The fetching Meg Tilly as Carmilla in an adaptation filmed for the Showtime series NIGHTMARE CLASSICS.
of Laura’s loneliness and isolation in her father’s estate, the teleplay (notably the first adaptation of the novella directed by a woman, Gabrielle Beau- mont) focuses less on the horror of betrayal than it does on the ways in which parental repression can lead children to choose dangerous compan- ions. The novella’s lesbian content is downplayed almost to the point of absence, as the attraction between Maria and Carmilla (who are both, in dif- ferent ways, trapped in a state of perpetual youth) never really appears sexual in nature, but rather a function of the two lonely girls’ longing for the com- pany of someone their own age. As in the novella, “Carmilla” is populated by men who are both em- powered and imprisoned by their gender roles, and only those of lowly status—here the black servants and the eccentric police inspector—are able to rec- ognize the true nature of the threat they are facing. It’s a shame that the teleplay’s brief (60m) run- ning time precludes any depiction of the novella’s elaborate confidence scheme, as the Civil-War era South, with its preoccupations with chivalry and hospitality and perception of women as “shrinking violets,” would have provided a perfect environment for Carmilla and her “family” to practice their trade.
The teleplay instead has the vampires simply feign- ing death in the carriage accident, a clever alter- native that not only permits Carmilla to infiltrate the household, but also allows the rest to operate freely out of the family crypt. The teleplay does, however, feature one profound act of betrayal not present in the novella, when it is revealed that Carmilla and her band are responsible for the disappearance of Maria’s mother.
Meg Tilley is the only screen Carmilla to accu- rately portray the character’s state of languor, as she delivers her lines in a slow, soft manner and always appears on the verge of exhaustion. Unfor- tunately, the film reveals her true nature early in the game, thereby eliminating the uncertainty that could have amplified suspense, and dedicates too much screen time to displays of her supernatural powers, which include the ability to transform into an animal, to call upon hoards of bats to attack a victim, to dematerialize, and to float in the air. Most of the depictions of these abilities—which are of- ten used to dazzle Maria—are uninspired, but the sight of Carmilla feeding from Maria’s throat while floating upside down, the folds of her gown re- sembling white bat wings, bravely straddles the line
33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
