by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi

One of the most prominent and quiet figures of American independent cinema, Jim Jarmusch, delivers a vampire story – that transcends the ‘Twilight’ genre, to which audiences have lately been accustomed to – with minimalism, alluring cinematography (by Yorick Le Saux), and a sense of nostalgia for the Elizabethan era, in the way love and all the artistic disciplines were lived at a higher level.

‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ is an unconventional story between a man (Adam) and a woman (Eve). They are archetypical outsiders, classic bohemians, extremely sophisticated, witty and may come across to some as snobs. They have lived for centuries, acquired knowledge, awareness of the world, and along with that, still possess their animal instincts. They have travelled far and wide, inhabiting the shadowed margins of society, trying to adapt to civilisation’s politesse in their quest to survive.

Jarmusch has chosen two brilliant actors for the lead roles, that breathe in a sense of decadence to their characters: Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. Along with them are the talented Mia Wasikowska and Jeffrey Wright, with the legendary John Hurt, who resonate the groovy-nighttime-bittersweet existence of the magnetic couple of “only lovers left alive.”

The film – presented in Cannes, Toronto and New York Film Festivals 2013 – is not a vampire story. But the vampires involved are the means to deliver a resonant metaphor: the present state of human life is endangered, fragile, susceptible to natural forces.

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