Underworld (2003) directed by Len Wiseman, plunged audiences into a dark Gothic realm filled with a long-standing and fierce rivalry between vampires and Lycans (werewolves). The picture incorporates elements of the supernatural into the action movie while maintaining a trendy surreal elegance, thus, providing a different perspective on the traditional vampire story. The film lures the audience into the world of vampires, werewolves and other dark creatures – action films against a background of rich history. What I found palatable about the film was its content balance of action versus lore where one is not just treated to well-engendered fights but an entire history which cuts across themes of allegiance, revenge and belonging.
As soon as I saw Underworld, I knew that I was in for a treat as far as the mood of the movie was concerned. Stylish graphic elements of the film together with the amazing plot help it remain unique as compared to other genres of films involving supernatural powers. Vampires and Lycan are distinct monsters; they are represented as two opposing races who have real histories and therefore real reasons for their conflict.
Selene – The Karnageous Vampire Hunter
Selene aka ‘Death Dealer’ played by Kate Beckinsale is the core of the movie Underworld an action film who is fierce and deadly vampire warrior. Her task is to locate the Lycanthropes which she believes are responsible for the death of her family many centuries ago. Out of all the characters in the movie, what attracted me most to Selene was the way she balanced power, intellect, and frailty. Romance and the desire to seek revenge on the Lycans are some of the forces that prevent her from becoming a ruthless assassin.
As it progresses, Selene becomes aware of other sides of the war and as a result her impotent alcohol blind rage undergoes transformation to an informative inner conflict. It is one thing to go from being a devoted soldier to an inquisitive fierce warrior, which brought memories of the devastating process it is of seeing some of the core beliefs we hold dear all our lives turning out to be false and wrong. There is more to the story than just slaying enemies and in fact, for Selene, it is about finding out who she is and what the conflict really is.
To help Michael understand the true nature of her patient, Selene plays the role of a common woman which is another interesting thing about her character development. Michael O’Meara is a man who gets drawn into the vampire and Lycan war. His interactions with Selene test her loyalties to her vampire clan. This situation took me back to this perspective: the way we relate with others often redefines our order of things, perhaps even our sense of responsibility.
Michael: The Easiest Target
There are two prominent characters from Underworld: Evolution, the first is Michael Corvin. However, Michael, played by Scott Speedman, begins as an ordinary human caught in the elaborate battles between vampires and Lycans but ends up a half-breed who ultimately becomes the center of the war. Michael’s character is the everyman caught in-the-middle, in that and neither a vampire nor a Lycan he becomes embroils in their tussle. What I found interesting about Michael is his inclusion in this medieval battle gives him the idea of this endless war, but every side wants to exploit him for their own benefits.
Central to the story in this film is Michael’s metamorphosis since it becomes evident that his lineage is the element that can put an end to the conflict. It is not only him but also Selene that he feels affection for, which is why he is in more danger than ever, thanks to Selene’s growing role in the story. Those of us who have seen Michael coping with his new reality as well as the otherworldly elements around him, even for a minute, we can understand how we all face some circumstances in life that we don’t welcome, but we have to summon the will to change in order to live.
The Vampires: A World of Power and Deception
The vampires in the Underworld series are members of a coven, who are described to be members of a timehonored and upper class hierarchy, headed up by the character Viktor played out by Bill Nighy, one of the most feared vampires on the planet. What I found entertaining about the vampire community was that it was enshrined in customs, governance as it was in hierarchy. Indeed, vampires are not simply beings who cannot die, they are the monarchs of an underworld with its boundaries and contests of power.
The intriguing aspect of Viktor’s character is that he is a representative of the old vampire guards. He is unquestionable authority, but as the film develops, it becomes apparent that the truth that Viktor is presenting is not so cut and dry. He is central to the war against the Lycans, which makes the actions of the characters raise issues of loyalty and betrayal as well as the measures that politicians do take to stay in power.
Another interesting point was how the internal functioning of the vampire coven displayed to me how, in real life, there are constant and manipulative power plays and deceit even in small and tight-knit groups or organizations. Viktor’s using Selene and hiding her true past contributes to the traction of the picture making the fight between vampires and werewolves more emotionally charged.
The Lycans: Standing Up to Tyranny
Lucian is played by Michael Sheen, leading the other side of the conflict, the Lycans. While the vampires reside in extravagant households and reign over the vampire society, the Lycans are positively tamer and desperately oppressed. I was intrigued by how the Lycans are shown, not as mindless monsters, but as a people who strive for freedom and existence.
Lucian, more so than other characters, can be considered a positive figure as he is not simply a power-hungry dictator. Rather, he is a wronged man fighting the vampires on behalf of his people. One of the strongest drives for him has to do with his relationship with a vampire many centuries ago that ended in the death of the person he loved. This narrative exposition enhances character depth and the other makes war between the vampires and lycans less a question of good side and evil but more of a tragedy.
Lucian’s fight for freedom from the vampires made me think about how ‘Liberty, equality and fraternity’ are the greatest slogans in history since they always help oppressed sections of society to throw off the yoke of hegemony. There is a more than a perception that moving the conflict forward as the lycans aim to break away from the oppressed fascination of the vampires and control their own fate ‘survival’ is not enough.
The War Between Vampires and Lycans: Different Approaches to the Same Old Conflict
In the Underworld series, one of the prominent and intriguing feature is the age-old battle between vampires and Lycans, which has endeavored for years. It is intriguing how those conflicts are as ancient as the ruins – conflicts worth betrayal. The movie states that the war first broke out when vampires used to keep the Lycans as pets and made them dress like animals in order to work as compassionate slaves indoors. Eventually, the mutants went on with their fight, which is what has spelled ongoing bloodshed till the current era.
The enmity that exists between the vampires and the Lycans is more than fanatical hatred; the two warring factions are engaged in psychological warfare. Each combatant has twisted facts to his or her advantage, and even as each side decides to convene with the other for diplomacy Selene has uncovered more facts about an ugly past war. For some reason this cannot be explained either by a politically correct, or by a narrative – that touching upon topics such as this one there are always iron pyramids of domination, that hide the real inner structure of facts about the conflicts that are taking place in the society’s structure.
The Themes of Loyalty, Betrayal, and Identity
Underworld undoubtedly puts an emphasis on allegiance, be it allegiance to friends, to the cause, or to oneself. With the help of Michael, Selene successfully subdues licentious attacks that would have come from the vampire coven. However, Michael’s forbidden affection is a growing concern for Selene. This is because Selene has to make a choice involving her duty to the vampire race and her wish to safeguard Michael.
The paradigm of betrayal is also present in the movie, in particular through the scenario surrounding Selene and her family as well as Viktor’s lies. The more personal twist of betrayal comes from the fact that Viktor is the one who killed Selene’s family, which makes it easy to understand why Selene finds it hard to stand with the y for or against the lycans. I remember that theme, that we can always count on betrayal from those whom we consider most trustworthy and the effects of which we will remember for a long time.
The issue of identity is treated with both Selene and Michael, since each one tries to understand his place in the larger scheme. Particularly, Selene’s chase for the truth about her former self and Michael’s metamorphosis into a hybrid vampire-Lycan are pertinent to the film’s quest on what it is to know one’s self.
The Good and the Bad: Power, Revenge and The Wish for Freedom
In it’s percentetrnk, Underworld is a story of power, it’s acquisition, desires invoulving it and the orchestration, that goes into devising elaborate means of holding onto it, or taking it. The on the older order, vampire coven stained by Viktor, to whom control over Lycans is everything, they are not letting go of supremacy or order. On the other hand, Lucian and the Lycans’ war is over, liberation and the ability to exist without vampire tyranny.
Further, the movie also deals with a number of other themes including, revenge, especially Selene’s wish to take vengeance for the slaying of her family. However, as she begins to discover the truth about War, she starts to wonder if revenge is really the solution to all this. This theme reminded me of how, in this life, we all wish for something when peaceful relations are destroyed and all the men in the world only look for means to take revenge or show authority.
Simultaneously, the film also investigates the longing for liberation, especially as seen in the example of Lycans rising up against their vampire rulers. Their struggle is not merely a cultural one—it is a struggle to erase the yoke of subjugation and take their fate back into their hands.
Why You Should Watch It
Williams’ essay states that Underworld is a horror fantasy full of action interactions with highlights on the fundamental elements of the story plot. After all, the stunning animation graphics, quick action, and coping with the history of the plot put the film in competition in the vampire and werewolf film. For everybody into supernatural action movies, gothic style, or even those who just love reading about the themes of politics, power, and vengeance, the Underworld is going to be pretty interesting.
Binging on Underworld reminded me of the beauty of faithfulness, of standing up for justice, and of the level of determination that is required to liberate the oppressed. It’s a movie that resonated on human level attaining that even
within the fantasy of creatures existing, the battles for selfhood, supremacy, and justice are inevitable.
In the ending, Underworld made me ponder about the significance of loyalty, the fallout of betrayal and freedom and why it is something that all of us crave so desperately. It is a picture that offers exciting action and great pictures but more than that which goes way beyond the realm of the Lycan and the vampire domains.
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