I know that there is a new movie about teenage vampires, but I have not seen it. In fact, I do not even know the title. I’m bound to see at at some point, and I hope it is good. I like good vampire movies. It is odd that the idea of vampires is so appealing and enduring in modern Western culture. A part of the explanation is probably that it lends itself to so many metaphors. I haven’t really thought this through properly, and I wish I could supply some extra references, but here goes:

In the older movies, the vampire is a natural monster. He is a violation of the natural order, the antagonist of the story, and must be destroyed to restore the balance. Excellent fodder for a thriller.

In more recent movies the vampire becomes the protagonist. Perhaps this is connected to a modernist approach that attempts to redeem the vampire character, or at least to understand him.  For example, vampirism may represent immortal love. The vampire cannot die because his love is eternal, and even though it is forbidden and even abhorred by society, the audience finds some sympathy with his predicament.

Some movies stress immortality aspect and presents vampirism as victory over death. The Christian church is in natural opposition and hence tries to destroy him and his kind. I forget the movie, but wasn’t there one where Jesus Christ turns out to have been a vampire? It is difficult to say how audiences relate to this theme. If the vampire is presented as a monster, then perhaps this kind of movie is a morality tale? Note that this is different from the original vampire-as-monster movies: the immortal vampire is an insult to our morality, while the monster-vampire is a more primitive creature that represents man’s battle with nature and its unknowns.

The vampire can also represent the rebel, the antihero, other, the outsider. This is, I guess, the premise of the new movie.  Oh yes, I remember now, it’s called “Twilight”. Natural for teenagers to identify with this kind of vampire that does not fit into society. Even though society rejects him, he has secret powers to exact his revenge with. The vampire can also be an outsider because he is stricken with a disease — a good metaphor for HIV, though I don’t know if anyone has picked up on this. I guess “Underworld” and “Blade” follow this track, to some extent.

Hmm, I must think about this some more. Wonderful possibilities and I have not even scratched the surface. Not that I would be able to use this in any way, but it is fun to ponder the wonder of vampirism.