The concept of the lesbian vampire
has its roots in Irish writer
Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella
‘Carmilla’, which precedes its
more famous Irish literary vampire
cousin, Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’, by
26 years. When it comes to vampire
fiction, the gays got there first.
It’s no surprise that Carmilla has
inspired countless movies over the
decades, as the sexualized modus
operandi of the vampire provides
filmmakers ample opportunity
to combine those two elements
which have rarely failed to sell
tickets - sex and violence.
Today, in independent and arthouse
cinema if not its mainstream
equivalent, the need to cloak lesbianism
in a vampire’s cape no
longer exists. As such, for her adaptation
of Le Fanu’s work, writer/
director Emily Harris has stripped
away the tale’s supernatural element,
leaving the existence of
vampirism ambiguous.
If you’ve seen any of the previous
versions - Hammer’s The Vampire
Lovers being arguably the key adaptation
- you’ll be familiar with the
Watch the trailer for Carmilla
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 73
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