Flags from Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles 1994

In 1994 the trite and quite dull tale of the blood thirsty undead was revived with a fresh infusion of insightful creativity and sparkling splendor.  The Interview with the Vampire: the Vampire Chronicles arose from the dusty crypt of Vampire Lore and was made a new, thanks the cinematic talents of Neil Jordan under the writing wit of Anne Rice.  

One flag makes a noticeable appearance during the film - the flag of France.  It appears during a play.  This is where the film shines like the moon of a moon.  More than once the director effectively weaves the cinematic device of a story within a story in the revelation of the story plot-theme.

The challenge of the story within a story device speaks both to the audience of the primary story and to the audience watching the movie.  The amazing fact is that this alignment of character to the third inner story perfectly echoes on the theme without being abrupt to the story - it is a seamless tri-fractured point of view presented in one dimension.

Ironically the play has a Vampire pretending to be a human pretending to be a Vampire, as so eloquently noticed by the young Claudia - as cue for the less aware viewers of the film. The Vampires watching the play are privy to a secret while the audience in the film can only see the play from one perspective. The play with perspective hints at 'what it is like' to be a Vampire.

During this story within a story plot device the flag of France appears as a poetic insight on death is revealed to all audiences.  Upon the stage an artful presentation of the Napoleon on horseback who is accompanied by a colour guard and drummer.