Jakob's Wife (4 Stars)

This is the film that I won on Blu-ray last Tuesday before "Carrie" was shown. The question was about Stephen King, so I assumed that the film would be based on a Stephen King story, but it isn't.

Jakob Fedder is the minister of a church in a small town. He and his wife Anne have been married for 30 years, and they're highly respected in their community. They're happy together, even though Anne sometimes complains about boredom. It's understandable. 30 years in the same house in the same small town can put a strain on the happiest marriage.

When things change, they really change. Anne is bitten by a vampire, and she gradually changes over the next few days. She feels bloodlust, which she tries to satisfy by buying cow's blood from the supermarket. She still loves her husband, but the influence of the vampire who bit her, known only as the Master, is hypnotic and overpowering.

Jakob becomes a vampire hunter, staking the vampires in his town, but he spares Anne. He recruits her in his battle against the Master.

I like this film's story a lot. I just think it could have been filmed better. It's too silent, with hardly any incidental music or eerie background noises. I'm sure this was a deliberate choice by the director, but I don't think it works well. What puts me off the most is the appearance of the Master. His face looks so comical that it's difficult to be afraid of him.

I was pleased to see a small hint of feminism in the film. Jakob loves his wife, but he also rules over her, because this is what the Bible tells him to do. Anne makes it clear that now she's a vampire she'll have an equal say in all decisions. That's what all women should do, even if they're not vampires.

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