Byzantium

Byzantium, a 2012 British-Irish fantasy thriller directed by Neil Jordan, juxtaposes the dark and gritty realities of an ancient, nocturnal order with the heartbreaking struggles of modern life, creating a story that is hauntingly beautiful and melancholic. It's a refreshing and sophisticated take on vampire lore that remains faithful to the genre's roots while resisting the urge to fall into the familiar patterns of contemporary popular vampire narratives.

Byzantium centres on mother and daughter, Clara and Eleanor, masterfully played by Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan respectively. The duo form an intricate relationship that encapsulates the tenderness, turbulence, frustrations and inextricable love that mark the mother-daughter bond. Their journey together is not painted in ordinary shades, but rather they exist as vampires, immortals living a clandestine existence in the underbelly of contemporary society.

Arterton's Clara is a bitter, hardened and sensual woman, desperate and determined to protect her daughter at all costs. She's ruthless, leveraging her allure and supernatural prowess to provide and fight for Eleanor, leash and shield her from the callous world, inadvertently suffocating her. Clara's commitment to their survival often blurs the ethical lines, forming an interesting contrast to her daughter.

Ronan's Eleanor is the reflective, thoughtful, and sensitive counterpoint to her mother's abrasive defenses. She is burdened with the weight of their extensive past, yearning for connection, normalcy and an outlet for her melancholy tale. After centuries of solitude and secrets, she begins to defy her mother, revealing her truth to a young man, Frank, thus trespassing the sacred law of their kind.

The film creatively utilizes the vampire mythology in its narrative. Byzantium is rich with beautiful and stylized cinematic storytelling that avoids the usual vampire cliché, delving rather into a what it means to carry the weight of immortality, the thirst for human blood and the struggle to maintain a shred of humanity within them.

The portrayal of vampires here is markedly different from what mainstream media often shows us. In Byzantium, being a vampire isn't flashy or romantic; it's filled with raw desperation and all the grim realities of survival, adding a substantial depth to the narrative’s overall austerity and grit.

Sam Riley gives a poignant performance as Darvell, whose intricate past is entangled with Clara and Eleanor. The siblings-in-blood dynamic between Clara, Eleanor and Darvell, as well as their complex relationship with the shadowy, patriarchal vampire brotherhood, forms the backbone of the film's conflict.

Set between the gloomy English seaside town and the harsh, barren landscapes of their past, Byzantium creates a visually stunning atmosphere that mirrors the eternal wandering of the characters. Cinematography is a star in this film; Jordan skillfully utilizes lighting, colour and contrast to elicit certain moods and emotions. From the gothic gloominess to the golden splendour of their past, every frame is beautifully haunting, drawing the viewer into the desolation and struggle inherent in the characters' lives.

The film's non-linear narrative structure, interweaving the present with memories of a distant, traumatic past brought to life through Eleanor's narration adds depth to the narrative. Byzantium does not just rely on supernatural elements for the thrill, but rather the suspense is built carefully through this layering of time and memories, leaving the audience to piece together the puzzle right until the end.

Lastly, the film's music, a mix of eerie classical piano pieces played by Eleanor and atmospheric score, intensifies the mood, mirroring the melancholic, often bleak tone of the film.

Byzantium, at its heart, is a movie about survival, about how far one would go to protect the ones they love, about coming to terms with who you are and bearing the weight of an unforgiving past. It's less of a horror film and more of a moody, atmospheric exploration of immortality and feeling out of step with the world. Stunningly shot, masterfully directed, and boasting strong performances from Arterton and Ronan, Byzantium invites us into the dark, brooding world of its nocturnal inhabitants, and leaves us contemplating long after the credits roll.