"Vampire Hunter D" effuses the coolness of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western,
with D gliding into the role of the lone anti-hero, compelled by honor to do right,
all the while struggling with inner demons. An implacable strong, silent type, nothing
bothers him except the world's judgment and his own self-loathing about having mixed blood,
being part human and part vampire. This conflict layers D with more complexity than the iconic
cowboy, and, at the same time, strikes a resonant chord about classicism within the backdrop
of the work. In director Toyoo Ashida's vision, Vampires enjoy the benefits of an aristocratic
life while humans are considered, well, less than human. The world's "ethnic" make-up,
therefore, plays a major role in the formation of identity.
This dynamic of prejudice isolates D when he arrives in town. The human citizens steer
clear, making snide remarks about him behind his back, while the ruling vampires refuse to
acknowledge him as being of the same class. But this classicist theme lends depth to characters
that are not strangers to the town, as well. After the town discovers that Count Magnus, the
lord vampire, has bitten her, "D's" damsel in distress, Doris, begins to realize how an
unforgiving public can constrict her freedom. Suddenly the human townspeople give Doris a
wide berth and even refuse her service at a common grocery store.
Like D, Doris also does not fit in with the vampire world. The Count disregards Doris'
strong desire not to marry, seeing her primarily as a plaything. But Lamika, the Count's
daughter, refuses to acknowledge her as a part of the family even if Doris is to marry her
father. Even though Lamika knows that the Count does not see Doris as being on their social
level, she protests that the symbolism associated with marriage will indicate that their
family condones Doris' class ascension. In fact, Lamika takes aggressive steps to stop Doris
from entering the family, convinced that the human will contaminate their aristocratic blood.
Neither human nor vampire can transcend the invisible prejudicial boundary and step into
the other's class to interact on equal footing. All must obey rigid separatist rules, or be
shunned by society.
However, D has trouble resolving his internal conflict as well. He prefers to remain an
outsider rather than participate in a fickle and superficial world that judges people by their
blood rather than their merit. And though his principled reclusion resonates with an entertaining,
"You go D!" feeling, the story's ending refuses to take a proactive stance in battling classicist
attitudes, opting instead for the passive "ignore it" answer and maintaining the status quo. A
disappointing message, but it is hardly a reason not to embrace this stylistic, richly textured
and narratively daring film. And loners with angst are just cool.
