Byzantium (2012) Discussion

Byzantium:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1531901/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Noticed there hasn't been a single review for this movie since it hit theaters here a few weeks ago.
I didn't bother checking reviews or even looking up the plot when I was getting ready to go; I just knew it had vampire themes, two gorgeous women in trouble, and some sanctuary they stumble upon.
Honestly, I went in expecting a typical Hollywood vampire flick and made my peace with that before buying the tickets.
Clearly, I wasn't the only one with those expectations because during my late Friday afternoon showing, the theater was basically empty—just me, one middle-aged guy, and maybe three teenagers doing the usual pre-movie stuff, whispering and scrolling through their phones. Nothing major. 🙂 Total crowd magnet right there. 🙂
But after actually watching it, I've gotta say we got way more than we bargained for. It’s a pretty unique take on the theme with these nicely woven stories jumping between the past and the present.
And once the credits rolled, those teenagers were nowhere to be found. Apparently, the movie didn't hit the mark for them, so they bailed before the end. 🙂

lp
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Laura Gray5

The film is decent enough, I suppose. Gemma is hypnotically beautiful, which helps.

That said, it still falls among Jordan's weaker efforts. Just look at Breakfast on Pluto for comparison.

Checked IMDb, looks pretty interesting. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the heads-up.

Apparently, nobody gives a damn about Byzantium 🙂

Honestly, it was pretty boring😉

I think I remember someone casually dropping this one in an impressions thread once, and honestly, when I saw Neil Jordan was directing—and I’m a huge fan of his stuff, like *The Crying Game*, *Company of Wolves*, and *Mona Lisa*—it was a total no-brainer for me.

I mean, seriously, Neil Jordan is easily one of the top-tier directors out there, right up there with guys like Steven Frears.
Now that I realize he actually directed *Interview with a Vampire* (which, side note, I still haven't sat down to watch, even though everyone raves about it), I can pretty much safely say he’s one of the absolute best at handling vampire themes.

And this movie just proves it. Everything hits. The whole vibe, the casting (Gemma and Saoirse are basically perfection here), the atmosphere, the cinematography, that killer soundtrack... it’s got this modern yet somehow timeless feel. The visuals? Incredible. Just everything, really...

It’s sitting right up there with Bakjwi (2009)

that music 👍

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The film’s subtext is overtly feminist, which serves as a rather innovative stylistic choice. This secret society of male vampires—which exclusively admits "respectable and honorable gentlemen" on the brink of death—functions as a sharp metaphor for conservatism, patriarchal structures, old money, or more generally, male-dominated cliques where women are systematically excluded. In these spaces, women are treated as interlopers who must either be purged or subjected to constant scrutiny, often forced to prove themselves or act even more aggressively than their male counterparts just to survive. I find myself questioning how much this resonates in our contemporary landscape, an era where we have seen women ascend to high office, lead major corporations, and enjoy unprecedented career agency. Whether one chooses to take the screenwriter at her word is entirely a matter of personal discretion, but her perspective and angle of attack are presented with enough clarity and logical rigor to be understood.

On the whole, Byzantium is a refreshing piece of cinema that attempts to reclaim the vampire genre from its post-Twilight decline. Furthermore, it offers an original context that dismantles the standard American pop-culture trope of the vampire acting as the horror-coded liberal or outsider within a conservative society. The issue arises when considering that Byzantium brings nothing truly groundbreaking to the actual mechanics of vampirism itself; the subject matter might alienate more mature, discerning viewers, while the somber, heavy atmosphere could repel those seeking the typical action-packed or soap-operatic thrills associated with the genre. For me and my generation, Byzantium feels like a revitalizing retro experience, subtly evoking the essence of Lestat, Louis, and the other vampires that defined our youth. Unfortunately, there simply aren't enough of us aging dark enthusiasts left in today's mainstream audience.

read more at:
http://film-na-dan.blogspot.com/2013/10/byzantium.html

I wouldn't look at it through such a broad lens, honestly. Sure, the backstory touches on those old-school conservative and patriarchal dynamics,
but if you ask me, the core of this whole thing is just about a tragic love story that eventually finds its way home.
That secret brotherhood stuff? It’s basically just a metaphor for all the heavy circumstances weighing them down—kind of like extra seasoning for the whole vampire vibe.

To my mind, we're looking at this gorgeous, allegorical dark drama about people questioning who they really are. It’s basically like a vampire version of Blade Runner.

Nothing special, really
reminded me of Wir Sind Die Nacht

It’s a bit pathetic that she’s such a bitch, and even after 200 years
she still couldn't figure things out better😁—maybe if she'd actually finished school or something

Just another mediocre teen horror flick.
The whole thing could have been so much more compelling if they’d actually explored the dynamic between the sickly kid and her—but the movie completely missed the mark there. It left me with this frustratingly vague impression that this girl is desperately trying to keep her curse under wraps, only to basically toss aside everything the film previously established about her morality just to chase some cheap plot point involving a superficial friendship. There was zero substance to it... just selling out for easy money.

And don't even get me started on that whole subplot about her sister's vampire syndicate; it was totally forgettable.

Lawrence Booth2 said:Nothing special, really
reminded me of Wir Sind Die Nacht

It’s a bit pathetic that she’s such a bitch, and even after 200 years
she still couldn't figure things out better😁—maybe if she'd actually finished school or something

Yeah, right. Because clearly, her dream was to get a PhD and land a cushy job at City Hall.

Jacob Cooper5 said:Just another mediocre teen horror flick.
The whole thing could have been so much more compelling if they’d actually explored the dynamic between the sickly kid and her—but the movie completely missed the mark there. It left me with this frustratingly vague impression that this girl is desperately trying to keep her curse under wraps, only to basically toss aside everything the film previously established about her morality just to chase some cheap plot point involving a superficial friendship. There was zero substance to it... just selling out for easy money.

And don't even get me started on that whole subplot about her sister's vampire syndicate; it was totally forgettable.

So, what exactly was a teenage vampire supposed to do according to you?

That whole bit about her sister pushing that vampire organization? Forgettable.

Look, that’s just standard fantasy stuff—it’s an instrument to ramp up the tension.
It fits the vibe of the movie.

Patrick Martin said:Yeah, right. Because clearly, her dream was to get a PhD and land a cushy job at City Hall.

So, what exactly was a teenage vampire supposed to do according to you?

That whole bit about her sister pushing that vampire organization? Forgettable.

Look, that’s just standard fantasy stuff—it’s an instrument to ramp up the tension.
It fits the vibe of the movie.

She was supposed to be this new kind of moral compass—you know, the foundation of her whole ethical code was basically just "I'm not my sister." And then she goes ahead and bites the kid... 😲
The guy was already dealing with an incurable illness, which would have totally justified her entire arc of being the "moral" one compared to her sister, who basically has zero boundaries.

What even is the dynamic between this girl and the boy? They met, he fell for her. She should realistically know that her bite is going to permanently screw over a guy who is already fighting for his life against a terminal disease. So, what’s the solution here? If you can't die a natural death, you just suffer for centuries instead? She knows that. Even though there wasn't some grand, sweeping romance—honestly, their connection was incredibly shaky at best—she still decides to sink her teeth in. It’s just madness... pure, confused madness. What was the motivation? To kill a man who's already facing a death sentence, all in the name of a romance that doesn't even exist in the movie?
The film fails to establish any real bond between these two people. It’s just a bunch of vampire tropes tossed together with just enough plot to call it a movie.

Look, their relationship is just one piece of the puzzle in this movie, but honestly? It’s more than enough to carry its own weight.

Patrick Martin said:Look, their relationship is just one piece of the puzzle in this movie, but honestly? It’s more than enough to carry its own weight.

Which relationships in the movie, though?

mother-daughter, mother-lover/father, mother/daughter-secret societies, daughter-society.

that’s basically the whole spectrum of relationships playing out onscreen.
if you look at the dynamic between the daughter and her boyfriend, I’d say that’s one of the heavy hitters—it’s everywhere in the movie.
it grabs your attention without being totally over the top or obnoxious about it. ☕

NRMan said:Byzantium

Look, you really have to sit there and pay close attention to this one if you actually want to follow the threads. At least, that was my experience. Honestly, there were moments where I was sitting there thinking, "Did the director just lose the plot entirely, or was this chaotic mess actually intentional?" The vibe is spot on, though, I'll give it that. I did find myself wishing they’d leaned harder into more 18th-century period pieces, though.
The acting was decent enough, nothing to write home about, really. It's not exactly going to stay burned into my brain forever, but hey, the concept itself was pretty cool.

Rating: 6/10

Lost the plot? What do you mean by that?

I actually thought that movie was pretty decent—it offered a bit of a different take on things. That said, I’ve had my fill of those overly romanticized vampire tropes lately, which is why I’m diving headfirst into Strain 🙂

spoiler

Exactly. Picking a sex worker with a teenage daughter on her back as their vampire archetype? Total bullseye.
And then there’s this kid... he’s got leukemia.

I totally wrote off this movie before even seeing it just because of the vampire theme, not even checking who directed it. But then I saw NRMan’s review and figured, why not? And honestly?
Patrick Martin is spot on—it’s actually a solid, weird little flick.

I found the film quite enjoyable. 🙂

After reading through everyone's comments, I have reached the conclusion that I will certainly be skipping this one.😁