STORYLINE:
In the midst of a long-running war between Vampires and Lycans, a Vampire warrior-maiden found herself strangely attracted to a human. When she perceived that he was the object of special interest to the Lycans, she sets out to discover “why.” Her task was made more difficult by treason, office politics, unwanted amorous advances by the titular clan leader, battle duties, and a complex of strange love and “sleeper” cells.
THE BIG CAPSULE:
The movie opened with a gothic animation depicting the interior of a tower or steeple. The time of day appeared to be late afternoon or evening. It was raining. Accompanying the opening was a narrative sketch of history to bring the viewer up to speed. The voice belonged to Selene. Parenthetically, a printed rendering of her comments also appeared. As she recounted matters, the camera tilted and panned, seemingly disturbing a gaggle of pigeons. Through an arch the camera focused on a figure perched on the edge of a railing of a tower balcony. Her coat was rippling in the wind like a cape, seemingly outstretched to greet the slowly zooming-in camera “visitor.” The crouched figure was dressed in black, including tight pants, top, and vest. All appeared to be a polyurethane material. She was young, pretty and brooding.
Her narrative had spoken of a long-running war between Vampires and Lycans (werewolves). She spoke of a telling clash at which time Lucian, the most cunning and feared of the Lycan clan, was finally killed. In that night of fire and retribution, the Lycan hordes scattered across the lands in fear and dread. But the blood feud between Vampire and Lycan had not died with Lucian, but it continued over the next six hundred years under the direction of the great Vampire Elder, Viktor, who now partook of a well-deserved sleep, while his house was ruled by his appointed Lord pro tempore, Kraven. The narrator advised that, although the Lycans were fewer in number than before, the war against them had become more perilous. The older Lycans were no longer ruled by the moon, as they had developed the power to “change” at will. The weapons of war had become more lethal. The old command for the Vampire “Death Dealers” to hunt down the Lycans one-by-one and kill them still obtained. The narrator expressed relief that at least that had not changed. She was a “Death Dealer.” She said that she lived for it.
About this time, the animation and contrived set designs give way to reality, so to speak. Selene was not alone. Across the way a few tower balconies was Rigel. He also was a “Death Dealer.” He had been using binoculars to scan the people walking on a sidewalk leading toward a subway station entrance. He spied a couple of known, or likely, werewolves. Naturally, they were cunningly disguised as humans. Rigel glanced knowingly to Selene, who returned it. Meeting of the minds! Before you can say “bats in the belfry” the two have leaped down some seven stories to the ground and begun to walk toward the suspected Lycans. In the background the musical baseline with emphasis on drums quickened the heart.
These events led to a fire-fight in a subway between about equal numbers of Vampires and Lycans. Humans were ducking down and going fetal. After the fight, the only Lycan survivor was a prominent member named Raze. He had been on a mission, been wounded in the firefight by Selene, and was subsequently forced to report to Lucian that he had failed to capture (or drain) Michael Corvin, who was the object of their mission. “Must I do everything myself?” whined the Great Werewolf leader. Raze was frustrated that he had failed.
At this time Lycan scientist, Singe, appeared from behind his table of test tubes. Behind him were a couple of men hanging by their arms. One common element of the hanging men was the last name Corvin, or a phonetic equivalent. Singe was asked how the latest specimen had turned out by Lucian.
Employing his best Hungarian accent, he suggested that they test him. Plunging a hypodermic syringe into one human’s neck, Singe drew a few CC of blood. He discharged it into a flask, which contained colorless fluid, stirred it, gazed disapprovingly at it, and announced emphatically: “Negative!” “I really must see this Michael Corvin,” Singe declared.
Meanwhile, Selene had been thinking about her mission. First of all, she had seen Michael Corvin in the subway. Their eyes had met for a moment, as he was going to his subway car. She was scanning for Lycans, but, just for a second, the warrior Selene had felt warmth and had succumbed to "Need-Hug-Now" Syndrome. Then, all hell broke loose in the subway as Lycans realized “Bloods” were near and opened fire on them. Selene and Rigel returned fire, and soon Rigel lay slain. Selene watched him briefly, probably wondering what kind of rounds was being used by the werewolves. Later, she would shoot down a Lycan and confiscate his firearm’s clip of unspent rounds. She took these back to Viktor’s estate, as proof that Lycans were a re-emerging menace. However, before leaving the subway complex, she stumbled upon an apparent Lycan lair, where many unruly voices could be heard.
Selene hastened back to Viktor’s estate and marched straight for a powwow with Kraven and Kahn, who was a leader of the “Death Dealers.” She announced: "We have a problem." She presented her evidence in the form of bullets that carried ultraviolet radiation, or “liquid sunshine.”
Neither Kraven nor Kahn could believe that “mangy animals” could possess such technology. Selene said: "I don’t care where they got them. I heard dozens – maybe hundreds – of Lycans down there" (subway tunnel complex). "We should gather all the ‘Death Dealers' and go back in force."
Kraven cautioned her: Amelia will arrive in two days for the awakening (of Marcus, a sleeping Elder). The house was already anxious about this. Let’s not stir up any additional trouble so close to The Awakening Ceremony, he advised. Further, they were expecting her Envoy to arrive at any moment to prepare her side of things.
Parenthetically, Kraven has a fixed notion that Selene would be his “partner” in a future New Vampire World Order. She despised him as a “bureaucrat.” She never tried to make herself appear more attractive. Still, you can’t keep a pretty women’s prettiness hidden entirely. Kraven had seen enough to be “infatuated.” He was also jealous – even of the human Michael, when he learned of him.
Selene went to a private area to study a videotape that had captured the Lycans heading for the subway. She noticed that they were following someone. She was able to single out the man she thought they were pursuing, able to improve his image, and then able to recognize him as the man with whom she had briefly shared a “moment of interest.”
“It’s you,” she declared.
As she worked on the computer, an attractive Vampire named Erika entered the room. She had frequently acted as a messenger for Kraven. Indeed, she clearly wanted to be “number one” in his eyes. Still, she didn’t mind playing around, even with an attractive human, if no one were the wiser.
She advised Selene that Kraven wanted her to get dressed for the party, which was being held for Amelia’s Envoy. Erika held up a rather revealing black dress before Selene and announced, “You’ll look perfect in this.”
However, Selene had no time for such nonsense. She wanted to know why the Lycans were following the man she had revealed on her computer.
There was a brief scene displaying the gathered Vampires of the two great covens. Neither Erika nor subsequently Kraven could convince Selene to attend. Selene, in fact, split the compound in a car. On her computer monitor was the identity of the man (Michael Corvin) and his address at Laktos Josef Ut, number 510.
Selene was not alone on the road to Michael Corvin's. Also heading in that direction was Lucian. Further, two Lycans disguised as cops had gone to the hospital where he was an intern, trying to locate him. Another intern, Dr. Adam Lockwood, advised the “cops” to try his home, as he had a few hours off duty. They then proceed to his home, along with the others. Further, there seemed good reason to suppose that Lucian had brought along some “muscle” besides himself.
Selene got there first. She went through some of his papers, trying to understand what there might be about him that would be worth Lycan interest. Michael showed up. He remembered her from the subway. Before they could discuss much, the room showed signs of hostile forces at the ceiling. As Selene drew her gun and fired at the suspicious spots overhead, Michael made a run for the elevator. He made it inside. Selene caught up just as the door shuts. Darn! She’s thinking.
Meanwhile, racing along either wall and along the ceiling were werewolves. Oddly, they looked like overgrown bats scurrying forth. Selene shot at them. They were coming so fast that she decided to create an exit by shooting a circle around her body. As the medallion of floor gave way under the pressure of her weight, she executed a neat “just in time” escape. Immediately, she pursued the where-abouts of Michael Corvin.
The door of Michael’s elevator opened and he saw Lucian. “Hello, Michael,” intoned the Lycan leader. At about this moment Selene came around the corner, saw Lucian at the open elevator door, drew her gun and fired, hitting Lucian several times with high-Ag-content bullets. Her arrival and the bullets caused Lucian to spin momentarily in her direction, revealing the unique necklace with medallion hanging prominently about his neck.
Then, he spun back and lunged toward the shaken Michael Corvin, biting his left shoulder at the base of his neck. Selene showed up, saw the situation, and pulled Michael free by one of his legs. They hastened for her car.
Meanwhile, the movie viewer was treated to a ghastly-looking Lucian, whose eyes had a bluish-white appearance and whose mouth was gooey with blood. There was a sense of victory about him. He pulled out a small vial and he redeposited a gout of blood into it. Although the viewers were supposed to believe that it’s a pure sample of Michael’s blood, it’s bound to be contaminated with his own DNA. Oh, well! Let Singe figure it out!
In passing let me hasten to observe that it was more than a little inconsistent that an experienced “Death Dealer” such as Selene would not have guessed that the individual she had shot at the elevator door and whom she had found on top of Michael, pressing his head at the neck-shoulder area was not a Lycan biting on Michael. Further, given the bloody mess of Lucian’s mouth, how could there not be bloody evidence visible on Michael? Selene didn’t have a clue! What gives?
Hardly had Selene and Michael Corvin gotten into the car and headed out, when Lucian appeared, gave chase on foot, and overtook the car. He leaped on the roof.
Using a sword-like device, he managed to wound Selene. Now, both Selene and Michael have shoulder-area wounds. As she was at the wheel driving, she passed out, and Michael was able to steer the vehicle into an adjacent body of water, which appeared to be about twenty feet deep.
Quick-thinking Dr. Corvin grabbed Selene’s gun and shot out the front window, allowing them to escape to shore. The “doctor was in” and Selene was revived.
She took him to the Viktor's estate.
Important elements of the story have by now been introduced. Selene had become very wary about the situation, which seemed to be a heightened danger to Vampire hegemony. From her narrative at the outset, we knew that Selene and the other Vampires believed that it was their right by birth, even though she and others weren’t born Vampires but were made Vampires.
The story picked up tempo, as the war grew more desperate and as palace intrigue entered the picture.
Selene’s actions in staying out all night with a human and then bringing him to the house caused her to be called before Kraven for an explanation and dressing down. While this was going on, Erika, Kraven’s trusty messenger, was getting close and playful with the sleeping Michael Corvin. She noticed something about his neck, as she was entertaining the thought of a “little nibble.” She pulled back his shirt and saw the unmistakable fang-marks of a werewolf. About the same time Michael opened his eyes, having experienced in dreams strange images.
Erika shrieked and leaped to the ceiling from which point she bared her own fangs and hissed. Michael yelled in fright, also, and headed for the window to escape. He did escape, but Erika now knew he was a Lycan – an enemy. It doesn’t take too long for this information to get back to Kraven.
Unknown to Selene and to the other Vampires who were loyal to Viktor, such as Kahn and the other Death Dealers, Kraven was secretly meeting with Lucian to plot the overthrow of the old order and to establish a new one, which would be ruled by Lucian and Kraven over their respective “people.” There would be peace between the Vampires and Lycans in this new order for the world. [Humans would continue mostly as food for both societies. Veggie Vampires and Lycans were just not in the cards.]
Most movie viewers would surely suppose that Lucian would end up as “king-maker” for both groups. He undoubtedly thought so himself. Kraven, however, would prove to be not merely a hollow albeit ambitious political animal; he also had some of the lethal resolution of McBeth that he flashed at the end.
Selene was now emotionally torn between two men: Michael Corvin, the human involuntarily turned into a Lycan, and Viktor, her adoptive father who was “in hibernation” and possibly the only one who could save the Vampire coven. Amelia, an Elder, was arriving the next day to awaken Marcus, another sleeping Vampire, who rested beneath an ornate, manhole-like piece of metalwork only a few yards from Viktor’s. Fearful that the Lycans planned to attack the coven house at the time of the Awakening, Selene decided that she must awaken Viktor immediately.
Studying the ancient text, she had learned the history of the Lycan-Vampire hostilities. She had particularly noted the sketch of Lucian, which had included both his shoulder “brand” [oddly, it appeared as a “V”] and his necklace, which was similar to the one which was worn by the man at the elevator. The head of the sketch had been torn away. Also, the actual skin, bearing the brand, was enclosed in the book.
Selene began to suspect that Lucian wasn’t dead after all. Further, since the legend of the fall of Lucian stated that Kraven had claimed to have killed Lucian and cut the brand off him as proof, she had additional reason to doubt. Kraven was no warrior. Conveniently, he had no witnesses, except, possibly Lucian himself.
Selene learned as much as she could about the Awakening Ceremony from the ancient ritual textbook, and then proceeded to awaken Viktor, while praying earnestly that he’d understand the extraordinary circumstances that impelled her to do it. To accomplish this act she initially fed him from her own blood, which she had unleashed by biting her own wrist. There was a simple drainage system that channeled blood to a small reservoir atop his mouth about 6-8 inches. At the bottom of the reservoir was a drip-hole that allowed blood to drip directly into the open mouth of the mummy-like Viktor.
The viewer saw a rendering of what was happening inside the body of the “oldest and strongest” of the Vampires.
Selene then arranged suitable clothing for the Elder when he starts to move about. He was also connected to a dozen or more hoses that carry blood to various parts of his body – apparently all to the torso. These hoses were attached at the top to a sliding device where the bag or bags of blood were positioned. These bags may have contained cloned blood.
Selene left, having done all she was able to do in the awakening process.
There was a show-down coming. Lucian and the Lycans were plotting to meet the train carrying Amelia and her council and slaughter them. Kraven was a co-conspirator. He had been promised leadership of the combined covens, once all the Elders were killed. Since Amelia was the only one awake now, killing her would make killing the "hibernating" (Lucian’s words), Elders rather easy.
Lucian knew that he could divide and conquer the Vampires easily, as the only ones loyal to the Elders were the “Death Dealers.” If they have no Elders to give them orders, they would not constitute a determined foe.
Further, Kraven had his own body of loyal bodyguards, led by Soren. If there was resistance to the Lycans termination of the old Vampire Order, they and Kraven’s forces could easily subdue them.
However, Lucian’s plans had not included an awakened Viktor. He had no clue that Selene would prove to be an obstacle. He assumed that Kraven could handle his own coven. Wrong!
However, one thing was working in Lucian’s favor. He had bitten Michael Corvin, taken the blood back to Singe, and learned that Michael’s blood tested positive. He carried the dormant gene that would allow the union of the bloodlines of Lycans and Vampires. He also knew that Michael would become a Lycan, due to the bite he himself had given him.
Lucian’s plan was to capture Michael and hold him tied-up as a blood donor. Then, after the ambush of Amelia and her council and their slaughter, Amelia’s “pure blood” would be withdrawn and brought to Lucian. When this occurred, Lucian would be able to withdraw some of Michael’s blood, bearing the catalytic dormant genes, and, along with the pure Vampire blood of Amelia’s, inject them into Lucian himself. When this occurred, his Lycan blood would be “wedded” to the Vampire blood of Amelia’s through the agency of Michael’s dormant “blendo” gene. Lucian would change into a being that was half-Lycan and half-Vampire, but he would become stronger than either.
Good plan? You bet!
Unfortunately, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray. Viktor was awake now and grew stronger by the hour. Selene treated Kraven as if he were an incompetent. She was a warrior and influential with Kahn and the other “Death Dealers.”
Furthermore, she was still attracted to and felt a little beholden to Michael Corvin. She may have accepted the fact that he would become a Lycan. Viktor’s natural daughter, Sonja, fell in love with a Lycan. Wasn’t possible that the same fate might befall Viktor’s adoptive daughter? At any rate the fact that Kraven hated him argued well to Selene that she should try to help and protect Michael.
Although it was usually Kahn’s detail that met high councils to provide them with a protective escort, Kraven advised him that plans had been changed and that Soren would take his men to meet Amelia’s train. This was the pre-arranged procedure with Lucian that would allow the Lycans a free-hand to massacre the council. Amelia’s group did have some security, but it was far out-gunned by the Lycans (who did not spare tooth and claw, either).
Meanwhile, Selene had taken Michael to a Vampire “safe-house” where she planned to hold him during the full-moon period which was upon them. She explained to him that he’d inevitably change into a werewolf and try to feed. Hence, she locked him down with a heavy chain. She gave him a gun with one silver bullet to use on himself, if he began to change. "It won’t kill you but will prevent the change for a couple of hours." Then, locking the door, she left the room.
There was a rendering of the imprisoned Michael trying to escape his tether. Leter, he would begin to show the effect of a full moon.
Selene returned to the Vampire house to confer with Viktor, while fending off the importuning Kraven, who was getting worried. Viktor was getting about better. He looked rather like a pharaoh, who had been unraveled from his death-wrap two weeks after he had been buried. Yet, his color was coming back. He was more commanding. However, when he learned that he had been awakened a full century too soon – even before Marcus, he was stunned. This was a serious breach of protocol. The Elders were supposed to “leap-frog” through time. One was awake; two remained asleep.
Selene left the compound again to return to Michael. She wasn’t the only one. Lucian had sent two Lycans disguised as cops to patrol the area looking for Michael. Furthermore, Singe and several others, heavily armed, were also headed toward the “safe-house.” Selene was not quite sure why the Lycans were after Michael, but the fact that they were clearly seeking him was enough for her to try to frustrate that effort.
As the movie viewer has by now come to expect, there was a shoot-out between Selene and the Lycans. She freed Michael just as the Lycan “posse” was at the door. She ordered Michael to jump out the window. It’s several stories from the ground, but the gunfire from the Lycans convinced him to jump. His Lycan component must have “kicked in” because he landed on his feet in fine shape. However, the Lycan cops immediately drove up and, after a brief tussle, stuck him in the back seat of their cop car. They then started driving for the Lycan stronghold, where Lucian awaited his blood. [The fact that Michael was a “bro” now didn’t seem to carry much weight.]
By now Viktor had learned that Amelia and her council had been massacred and that Selene had taken up with a Lycan. Viktor realized that it was time to assert himself. Physically, he’s almost back to “normal.”
Meanwhile, Selene gunned down the entire Lycan “posse.” She found Singe still alive and took him hostage to provide evidence of what the Lycans were planning.
When she got back to the Vampire house, she found Viktor conferring with Kraven, who had complained that Selene suspected him of being involved in some “crazy” conspiracy. At that moment the voice of Selene was heard behind Kraven stating: “Here’s the proof!” With that she slung the wounded Singe sliding up to the area where the two leaders were conferring. With the help of her gun and a strong grip on one of his wounds, she persuaded him to talk.
Viktor and Kraven listened carefully. Kraven looked a bit anxious.
Singe then related the Lycan understanding of the Alexander Corvinus legend. He subtly tied it into the massacre of Amelia and the council. He suggested that Lucian would soon be “half-Vampire and Half-Lycan – but stronger than both.” Disgusted with such heretical taunts, Viktor killed Singe by slashing deeply into his face. Blood poured out and raced across the floor.
Before he died, Singe had challenged the notion that Lucian was dead. Only Kraven had made claim to witnessing that death. He had brought back Lucian’s branded skin as a trophy, as well as a witness. No one suspected that this was the beginning of a conspiracy fully participated in by Lucian and Kraven.
Glancing in the direction where Kraven had last been, Viktor saw nothing. The traitor had split. Turning to Selene, whom he had previously told that her transgressions meant that her life must be weighed by the council, Viktor told her: “You will have absolution – as soon as you kill Michael Corvin.”
Viktor gathered his “Death Dealers” and headed for the Lycan stronghold.
Meanwhile, Kraven had rounded up Soren and his other bodyguards and had already arrived at Lucian’s lair, demanding a powwow.
Michael had been deposited there earlier by the “cops” and now hung from ropes attached to his arms. As soon as Raze returned with a hypodermic needle and syringe filled with Amelia’s “Pure Blood,” Lucian would introduce it and Michael’s blood into his own body, so that he would be transformed into “half-Vampire-half-Lycan.” Then he would be able to defeat Viktor once and for all.
The process had gone so far that Michael’s blood had already been injected, when he was informed of Kraven’s arrival. Lucian’s “men” escorted Kraven’s “men” to another spot, so that the two leaders could confer in private. Here, Lucian outlined the basic structure of their compact. Then, as they were informed that Viktor had arrived, Lucian set forth to fight. As he went, he was back-shot by Kraven, who was using deadly liquid silver amalgam. This unexpected event seemed to have thwarted all Lucian’s hope for a final peace (if that is, in fact, what he wanted).
There followed firefights throughout the multi-level stronghold. Selene and Kahn led one group. Viktor led a group. Soren led a group. Pierce and Taylor led a Lycan group. The Immortals were dying like flies.
Lucian had crawled to an out-of-the-way spot, where he seemed ready to die. Raze returned and found him apparently dead. Raze had a small case which opened as he leaned toward Lucian to make both certain he was dead and to say farewell. The syringe with Amelia’s blood rolled from the case. Raze never thought to inject Lucian, which surely would have increased his chances of survival. Anger overcame Raze, and he tore off to wreak revenge.
Well, low-and-behold, Lucian awakened. He didn’t notice the syringe full of blood near a case near his legs, either. He crawled toward a broken wall nearby that separated Lucian from an adjoining room.
Inside that room Selene was trying to free Michael. At about the moment she succeeded, Kraven stumbled upon them, and he shot Michael three or four times. Down went Michael. Selene stooped to care and console him. As she did, Kraven demanded that she come to him and be at his side, as she was meant to be. She spurned his offer and expressed a hope that she lived to see Viktor strangle the life from Kraven.
A bit wounded by her comment, Kraven then told her that it wasn’t Lycans that killed her family the night Viktor “saved” her and turned her into a Vampire; it was Viktor who killed them, feasting upon their blood. Stunned, Selene accused him of lying. “Believe what you like,” he shot back.
Meanwhile, Lucian had crawled near Kraven’s legs. Distracted momentarily from killing Selene and Michael, he looked menacingly triumphant. He’d finish off Lucian, but the wounded Lycan leader could wait a second. He turned back to Selene and Michael. At that moment Lucian sprang his forearm blade forward and stabbed the left leg of Kraven.
Kraven staggered back. He glanced at Lucian, even as Lucian was gazing at Selene, holding the comatose Michael. “Bite Him!” urged Lucian. He watched her do so, even as the words of Singe were sounded in a flash narration: “Half-Vampire, half-Lycan – but stronger than both.” She - a little reluctantly - did bite Michael’s neck. Hardly had her teeth touched his flesh, when blood poured.
Lucian then proclaimed to Kraven: “You can kill me, but my will has been done.” In effect he stated that he had won. Then he died.
Kraven staggered off to meet his own death by werewolf.
Viktor arrived on the scene, just as Selene was getting a little “turned on” by her bite on Michael. Viktor grabbed and tossed her some ten yards, where she bounced off a wall. Then he grabbed Michael and threw him ten yards through a wall, where he came to rest in a pool. Within Michael, Vampire and Lycan were merging into “something else.”
Thereafter, a tussle ensued between Viktor and Michael. Selene watched nervously on the sideline. The fight was fairly even. At one point Viktor broke off to “explain his actions” to Selene. (“You ate my family!”) Then, he directed three Vampires to fire at will on Michael. They were shooting and hitting him fairly often.
Selene had to do something. She put the quietus on the trio of Vampire “torpedoes.” Viktor smacked her aside with a fist, and charged at the charging Michael. They collided, and Viktor was able to get a choke hold on Michael. The “Vamwolf’ was clearly in desperate straits.
Selene noticed Viktor’s sword nearby, got it, and challenged Viktor. He broke away from Michael (a wimp – even as a “Vamwolf”), and confronted Selene. She made a slash at Viktor, while hopping over and across him. As she landed and turned toward Viktor, she saw him also turn toward her.
She held her sword at the ready. She wanted Viktor to notice his own blood streaming down the blade, which he seemed to notice. There was some doubt how much he noticed, as his upper head slid down the diagonal line of her blade-slice, falling to the floor.
Meanwhile, Michael had gotten to his feet and was looking about. One can only speculate what he was thinking. A couple of werewolves show up at the outskirts of this chamber. They seemed to recognize him as a “bro” and possibly as Boss Bro.
Selene, too, was gazing at him. There was a suggestion that she recognized him as numero uno, also.
The camera cut to an image of Marcus’ sleeping spot. There was blood that had flowed from Singe onto and through the lid, dripping through the blood funnel into the mouth of the sleeping Elder. Suddenly, his eyes opened. Then, there came the sudden change from Vampire blue to the black eyes of a “Vamwolf.”
In the epilog that followed the camera cut from the triumphant Michael and Selene, there was a narration by Selene. In it she analyzed the general situation between Vampire and Lycan, her particular situation, and what the future was likely to be for both. Her words died off at the point when Marcus’ eyes changed color.
COMMENTARY:
I rather liked this film. I thought Kate Beckinsale, as Selene, was credible as a “Death Dealer.” Although she’s an attractive woman, in this film her character never used her goodlooks to advance herself. She’d rather go to the firing range and practice than talk Bloomingdale’s or Nordstrom’s with the bevy of Vampire layabouts. She never washed or fussed with her hair, which was remarkable. Her hair was in a Prince Valiant cut, and it always looked dirty. It frequently fell in front of her eyes. Hence, one wondered why she didn’t take a bobbie pin and pin it back – at least during firefights with Lycans.
Contradicting everything that I’ve indicated so far in regard to her grooming, she appeared to have plucked her eyebrows. She also appeared to have eyelid cosmetics which seemed to be applied in a very well-executed manner. Her character was loyal to her coven and loved her work as a “Death Dealer,” but she was driven and haunted by an attack on her human family before Viktor turned her into an “Immortal.”
This brought up the issue of immortality which the Vampires are alleged to possess. Anyone who viewed this film would have seen quite a lot of the Vampires die. Apparently, what they really meant was that, if all went well and they were not gunned down by werewolves using “liquid sunlight” bullets, or Viktor didn’t “choke the life out of you,” or the sun didn’t shine on you, and on and on, then you’ll likely live for many centuries.
Naturally, living for many centuries tended to make for a jaded and corrupt coven. If one took away Viktor’s Palace Guard (the Death Dealers) and removed Kraven’s personal gang of bodyguards, then one would behold some soft, idle, corrupt-looking Vampire folks. The Vampire gals looked pretty good, but their clothes seem to have been inspired by Victoria’s Secret. No! No! They weren’t hanging around in scanty panties. However, if Hugh Hefner were a Vampire, this is what his pad might look like.
By contrast the Lycans came across as veritable barbarians at the door. Their idea of passing time was to shape-change into werewolves and fight “tooth & claw.” Only their leader, Lucian, struck a refined note here and there. For a Lycan he was an absolute gentleman. Nevertheless, no one could lead a bunch of animals unless he could do the “Alpha thing” himself. Further, the Lycans had a strain of scientists or para-scientists, working the bio-engineering racket. It seemed that Lucian, having tasted another side of the Vampire, wanted to find a way to unite the two species. His top man of science, Singe, was a “trip.” He reminded me of the character actor, Jack Elam. He spoke with a Hungarian accent that would have warmed the heart of Bela Lugosi.
Lucian’s main enemy and threat was his “father-in-law, Viktor. Viktor considered “mixing” an abomination. He called the idea "heresy." Lucian believed that it would put an end to the war.
To this date all efforts at blending had failed, as the two lines even fought at the cellular level. The Lycans had learned something in all their experiments, however. The desired element that was crucial to the blending process resided dormant in the direct human descendants of Alexander Corvinus.
All of these elements sprang from an ancient legend. It told a tale thusly: Alexander Corvinus, Hungarian, warlord, and sole survivor of a plague that struck his village early in the fifth century, became the first true immortal, when his body was able to take the viral elements of the plague and reshape them – use them to his advantage. Later, he was known to have at least two sons: one “bit” by a bat, one “bit” by a wolf, and another "doomed to walk the lonely human road of mortality."
Yes, I count three sons myself, but part of the story was told by Singe and completed by Viktor. In the process a third son emerged.
At any rate Singe claimed that Vampires and Lycans shared a common ancestry. This was totally confusing to me. If he was stating that Alexander Corvinus was that ancestor, then surely other Vampires and Lycans excluded him from their ancestral line. Why? Well, who had bitten the two sons, making them into Vampires and werewolves? Surely, they were bitten respectively by a Vampire and a Lycan – perhaps in the guise of a ‘bat” and “wolf.” If this was so, then there must have been pre-Alexander Corvinus Vampires and Lycans. Viktor himself pointed to the “resting spot” of Marcus and said: There is a descendant of Alexander Corvinus resting right there.” He did not say, “I am a descendant of Alexander Corvinus.” Further, Viktor was described as the “oldest and strongest” of the Vampires. Unless the viewer decided to ascribe to this remark a limited-intent that embraced only Viktor’s coven, rather than the entirety of Vampiredom, he was left with the “fact” that Viktor might well be the ancestral father of all Vampires. Perhaps that’s why he looked like a pharaohic mummy at first “awakening.”
This movie legend had a socio-political affirmation to make, which clearly favored the Lycans. One of the writers also starred as a “Lycan of Color.” Further, the myth related a political economy in which Vampires were masters and Lycans were their slaves. Although both sides spoke of “Pure Bloods,” it was clear that Viktor was meant to symbolize any form of racism that employed concepts such as “pure blood.”
The Vampires were invariably given blue eyes, even though many had been humans and were “turned.” Viktor himself was given blond hair and a tall, vertical sort of body. He was described by Kraven as someone who liked to make rules but who didn’t necessarily follow them himself. Viktor talked about “loving” a given person but showed no hesitation in putting them to death. He was rendered as tyrant, racist, hypocrite, and murderer. Well, you’re thinking, who’s perfect, right?
The moviegoer was directed to be sympathetic toward Lucian, Selene, Michael Corvin, and even Raze, but not to Viktor. Amelia, herself a “Pure Blood,” was murdered by werewolves and “drained dry.” Lucian had planned to use her blood in his scheme. He believed that he had a better use for her blood than she did. Was there a deranged genius in Lucian that called to one’s mind other film scientists-visionaries such as Dr. Frankenstein?
Had the Lycans been better medical scientists, they might have removed the bone marrow from the Vampires, rather than the blood. Why? If Vampires did not produce their own blood supply, then there could be no “pure blood,” as the blood which they drank from humans and beasts could not be so characterized. Further, according to Selene, the blood of a Lycan carried “memories,” which enabled Michael Corvin to “tune in” the events that occurred on that terrible day when Viktor consigned his daughter, Sonja, to death, while forcing Lucian to watch her die. Michael later told Lucian that he saw it "s if I were there.” Let us just say that we are dealing here with “strange blood.”
Incidentally, the film embraced a notion of two great “covens” of Vampires. This was an interesting word to choose, as compared to “clan” or “house.”
Wherever Amelia’s coven was located, according to her envoy to Viktor’s great house, there was a great ocean separating it from Viktor’s house and coven.
So, just where were these two covens located anyway? Since most of the Vampires in Viktor’s house spoke with English accents, one might guess Greater London, or the like, for one coven. As Amelia seemed to be possibly Italian, I scratched my head. Ocean? Mediterranean Sea? Then, it occurred to me: maybe they’re from Argentina. Later, there were strong indications that, accent or no accent, one of the locations was Hungary. I still don’t know. Selene went into a subway which had a sign saying “Southern Terminus.” There were simulated cops who looked and acted like American cops might. [Check out the uniforms.] You may want to see this film to take a shot at the mystery of the locale. If you do, judge it strictly by the film – not by a book or written script.
Another curiosity was that the Lycan clan didn’t seem to have any females. Did they reproduce strictly by biting humans and “turning them?” Such an argument must confront the First Cause question in regard to origins.
Selene at one point told Michael Corvin that most humans died within an hour of being bitten by an “Immortal,” whether Lycan or Vampire. Both species seemed to have deadly viruses in their mouths, which were transmitted whenever they bit a human. Was this another sign of common ancestry? If so, they shared this trait with the Komodo Dragon monitor.
Hence, if Lycans could “turn” humans into their own kind, they would require some sort of “by-pass” or viral neutralizer.
The Lycans had been “Daylight Guardians” of the Vampires at one time. They had been slaves. Lucian stated that he was “born in servitude.” Were there never any female Lycans? Was Lycan culture something akin to Sparta’s – but a bit more singular? If the movie watcher wished to get to the source of the problem between Vampires and Lycans, he/she should cherchez la femme.
Note: There was a possibility that Lycans turned to female wolves for romantic interest, and such unions were invariably barren or resulted only in more male Lycans. If the former obtained, then the Lycans were limited to their “bite” for pack replacements. In that case the puzzling viewer must again suspect that Lycans also have a means to destroy the deadly viruses in their bite, which they can deploy at will.
It was possible that Lucian had played “peeping Tom,” as two Vampires ardently flapped about their bed. He may have once decided to try this strange behavior that Vampires loved so much. Yet, he was handicapped by an insufficiency of Lycan females. He would try a Vampire woman!
Apparently, the Lycan Lucian was able to seduce the Vampire, Sonja, who happened to be the daughter of Viktor, married her secretly and had a howling good time. Sonja became pregnant. Soon, there would be no way of hiding the fact. Viktor considered the grandchild to be an “abomination” and put both Sonja and the infant in the womb under the deadly burn of sunlight. He forced Lucian to watch her die. The fury of Victor continued in a relentless warfare against the depraved Lycans over the subsequent six hundred years..
This was the origin of the war between the two species.
Another inconsistency that should be noted was that the quick-shooting Selene, always cunning in the use of fire-power at all other times, in a scene in a car during a rescue of Michael Corvin from kidnapping (and worse), suddenly found the angry Lucian clinging on top of her car’s roof. Selene was at the wheel and driving. Lucian, who wore a retractable blade on his right forearm, caused it to spring forward. It’s about the size of a Roman short sword. He then proceeded to jab it through the vehicle roof, aimed at Selene. The first two attempts failed. The third attempt dug deeply into Selene’s right shoulder near the ball joint. The question is: Why didn’t she draw her gun and shoot through the roof, after the first blade thrust? She could hardly have missed Lucian and certainly had the time to do it. She proved that by subsequently drawing very quickly on Michael Corvin, after she was wounded. What was going on here? The plot required her to be wounded – so she was.
The character Michael Corvin, as played by Speedman, was very bland and soft. True, on a couple of occasions he used a “bad word,” but, overall, he was kindly, conscientious, and dull. He was without an engaging personality. He struck one as being a passivist and oppressively sensitive.
Even when he physically “changed” at the end and fought Viktor, one witnessed him slapping Viktor, pushing Viktor, and uttering the weakest sorts of “growls.” Still, his best moments of acting were those involving his “shape-changing” transition.
Shane Brolly had been criticized for his rendering of Kraven, and, indeed, one was struck by the inability of Kraven to enforce or follow through with his orders to Selene. She blatantly disdained his orders. Once she appeared to uppercut his nostrils with her fingertips. The criticism of Brolly seemed to be that he was unequal to the task of suggesting the character of Kraven. However, I thought that he was “on-the-button” portraying an ambitious man who lacked the steel for the top leadership position.
He was all form without substance. In life leaders may be frequently dumb, but they can’t be weak. Perhaps the real reason he was drawn so strongly to the idea of Selene ruling at his side was because she was strong. His bluff and her reality could combine to rule successfully. However, Selene despised him for being a bureaucrat and not a warrior, like her foster Dad, Viktor. Kraven’s fecklessness while lecturing, cajoling, and abjuring Selene was comical. Further, the awakened Viktor accused him of letting the coven become weak. Kraven’s character was weak; hence, there was no surprise in the charge. He’s not “into” being a warrior; he’s “into” hierarchical form and pleasure. Perhaps his most deeply emotional moment was when he felt that Selene had “embarrassed” him.
Furthermore, Kraven was a traitor to the trust bestowed on him by Viktor. He was plotting with Lucian, who may be his cousin, to oust the Elders. Kraven would then become the sole head of the two covens. He would sign a peace treaty with the Lycans. Then, the Vampire world would be freed to “party it up!” That was exactly the sort of character that Brolly successfully presented.
One character who marvelously reacted to Kraven’s orders, as if he were the most important, powerful person around was Erika. She’s a fine counterpoint to Selene. Erika was a sycophant and social-climber.
What was the most telling line in this movie for contemporary viewers? It is the line Selene used in a conversation with Michael Corvin, as they became closer and shared some details of their lives. It went thusly: “Digging into the past is forbidden.”
Why was that important? Consider the George Orwellian formula: Those who control the present control the past; those who control the past control the future.
PRODUCTION KEYS:
Len Wiseman – Director
Kevin Grevioux/Danny McBride/Len Wiseman - Writers
Tony Pierce-Roberts – Photography
Martin Hunter – Editor
Paul Haslinger – Original Music
Wendy Partridge – Costume Design
Vasilios Tanis – Makeup artist for Kate Beckinsale
CAST:
Kate Beckinsale – Selene
Scott Speedman – Michael Corvin
Michael Sheen – Lucian
Shane Brolly – Kraven
Bill Nighy – Viktor
Erwin Leder – Singe
Sophie Myles – Erika
Robbie Gee – Kahn
Wentworth Miller – Dr. Adam Lockwood
Kevin Grevioux – Raze
Zita Gorog – Amelia
Scott McElroy – Soren
Sandor Bolla – Rigel
Jazmin Dammak – Sonja
Mike Mukatis – Taylor
Rich Cetrone - Pierce
