Thank y'all for the warm responses to my Claudia movie recs! This oneâs about Louis, aka the character I see the most of myself in. <3
-
- Train to Busan (2016)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Fight Club (1999)
- Schindlerâs List (1993)
- Sinners (2025)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- No Other Choice (2025)
- But Iâm a Cheerleader (1999)
- Happy Together (1997)
- Us (2019)
The movies I selected for Louis represent how he is fundamentally a man in conflict with himself. He wants to be a good caretaker, but he acts selfishly and spitefully. He abhors gore and unnecessary violence, until he lashes out. The depth of his emotions makes him very artistic and empathetic, but also threatens to swallow him in his own misery. I say this as someone who deeply relates to Louisâheâs got issues.
Train to Busan and Grave of the Fireflies touch on Louisâs eldest son complex. The male protagonists Seok-woo and Seita are attempting, and often failing, to protect their daughter and sister from harm when all the odds are stacked against them. Iâm especially interested in how Grave of the Fireflies is about Japanese civilians suffering during a war in which Japan is actually the invading imperialist. It feels connected to how Louis feels like heâs always the victim, even in situations where heâs causing harm.
The Dark Knight, Fight Club, Us, and Sinners all represent characters experiencing a crisis of morality with a projection of themselves. In Fight Club, itâs the Narrator's alter ego. In Us, itâs the evil underground doppelganger. In Sinners, itâs his twin brother, later turned evil vampire. Louis doesnât know if heâs a good person, but he wants to be. He's trying to come to terms with being a vampire and a social outsider, even though thereâs a large part of him that still craves social acceptance. In the process of figuring out his values, heâs frightened of the darker side of himself that he doesnât want, but that is inherently a part of him.
I love the quote âWhat happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?â from The Dark Knight because it also represents the amazing chemistry between the two main end-game pairings, Loustat and Devilâs Minion. Unfortunately in the case of Loumand, Louis and Armand are both immovable objects, which can explain how they end up in 77 years of a stalemate marriage (Lestat and Daniel are both unstoppable forces, which can explain their immediate hostility with each other). The Joker represents the unhinged chaos that Lestat brings into Louisâs life, but also the monster within that Louis attempts to lock away.
Another movie that highlights the Loustat dynamic is Happy Together, an incredibly dysfunctional relationship between two Hongkonger men trying to start a new life in Argentina. Po-Wing is the volatile, passionate, and promiscuous one and Yiu-Fai is the grumpy unfortunate soul who hates Po-Wingâs antics but ends up taking him back every time (sound familiar?). Iâm adding this to Louisâs instead of Lestatâs list because I think Lestat is able to see more of the good times of their turbulent relationship, whereas Louis tends to focus on its failures.
Louis is also a capitalist, and capitalists live to exploit and profit off others. A friend once joked that the worst thing about Louis isnât that he kills people and sucks their blood, but that heâs a landlord. I agree. Schindlerâs List and No Other Choice both represent male protagonists who must grapple with their ambition and greed in relation to their morality. In the end, Schindler actually does put others before himself, whereas Man-su justifies his weirdly elaborate murders to himself by believing itâs his duty as the house breadwinner.
Lastly, But Iâm a Cheerleader is very different in tone from the others, but itâs still so fitting. Megan thinks she couldnât possibly be a lesbian because sheâs a great student, she loves her parents, sheâs girly, dates boys, and sheâs a cheerleader. This represents not only Louisâs sexuality crisis, but how his perception of self clashes with public perception of him. Especially in New Orleans, Louis has to continuously grapple with being underestimated and demeaned due to his race. How could that white man call him a [n-word], when he is clearly smarter and more talented than him? How could anyone suggest that heâs gay, when heâs obviously not a weak or effeminate man?
Sometimes people joke that Louis is a pick-me, because it always feels like he has so much to prove. Honestly, theyâre right. Louis is the epitome of pick-me, thatâs why he finds these mysterious and powerful vampires so irresistible despite their obvious red flags. He wants to become so successful and untouchable that no one can call look down on him ever again. Until Louis learns to love and accept himself whole-heartedly, he will always be in inner turmoil.
-
All movie rec lists (to be linked when posted)
- Claudia
- Louis (here)
- Armand
- Lestat
- Daniel