You've seen sparkling vampires, now prepare for glowing werewolves
Blood & Chocolate is a 2007 Paranormal Romance film. It is loosely (and we do mean loosely) based upon the book of the same name by Annette Curtis Klause.
The plot concerns Vivian, a young werewolf (known here as loups-garoux) who forms a forbidden romance with a young human man named Aiden and her attempts to protect him from the jealous pack leader, Gabriel, who wants Vivian for himself.
The film stars Agnes Bruckner as Vivian, Hugh Dancy as Aiden, Olivier Martinez as Gabriel and Katja Riemann as Astrid. It was directed by Katja Von Garnier, and the screenplay was written by Ehren Kruger and Christopher Landon.
Tropes found in this film include:
- Adaptational Backstory Change:
- In the book, Vivian's father died a year ago in a fire set by an angry mob, while her mother is still alive; Vivian feels partly responsible because she never told her father about the trouble her crush was causing, which drew too much attention from humans and thus led to the attack. In the film, Vivian's parents and siblings were killed by hunters when she was seven and she blames herself because she inadvertently led the hunters to their home.
- Aiden is a pretty normal high school student in the book, besides his fascination with the occult. In the film he's an artist and aspiring author, who came to Bucharest to research his book and get away from his abusive father after assaulting him in self-defence.
- In the book, Gabriel starts out as just another member of the pack, albeit favoured to take over as Alpha after Vivian's father died due to his charisma, strength and hard work in trying to regain the pack's financial security. He also reveals to Vivian he was once in love with a human girl, but it went horribly wrong when he lost control and accidentally killed her, which still haunts him. In the movie, this is changed to Gabriel having been the Alpha for many years (instead of Vivian's father) and the part about his tragic romance is removed entirely.
- Adaptational Badass: Aiden. In the book he's not especially athletic or badass, although he does manage to shoot two werewolves (the second time he hits the wrong werewolf and he's freaking out). Here he was raised to be a tough survivalist by his ex-military dad and he's more of an Action Survivor, bordering on Action Hero, taking out multiple werewolves with guns, knives or even just a silver pendant and a long drop.
- Adaptational Context Change:
- In the film Gabriel wants Vivian as his mate because she's considered the most eligible bachelorette in the pack and is possibly The Chosen One. In the book, while Gabriel does have a crush on Vivian, he wants her as his mate because she accidentally proposes to him by winning a fight against other female pack members (although in the book he respects her initial refusal).
- Aiden seriously injures Vivian in both the book and the film, though the circumstances are very different. In the book Aiden panics and shoots at Gabriel, with Vivian Taking the Bullet. In the film Aiden doesn't recognize Vivian in her wolf form (despite her having just saved him from another wolf) and he slashes her with a silver knife.
- Adaptational Heroism / Adaptational Nice Guy:
- Zigzagged with Aiden. In the book, he turns on Vivian when he learns of her true nature, spreads lies about her to his friends and eventually tries to kill her (though that was because he thought she'd murdered multiple people, he refuses to listen to her side). In the film, after getting over the initial shock he accepts Vivian just the way she is and helps her bring down Gabriel. On the other hand, he also pretty much stalks her before they begin dating (he follows her around and approaches her at work despite her telling him she's not interested), which Aiden never does in the book.
- Astrid is an extreme case. In the book she turns out to be one of the main villains, framing Vivian for murder due to sexual jealousy and resentment. Here, she's Vivian’s loving mother figure and eventually helps her stop Gabriel.
- Adaptational Job Change: In the book, Aiden and Vivian are both unemployed high school students. In the movie they're too old to be attending high school, so they have paid employment: Vivian works in a chocolate-making shop while Aiden is a professional writer (in the book he writes poetry as a hobby).
- Adaptational Location Change: The movie shifts the setting from small-town Maryland, United States to Bucharest, Romania.
- Adaptational Romance Downgrade: One of many things changed from the book is the romantic relationships.
- In the book, Gabriel is sincerely in love with Vivian and it's heavily implied that beneath her hostility towards him, she's attracted to him too. Vivian eventually returns Gabriel's feelings and becomes his mate, after her romance with Aiden ends disastrously. In the film, Gabriel merely lusts after Vivian and she despises him, culminating in her killing him to protect Aiden (a far cry from the book, where she takes a silver bullet to protect Gabriel from Aiden).
- Rafe and Astrid become lovers in the book, though the relationship is based more on lust than love. They're not lovers in the film, which is just as well given that Rafe is depicted as Astrid's son here.
- Adaptational Villainy:
- Big time with Gabriel. While he does cause conflict for Vivian in the book, he's presented as a sympathetic character and ends up being the winning love interest. Here, he's the Big Bad. His tragic backstory in which he accidentally killed his human lover is also removed, as is his ban on harming humans (he actively encourages the pack to hunt humans here), making him much less sympathetic.
- The werewolves in general are depicted in the film as regularly hunting humans, treating it as a sport, while in the book deliberately harming humans is forbidden (especially as it would draw too much attention to the pack) and the werewolves mostly want to be left in peace.
- Aiden's father is much worse than he is in the book. In the novel, Aiden's dad is a jerk who doesn't really understand his son, forces Aiden to go hunting with him and makes some sleazy comments towards Vivian, but he's otherwise harmless, with neither Aiden or Vivian taking him seriously. Here, Aiden mentions that his father was physically abusive towards him - to the point Aiden eventually fought back in self-defence - and tried to force a military-style survivalist lifestyle on him.
- Adaptational Wimp:
- Vivian to a slight degree. In the book, she comes out on top in every fight she's involved in, while here she gets captured by Gabriel and has to be rescued by Aiden before she can fight back, although in her defence she was recovering from silver poisoning at the time. She also has comparatively less agency in her relationship with Aiden; in the book she seeks Aiden out herself to ask him on a date while in the film he's the one pursuing her (literally) until he wears her down.
- Astrid. In the book she's a ruthless Dark Action Girl who insists on competing in the Alpha fight with the men, gets into some vicious fights with other loups-garoux and carries out several murders to frame Vivian. Here, she spends most of her time crying and moping over Gabriel, and at most holds Aiden at gunpoint until Vivian persuades her to spare him.
- Adaptation Dye-Job:
- In the book Vivian describes herself as having "tawny" hair, which usually refers to a light golden-brown color. In the film, she's portrayed with lighter, unmistakably blonde hair.
- Astrid is a redhead in the book but a blonde here (possibly to further establish her and Vivian as being related here).
- In the book Aiden is dark-eyed and Gabriel has blue eyes, while in the film it's the other way around.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- Most notably between Vivian, Aiden and Gabriel. In the book Gabriel is in love with Vivian but she doesn't reciprocate at first. Her romance with Aiden starts well but turns sour when he finds out she's a werewolf, culminating in him trying to kill her. In the film, Aiden is clearly the main love interest and ultimately doesn't care about Vivian being a werewolf, while Vivian feels nothing but contempt for Gabriel and he lusts after her rather than loving her.
- In the book Astrid lusts after Gabriel but he has no interest in her and comes to despise her for betraying and endangering the pack, and trying to frame and kill Vivian. In the film, Gabriel and Astrid were once mates until Gabriel left her to pursue other women in accordance with pack tradition; Astrid still pines for Gabriel and he occasionally has sex with her, but it's indicated to be more out of convenience than any true feelings on Gabriel's part.
- Advertising by Association: The film was often advertised as being "from the producers of Underworld and The Covenant".
- Age Lift:
- Vivian and Aiden are aged up a few years to be college-aged; Vivian is stated to be 19. In the book, Vivian is 16 and she and Aiden meet at high school.
- Gabriel is 24 in the book, where as here he appears to be in his thirties at least (Olivier Martinez was actually about 40). Obviously, this and the fact he's the father of Vivian's cousin makes his romantic interest in her a lot less healthy and sympathetic.
- The Five are all teenagers in the book, while here they appear to have been aged up to their twenties.
- Arranged Marriage: Vivian is expected to become Gabriel's next mate in accordance with pack tradition, though she's clearly not keen on the idea.
- Artifact Title: The title ends up being this for the film adaptation, due to the removal of the line referencing it and the substantial changes made to the plot and Vivian's relationship dynamic with Gabriel and Aiden. The book ends with Vivian choosing Gabriel, stating that Aiden's kisses are sweet but fleeting like chocolate, whereas Gabriel's kisses are full of life and passion like blood. This doesn't happen in the film; although it has Vivian working at a chocolate-making shop, it's so irrelevant to the plot and her character that the title comes off as nonsensical to anyone not familiar with the book.
- Composite Character:
- Although Rafe still appears in the film, his obsessive infatuation with Vivian and jealousy over Aiden is given to Gabriel instead. Rafe is also made Astrid's son instead of Ulf.
- Astrid is basically given Esme's characterization and role as Vivian's ditzy yet loving mother (Vivian's actual mother was killed in the film's backstory).
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Aiden's father was abusive and controlling, trying to force Aiden to 'toughen up' and raising him like he was in the army. Aiden attacked him in self-defence, forcing him to flee to Europe.
- Vivian's family were killed by werewolf hunters, whom she accidentally led to their home, when she was seven years old.
- Death by Adaptation:
- Vivian's mother. She's alive and well in the book, while in the film she was killed when Vivian was seven.
- Gabriel. He survives the events of the book and lives happily ever after with Vivian. Here, he's killed by Vivian in a climatic battle.
- Rafe, of the 'died earlier' variety. In the book he's killed near the end of the story, while here he dies around the midpoint.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Rafe. He's still killed by Aiden in self-defence, but the method is different; instead of shooting him with a silver bullet made from a pendant, Aiden pushes him off a balcony while holding the pendant.
- Downer Beginning: The film opens with young Vivian's family being murdered by werewolf hunters (including her young siblings) and she herself barely escaping.
- The Film of the Book: It's ostensibly an adaptation of Annette Curtis Klause's young adult novel, published in 1997. However, the film deviates heavily from the book.
- "Friends" Rent Control: Aiden can somehow afford an apartment in Bucharest purely on the commission of two graphic novels he wrote, with no other apparent source of income.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Vivian confides in Aiden that she feels responsible for her family's deaths, because the werewolf hunters tracked her wolf prints to their cabin.
- In Name Only: Aside from sharing the title and main character names, and the fact it has a werewolf girl in a forbidden romance with a human boy, this film has very little to do with the book; it's been pointed out that even the title doesn't make sense anymore because of how much they changed the film's ending. It would be easier to list what the two stories do share in common than what changes are made.
- Interspecies Romance: Aiden, a young human man, falls in love with Vivian, a young werewolf woman.
- Lighter and Softer: Compared to the book, which has a more tragic and cynical outcome for Aiden and Vivian's romance; although she does get a happy ending with Gabriel it's a bit of a bittersweet outcome. The film has a more unambiguously happy ending and keeps Aiden and Vivian together. It also doesn't include the plotline where Vivian believes she's been unknowingly killing innocent humans and starts to feel suicidal.
- Magic Pants: The werewolves transform along with their clothes. This is just one of many things changed from the book, in which it was made a point that werewolves had to remove their clothes before changing (either because they'll get ruined or because of the risk of being seen as a wolf in human's clothing).
- Moment Killer: Aiden and Vivian are kissing in an alleyway, but it triggers her werewolf powers, so she pushes him away and says it's because she cut herself on something so he doesn't notice.
- Nephewism: Vivian was raised by her aunt Astrid after her parents' deaths.
- Never My Fault: Aiden learns Vivian is a werewolf after Rafe comes after him for daring to date her; Aiden angrily confronts Vivian about her endangering him by dragging him into her world and says he wants her to stay away from him. However, earlier in the movie Aiden was actually the one actively pursuing Vivian and trying to talk her into dating him, even when she told him repeatedly she wasn't interested and/or that it was a bad idea, until she finally gave in.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Vivian – in her wolf form - saves Aiden from the wolves pursuing him, but he ends up stabbing her with a silver knife in perceived self-defence. When she turns back into her human form, he's horrified and has to help treat her silver poisoning.
- Not Good with Rejection: Rafe tracks down and murders a woman who rejected him in a night club.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: While his American accent isn't terrible, Hugh Dancy hasn't completely gotten hang of it and occasionally lapses into his native English accent.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: They are known as loup-garoux and can transform into wolves at will, not needing the full moon. They transform by leaping into the air, at which point a bright light surrounds them and they morph into wolves.
- Related in the Adaptation: Astrid is Vivian's aunt and Rafe's mother here. Which is really weird considering she and Vivian were sworn enemies in the book she tries to frame and kill her. The situation between her and Rafe is even weirder as in the book they're lovers. This also makes Rafe Vivian's cousin (which he frequently reminds the viewer of). He's also Gabriel's son here, while in the book there was no relation between them (and Gabriel would've been too young to have fathered Rafe).
- Sex with the Ex: Although pack tradition dictates that the Alpha must find a new mate every seven years, Gabriel still meets Astrid for sex occasionally. This disgusts Vivian and is one of the reasons she dislikes him, especially as Astrid is clearly still in love with Gabriel. He's also trying to court Astrid's niece at the same time.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Astrid. She's killed by Gabriel near the end of the novel, while she survives here.
- Spiritual Antithesis: Ironically, this movie ends up being this to the very book that serves as its source material, due to the numerous changes to the plot and characters. The book has Aiden's love for Vivian turn to terror and revulsion when she reveals her true self to him; he regards her as a monster and tries to kill her. Vivian realizes that they would never work out as neither belong in the other's world (he’s not as able to accept the strange and supernatural as he thinks; Vivian cannot be a 'normal' teenage girl for him) and she embraces being a werewolf and falls in love with Gabriel, finally content with her life. In the film, true love prevails for Aiden and Vivian; he loves and supports her even after learning she's a werewolf, and she defies the traditions and expectations of her pack to be with him. In the book Gabriel is the person who helps Vivian truly understand and accept herself, while in the film he's the person who tries to keep her from following her own path. Likewise, her relationship with Aiden in the book is based around her pretending to be something she's not, while in the movie her relationship with Aiden is the catalyst for her becoming her own person.
- Stalking is Love: Aiden towards Vivian. He literally chases her through the streets when she tries to avoid him, but afterwards she decides she quite likes him and they start dating.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: The werewolves' eyes turn gold and glow when they tap into their powers.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The trailer spoils just about every major plot point (Vivian's a werewolf, she and Aiden fall in love, the other werewolves want to kill him and she chooses to fight back etc).
- White Wolves Are Special: Vivian - the main protagonist who is indicated to be the werewolves' Chosen One - is depicted with white fur in her wolf form.
