If there’s two things the vampire mythos (particularly of the romantic sort) has traditionally been preoccupied with, it’s blood and sex. From the earliest 18th-century depictions onward, I can’t think of a vampire tale that doesn’t have both right at the forefront of its focus. But Viktor Ginzburg’s Empire V, based on Viktor Pelevin’s bestselling novel, breaks from traditional representations somewhat and chooses instead to train its eye on power and the way societal elites manipulate the social order.
Empire V stars Pavel Tabakov as Rama, a 19-year-old nobody who is drawn into the world of Russian elite society when he follows some graffiti to a mansion inhabited by a wealthy vampire named Brahma (Vladimir Epifantsev), who bites Rama and passes on his vampirism, his wealth, and his elite status to the young man.
Vampires in the world of Empire V don’t operate like they do in any other vampire story I’ve read, though. Rather than drinking blood for sustenance, Empire V’s vampires have a parasite called The Tongue which resides in the roofs of their mouths and are able to withdraw single drops of blood (the vampires call it ‘Red Liquid’) from their victims. This allows the vampires to access memories and certain abilities (augmented by the consumption of ‘candy’) of a superhuman nature, like fighting or acrobatic skills. In addition to all this is the concept of ‘sampling’, which is the largely-recreational consumption of a clear liquid extracted from famous human specimens – it’s unclear how or when – which grant the vampires other unique abilities, such as the driving skills of Steve McQueen.
Rama is soon initiated into the world of the vampire elite, which use the concepts of Discourse (philosophical and political writing) and Glamor (luscious and usually-sexual imagery in the form of advertising) in order to manipulate humanity. One of Rama’s mentors, Loki (not that one), played by Bronislav Vinogrodskiy, teaches Rama about the way in which sexuality can be wielded in an effort to control humans. Sexuality though, usually a cornerstone of any vampire mythos, is also not really a focus of Empire V. Sex is certainly present as an occasional motivator, but the hedonistic bent of most vampire tales isn’t really a thing here. Instead, the main thrust of the vampires’ actions is money, which the elites literally burn, sacrifice, and convert into yet another vampire intoxicant called Bablos.
Empire V, to Putin’s likely chagrin, is an enrapturing film, and uses stunning imagery to depict the various pleasures and pain the elite vampires use to subjugate human society. The slickly shot and rendered imagery of the vampires’ intoxication and some great action keep the film moving at a breakneck pace, even as it accomplishes its considerable world-building and character development.
Blending the aesthetic of Nightwatch with some of the philosophical DNA of The Matrix seems like a winning combination but also a possibly difficult needle to thread, but it mostly works. The film has quite a lot of work to do in establishing the immense world though, and the story tends to take a back seat. At times, Empire V feels like a giant information dump, like it’s on the clock to get the viewer to an exam the next morning. It’s moments of visual flair are spectacular though, and move the plotting along seriously in the film’s first half.
What will probably draw most viewers to Empire V, at least initially, will be the controversy it has cultivated after both Ginzburg and stars Miron “Oxxxymiron” Fedorov and Vladimir Epifantsev’s vocal criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine. As a result, Empire V has been banned from screening in Russia where Sony was scheduled to release it widely in 2022. Due to the filmmaker and stars being deemed ‘foreign agents’ by the Russian government, a distribution permit was quickly axed. This has, predictably, garnered more support and attention for both Ginzburg and Empire V, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal this year and has been making the rounds to other festivals, including LA’s Screamfest this week. According to Ginzburg, “For the first time in my life, when I was confronted with the ugly specter of state censorship, it was a heartbreaking feeling for me and for all the people who put years of work and love into this film. The same goes for literally millions of Russian fans that have been waiting for the release, many of whom helped crowdfund this truly independent film.”
For my money, Putin’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain, as Empire V is one of the freshest takes on vampirism I’ve seen in some time. It’s a reminder that speaking truth to power might be the most delicious vice of them all.
Empire V is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit, most recently at LA’s Screamfest.
