A Nocturne: Night of the Vampire (2007)

You won't be disappointed!

One of my all time favorites.

Boring

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I pride myself with being able to watch any film, even the ones that people deride as "amateurish", however this is the first film I have genuinely hated.The dialogue is virtually non existent and without a shred of impact. Minor characters wax philosophical (and insensibly), and major characters say nothing and pose moodily with a vengeance around Melbourne.The nu-metal soundtrack is so dated, even Disturbed would roll their eyes in disapproval.The production is awful. This may be a nihilistic film, but there is a difference between a bleak production and a sparse one. This is nothing but jump cuts and landscape shots.There is precisely one evocative segment in this film, I won't describe it because it's the only good bit of the film and discussing it would feel like a spoiler.Overall, don't be fooled by the quote from Nietzsche or the woman playing Chopin on piano. Good philosophical films provoke thought and questions from the viewer, teasing them with messages. This film has precisely nothing to say.

This intellectual "wannabe" was the worst waste of film ever. I could not believe the garbage proffered to the viewer, especially in comparison with the interesting critique on the cover.A pretentious,amateurish,boring, cliché-filled waste of time - unfortunately this crud should be removed from shelves as unfit for viewing.The film was completely unable to put any point of view across, the selected premise of being "intellectual" by relying on quotes from Nietzsche was just plain laughable. Long "enigmatic" silences conveyed nothing and the viewer will struggle to find any relevance to anything remotely philosophical.Even the "vampire" scenes were inept and cringeworthy.

I caught A Nocturne at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) at the end of 2007. While it didn't have the most profound effect on me at first( I am a fan of more light hearted and visceral horror films),I found I kept thinking about the film long after the screening(and thinking about the hot body of lead actress Vanessa de Largie).It is certainly not a "sit back and cop the action" style film, and thats why I think it works.There are plenty of vampire films going around these days, most relying on special effects and suspense. What sets A Nocturne apart I feel is the barren nature of all aspects of the film. The sets, the dialogue, the very "feel" of the picture is sparse and nihilistic. The two lead actors, Vanessa de Largie and Alex Spears, have the least amount of lines in the film. This meant they had to emote and project their characters essences through look, posture and demeanour almost exclusively.Luckily they both gave fantastic performances.I really liked the pervading sense of futility throughout the film.I assume that was the main point, outsiders trapped in a world they didn't see much sense in.Its great to see a movie that seems to be more an expression of a point on the state of society rather than a titillating thrill played out through action and romance.

I watched this great, unconventional vampire movie at the 26th Brussels International Film Festival (27 March - 8 April 2008). After having seen numerous typical vampire flicks with all the clichés involved, it was truly refreshing to see one with a different approach - a philosophical approach no less, with references to the work of Nietzsche.Sure, the protagonists X and Z still need to drink blood to survive, but in contrast to most vampires in cinematic history, they have something very human about them. Thus, you easily develop a connection with them. These two souls look more like "different" kind of human beings than like the cold, insensitive creatures that vampires practically always are.X and Z are outsiders who live on the edge, struggling with both their condition and the society they're condemned to being part of. They are portrayed with appropriate modesty by genuine revelation Vanessa de Largie and first-time (!) actor Alex Spears.Although there are scenes in which blood is being shed, the emphasis hasn't been laid on gore, action or cheap thrills. No, it dwells far more on exploring the difficult times the two main characters go through and creating an intense, moody atmosphere.I'm not surprised this movie won three awards at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, for A Nocturne is truly an impressive piece of craftsmanship. If you are at a festival where it is screened, catch it! This is one not to be missed.