC 1420 - iHeart - May 1st, 2024
- At Least 3 Women Contracted HIV After Getting "Vampire Facial" At Spa, US Health Body Finds - NDTV - May 1st, 2024
- What Is Vampire Facial, Procedure That Led To 3 US Women Contracting HIV - NDTV - May 1st, 2024
- 5 Cases of HIV Traced to Dirty 'Vampire Facials' in New Mexico - ScienceAlert - May 1st, 2024
- Vampire facials and the risk of HIV here's how to protect yourself - The Telegraph - May 1st, 2024
- "Vampire Facials" -And We Aint Talkin Taylor Lautner- Are Giving Spa-Goers Just A Dash of HIV According To The CDC - Barstool Sports - May 1st, 2024
- Women get HIV after getting 'vampire facial' done: All about it - The Times of India - May 1st, 2024
- What is vampire facial? 5 points on viral beauty trend that left 3 women infected with HIV - Hindustan Times - May 1st, 2024
- Every time I see him, he goes, 'Am I still a Vampire?': Alice Cooper on initiating Paul McCartney into Hollywood ... - Louder - May 1st, 2024
- Idea Was Better Than The Execution: Tom Cruise's $223M Vampire Movie Key Scene Candidly Reflected On By VFX ... - Screen Rant - May 1st, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Mini-Teaser Spotlights Santiago - Bleeding Cool News - May 1st, 2024
- Everything Featured in the IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase: Vampire Survivors, Jackbox Naughty Pack, Palworld - mxdwn.com - May 1st, 2024
- How 'vampire facials' infected three women with HIV - BBC - May 1st, 2024
- May's TV Releases, From 'Bridgerton' to 'Interview with the Vampire' - Collider - May 1st, 2024
- 'Vampire facials' were linked to cases of HIV. Here's what to know about the beauty treatment - MSN - May 1st, 2024
- 'Vampire facials' linked to HIV cases, CDC warning - AOL - May 1st, 2024
- 'Vampire facials' likely infected 3 women with HIV. Here's what health experts want you to know about these beauty ... - Yahoo Life - May 1st, 2024
- Who Does Matt End Up With in The Vampire Diaries? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- Oregon Man Staked His Mother's Throat Believing She Was a Vampire [Horror IRL] - Dread Central - April 21st, 2024
- V Rising 1.0 will let you sip the blood of history's greatest vampire - PCGamesN - April 21st, 2024
- Mourning the Muse You've Never Met | Mary Boone by Vampire Weekend - Impact 89FM - April 21st, 2024
- Abigail Directors Reveal the Method to Their Vampire Madness - Syfy - April 21st, 2024
- 'Abigail' takes audiences on bloody vampire heist The Daily Texan - The Daily Texan - April 21st, 2024
- New Teaser For Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire Reveals 'Laws Of The Vampire' - Age Of The Nerd - April 21st, 2024
- Abigail Review: The ballerina vampire film is on pointe, and its a blast - Fort Worth Report - April 21st, 2024
- Music Monday: Vampire Weekend's Fifth Studio Album, Only God Above Us Proves That The Band Was Not Just A ... - Cardinal & Cream - April 21st, 2024
- Abigail Filmmakers Radio Silence on Their Genre-Hopping Vampire Thriller and Honoring Angus Clouds Final Performance - Variety - April 21st, 2024
- Abigail Review: Dan Stevens and Melissa Barrera in an Exuberantly Over-the-Top Vampire Horror-Comedy - Hollywood Reporter - April 21st, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2 Trailer Learn the Laws of the Undead - Collider - April 21st, 2024
- New Interview with the Vampire Teaser Shares the Laws of the Vampire - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- 'Abigail' Review: This Ballerina Vampire Has the Perfect Bite - The Mary Sue - April 21st, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 to Include 'Cool Twist' Not Seen in Original Books - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 21st, 2024
- Review: New York City is Vampire Weekend's muse on 'Only God Was Above Us' - America: The Jesuit Review - April 21st, 2024
- Ikki Unite, the Feudal Japanese Vampire Survivors-like, Arrives on Switch and Steam - Co-Optimus.com - April 21st, 2024
- 'Abigail' review: A vampire bloodbath with pools of sticky stuff - Detroit News - April 21st, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #5 Demands a Heavy Price to Bring Down the Vampire's Reign - Marvel - April 21st, 2024
- Vanpires Are Back: 17 Vampire Books to Read - The Everygirl - April 21st, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire season 2 will be bigger, and include a huge twist that's not in the books - Gamesradar - April 21st, 2024
- A vampire ballerina and hired hitman hit the screens this weekend - WDIV ClickOnDetroit - April 21st, 2024
- Abigail's Directors Tell Us Why They Included The Vampire Ballerina Twist In The Movie's Marketing, But I Still Wish It ... - CinemaBlend - April 21st, 2024
- 'I get bored easily': Jacob Anderson reveals 'worries' about Interview with the Vampire season two - El Paso Inc. - April 21st, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Teaser Trailer Unveils the Laws of Being a Vampire - ComingSoon.net - April 21st, 2024
- 'I get bored easily': Jacob Anderson reveals 'worries' about Interview with the Vampire season two - Yahoo New Zealand News - April 21st, 2024
- Amazingly Accurate Real-Life BG3 Astarion Shows The Vampire Ready For Combat - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire Star Teases Teases Major Season 2 Twist - ComicBook.com - April 21st, 2024
- 32 astonishing ancient burials, from 'vampire' decapitations to riches for the afterlife - Livescience.com - April 21st, 2024
- Zendaya Becomes A Kick-Ass Buffy The Vampire Slayer In Photo-Realistic Art - Screen Rant - April 21st, 2024
- Nosferatu: First Footage Shows Off Bill Skarsgard as the Vampire - TheWrap - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend and Amber Coffman Cover Grateful Dead's Peggy-O - Pitchfork - April 12th, 2024
- Watch: Goose Welcome Vampire Weekend for Half-Hour Jam on Night Four at The Capitol Theatre - jambands.com - April 12th, 2024
- Woman found dead in Italian church was dressed like vampire and looking for ghosts - Express - April 12th, 2024
- Goose Welcome Vampire Weekend for Half-Hour Jam on Night Four at The Capitol Theatre (A Gallery + Recap) - Relix - April 12th, 2024
- A Guide to Vampire Weekend's Most Jewish Songs and Lyrics - Alma - April 12th, 2024
- Review: Vampire Weekend's 'Only God Was Above Us' sinks its teeth into nihilistic perspectives - Washington Square News - April 12th, 2024
- Watch Vampire Weekend Join Goose for a 31-Minute Redition of "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" | Exclaim! - Exclaim! - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's Only God Was Above Us: Review - Consequence - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Covers The Grateful Dead's 'Peggy-O' On SiriusXM - Digg - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Covered Grateful Dead With Amber Coffman On SiriusXMU: Watch - Stereogum - April 12th, 2024
- Savannah Basley Co-Stars in SyFy's REGINALD THE VAMPIRE Season Two - BroadwayWorld - April 12th, 2024
- Review | Vampire Weekend's 'Only God Was Above Us' is sure to get stuck in your head - UI The Daily Iowan - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Survivors Contra Crossover DLC Will Come to PlayStation Later in the Summer - Push Square - April 12th, 2024
- OGWAU Is Vampire Weekend Keeping Things Fresh - HeadStuff.org - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Survivors is Crossing Over With Contra - GameRant - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Survivors Headed to PS5 and PS4 This Summer - News - VGChartz - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Survivors teams up with Contra for new DLC and fangs its way onto PlayStation consoles this summer - VG247 - April 12th, 2024
- The face of a 500-year-old vampire with a brick between her teeth - Metro.co.uk - March 24th, 2024
- Scientists recreate face of 16th-century vampire buried with brick inside mouth - WION - March 24th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero