The Buffy the Vampire Slayer project has ushered in a new era of art television. Perhaps this is the first series in the world where vampires, demons and other monsters are given human features and passions. Beginning as a comedic horror, it gradually acquired the drama so important for the young audience. Whatever masterpieces about vampires were removed afterwards, the actors of the series âBuffy the Vampire Slayerâ remained in history forever. Precisely because they were the first to appear in this genre.
Buffy Ann Summers
This girl was barely 20 years old when she got the lead role in the iconic TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar was chosen due to her experience in acting, young age and appearance, consistent with the ideas of "a girl from sunny California." The creator of the series, Joss Whedon, believed that the appearance and manner of behavior of the girl is fully consistent with the spirit of the project.
The name of the main character has a special meaning. In Native American mythology, the word "Buffy" means "an angry buffalo that fights to the end." And at the same time, it is derived from the old English name Elizabeth, which is associated exclusively with a gentle graceful creation. This is exactly what the fighter appears to the viewer - a beautiful girl who wants to be an ordinary schoolgirl, but cannot lead such a life because of her gift. She is much stronger, faster and more enduring than others, able to notice the creatures of the dark side and destroy them.
Sarah Michelle Gellar managed to show the viewer how Buffy Summers develops and grows, turning from a teenager into a beautiful girl and a skilled fighter. Moreover, her actions are not always positive, which, according to critics, brings the image closer to a real person.
Perhaps it was the actress who provided a fair amount of popularity to the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose photo adorned many popular magazines between 1997-2004, has become a celebrity since the very first series. And it remains so until now.
Willow Rosenberg - a witch and a witch
In the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the actors are distinguished by a special texture. It would seem that the supporting heroine should not overshadow Buffy Summers. But sometimes this is exactly what happens. Willow Rosenberg, brilliantly played by the young actress Alison Hannigan, is the second most important character in the series.
The name Willow itself comes from the English "willow" (willow) and is associated with tears and confusion. Indeed, in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the actress, whose name is the name of the âweepingâ tree itself, appears as a fragile shy girl. Despite the bright appearance in the school of Sunnydale, she acquired the label of a jerk and a loser.
During the first two seasons, the character Alison-Willow almost always searches for information in the library or becomes the victim (cause, eyewitness) of another trouble. But gradually everything begins to change. A romantic line oriented only to Willow appears in the series, and she herself, from a quiet excellent student, turns into a witch who conducts rituals, successfully uses spells, and even resurrects.
After the death of her "second half", the witches of Tara, obsessed with hatred, Willow wanted to destroy the world and went a stone's throw from the transition to negative characters. Scriptwriters sent her to "rehabilitation" in England. Thus, in season 7 she appears rarely, and the viewer may become somewhat uncomfortable.
Alexander Harris
The only male "heroic trio" is the embodiment of mockery. The name Alexander means "protector" and in the sense should belong to a brave and decisive person. But the character of Nicholas Brandon, quite the contrary, is a cowardly bouncer and balabol who most of all dreams of respect for classmates and popularity among girls. Moreover, he is a true friend, and in moments of danger is capable of decisive action and self-sacrifice.
Despite the fact that by the day of filming, Nicholas was already 26 years old, the image of a teenager-slobber and the eternal "trio" was a great success. As the plot develops, the popularity of Harris, whom Russian translators call âXanderâ or âZender,â is growing. He has girls, and even the bride is a powerful demon of Revenge, who has given up strength for the sake of human life.
Many viewers are interested in the little things in Xanderâs life. He does not go to college after school, but immediately begins to work (plumber, builder, repairman), removes the basement in his parents' house and pays for it! Alas, this is the life of young people in the USA: after graduation, living on parental care is considered a disgrace.
Angel or vampire angelius
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer series itself, actors, screenwriters, and the director have been criticized by the church more than once. In particular, the conviction caused the name of an ambiguous character - the vampire Angel (Angel).
David Boreanaz masterly played the character, transforming from a positive character to a negative one and vice versa. And at least half of the plots of the 2-4 seasons of the project are based on these metamorphoses. The story of the Angel, who once had the name Liam, is not fully disclosed. It is only known that the ghoul is more than 200 years old and once it terrified all of Europe, turning many people in bloodthirsty monsters. After the murder of a young gypsy, he is overtaken by the revenge of the elders of the camp - a curse that returns the human soul to the vampire, and with it pain and guilt.
For nearly 100 years, the Angel has been roaming the world until it ends up in Sunnydale. He becomes an informant and assistant to Buffy, who, like the audience, is not aware of its essence. The moments of "true happiness" from the girl in love again deprive him of his soul, and the bloody killer begins to terrorize the city. By season 3, Angel regains her feelings, but can no longer be next to Buffy, allowing her to build relationships with human men.
Davidâs line is quite large - the character regularly appears throughout the entire 5 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and after that he becomes the central figure in the spin-off of the television series Angel, which also lasted 5 seasons.
This character in 2009 was recognized as the âsexiest vampireâ on the planet, noticeably overtaking Lestat, Edward Cullen and Dracula. But there was enough criticism. For example, many thought that David Boreanaz was too "courageous" for this role and did not correspond to the type of man of the late 18th century. In addition, he did not have an Irish accent, and after all, according to the plot, Angelius was born and turned into a vampire in this country.
William the Bloody - Spike
James Masters has repeatedly received prestigious awards for his supporting role in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Actors with a similar appearance and role in the plot can not go unnoticed.
For the first time, the vampire Spike appears in season 2, and in such a way that the viewer immediately understands that this is a bad character. He loves to kill, does not recognize the unwritten hierarchy (he simply burnt the heir of the vampire overlord in the light) and wants to kill Buffy, because ... "God loves the trinity, and I already killed two fighters." Not that he would succeed, but he delivered quite a bit of trouble.
Spike regularly âgetsâ from Buffy and her friends and, in the end, he leaves Sunnydale to return in season 4 and get into the secret organizationâs laboratory. Experimental scientists implant a chip in his head, causing terrible pain when trying to kill. But he does not rid the vampire of an extremely vile character. He appears in the Buffy team as an informant (which you canât do for a blood cup!) And an assistant in killing demons.
It soon becomes apparent that it was not only revenge that Spike returned to Sunnydale - he needed a fighter as an embodiment of the meaning of life. He is in love, although he does not immediately realize this.
The story of a vampire is revealed gradually. It becomes known that Spike used to be called William and he was a native of London, revolved in secular society and was known as a not very talented poet. When his declaration of love was rejected, he fled on a winter night and met the vampire Drusilla in the streets. And so began the story of a vampire, nicknamed the Bloody, cruel and arrogant killer.
Rupert Giles - Watcher and Sentinel
In the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the actors and the roles they play differ in age. But Briton Anthony Stuart Head represents in the project a character corresponding to him by age and origin. Rare case.
According to the laws of the genre, a teenage hero cannot exist without an intelligent and experienced mentor. In a fighter, such is the Observer, designed to train and help, as well as deter from rash acts. Rupert works in the library of the Sunnydale School, which allows him to pass on any information to Buffy without causing suspicion. Being, in fact, an archivist - he is an unimportant fighter, but has several tricks in reserve.
Throughout the seasons of the series, Giles remains the adult companion of the main character, her pillar and deep rear. He gives Buffy not only the information necessary for killing demons, but also work (after the death of his mother), advice and protects a high-handed girl in front of the ancient Order of Observers.
Crazy Drusilla
One of the most powerful and ancient (more than 150 years from the date of conversion) vampires of the continent, is crazy like a Hatter. For the first time, the charming Juliet Landau in the role of Drusilla (Drusilla) appears in season 2, as a lover and subject of Spike's worries. She looks like a young girl, but she behaves like a child 5 years old - she plays with dolls, torments the canary and wants to play with âfoodâ.
Angelius himself turned Drusilla into a vampire, having previously brutally murdered her entire family. Seeing the torture of her relatives, the girl was damaged in her mind even before the fangs touched her neck. The bloodthirsty, without any back thought, the girlâs behavior is the result of emotional upset, not cruelty. For a long time, Drusilla traveled with Angelius, leaving a trail of dead people and converted vampires. She became the "mother" and mistress of Spike.
When Angelius returned the human soul and left the bloody family, Drusilla began to lose touch with the real world, fell into childhood and regularly forgets to eat. Spike has to follow her feeding and hope that Angelâs death or his painful suffering will return her friendâs mind.
Drusilla is an extremely negative character, without any throwing in the positive direction.
Popular girl Cordelia Chase
Pupils in US high schools exist within a strict hierarchy, where groups of "popular girls" occupy a high position. Originally Carisma Carpenter auditioned for the role of Buffy, but was rejected due to external data - high growth, model appearance and the general type of "sultry creole." However, the creators did not abandon the talent, approving her for the role of Cordelia - the queen of the Sunnydale school.
For 3 seasons, âBuffy the Vampire Slayer,â the actress portrays a selfish girl for whom a school is not a place to gain knowledge, but a secular playground. Cordelia is somewhat fixated on her status, popularity, fashion and guys. Often, in order to achieve her goal, she offends others, humiliates and destroys someone's dreams. Therefore, Miss Popularity is sometimes at risk from invisibles, witches and monsters.
Cordelia is not Buffyâs enemy, but itâs also difficult to call her friend and comrade. In ordinary life, they carefully do not notice each other, but when faced with otherworldly help each other. In the end, Chase is so imbued with the struggle with evil spirits that after 3 seasons (graduation) he leaves for Los Angeles and becomes the partner of Angel. In the eponymous series, she appears throughout 100 episodes.
Karisma Carpenter was so much remembered by the audience that so far, scoring the name "Cordelia" in any search engine, you can get links to the Queen of the Sunnydale School as a result.
Ani Jenkins - Demon, Love and Bunnies
Otherworldly forces have always used people for their goals, and more than 1000 years ago, Odd, who turned an unfaithful husband into a giant troll, got into their network. Having accepted DĘšHoffrinâs offer, she turns into a demon of Revenge Anyanku - an omnipotent being, not subject to time and called to punish unfaithful lovers.
Once the "work" of the Patroness of the offended women brings her to Sunnydale, where Giles destroys the demon's magic pendant in the process of eradicating evil. Having become an ordinary mortal girl named Ani, she is forced to study at school and somehow settle in ordinary life.
Played by actress Emma Colefield, the character combines both comic and tragic. The powerless demon, who was deprived of strength, is desperately awkward and so straightforward that it causes a flurry among others. In addition, Ani is obsessed with passions - she loves money and is terribly afraid of rabbits, even considers the soft toys of this beast a sign of misfortune.
The tragic in Ani Jenkins is manifested in the fact that she desperately wants to make sure the existence of love. For the sake of this, the girl builds a relationship with Xander Harris, but it all ends in tragedy and DĘšHoffrin returns Anyanke the power of the demon of Revenge. In the last season, she understands that the main advantage of people is the ability to fight to the end for themselves and their friends. Following this path, she dies in the final battle with the Harbingers.
Villains and Negative Characters
In the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar deals with thousands of enemies. Perhaps the project presents all kinds of enemies that can only exist:
- Bloodthirsty, bloodthirsty vampires.
- Evil demons dreaming of enslaving people.
- Artificial creations assembled according to the Frankenstein type.
- Dark magicians and witches using their spells on defenseless.
- Brilliant scientists-losers who assert themselves at the expense of others.
- Mystery government organization.
- The ancient Order, which decided to limit too strong and independent fighter.
- Mutants and representatives of extinct intelligent races.
- Mythical creatures and heroes of fairy tales.
- Own fears and phobias of people.
- Unknown forces approximating the Apocalypse.
Negative heroes, despite their number, make up a small part of the team. Playing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the actors use complex makeup, and depending on the plot, the same person can be a vampire, demon, or other creature.
The series is distinguished by a strict plot course - in each season there is a Main Villain who is destroyed in the last series, and there are those who are killed within a separate series. Also a kind of hierarchy.
1992 film - the basis of the plot
The cult series was shot based on the 1992 movie of the same name, where the fight against evil vampires is squeezed into 60 minutes of screen time, and demons do not appear at all. Unlike Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alison Hannigan and others, the actors in the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer did not become popular figures. Moreover, critics openly refer to them as flat, cliched, and completely undisclosed. In addition, the plot is frankly lame, which is why the film looks pale even against the background of horror films of that time.
Buffy Summers appears there in the form of a beautiful popular girl who dreams of getting married and taking a position in society, or at least living for her own pleasure. Vampires do not stand up to criticism at all and must burn to ashes without any sunlight. From shame.
The film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is almost unknown to the Russian audience. Actors whose photos can be found only on the omnipotent Kinopoisk or English-language sites at best cause a grin. This is due to the fact that the project was released in 1992, when the "television boom" had not yet begun in the country. But the rating and quality of the film did not allow him to hold out in the minds of the viewer until 1995-1996.
In general, the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", the actors and the Universe itself left a noticeable mark on the soul and memory of all mankind. The project brought not only positive impressions, but also provoked an increase in the popularity of âvampireâ youth subcultures. Buffy Fandom is not much inferior in size to the super-popular Harry Potter.