Thirst

A Beautiful Take on the Vampire Mythology by Master Director Chan-Wook Park
Father Sang-hyeon is a priest with a bleeding heart. He cares for his patients and does what's in his power to do whatever they ask. EV, the Emmanuel Virus, covers its victims from the waist up with blisters, causes ulcers and hemorrhages in muscle tissue, and even causes victims to vomit blood and die from excessive bleeding if the virus spreads to the internal organs. Sang-hyeon volunteers at the Emmanuel Lab in hopes of finding a treatment for the disease, but winds up contracting the disease himself and dying in the process. The blood he receives during the transfusion, however, miraculously brings him back from the edge of death. While being the lone survivor of the ordeal, the story detailing Sang-hyeon's journey gets more and more spectacular. He comes to the realization that drinking blood makes the blisters that cover his body disappear and that he has superhuman abilities. The transfusion has made Sang-hyeon a vampire. He stays with a childhood friend while struggling with...

Sacrifice, sin, and the possibililty of redemption - a bloody and brilliant Korean re-invention of the vampire mythos
Sang-Hyun, a Roman Catholic priest, develops urgent cravings after he selflessly volunteers to be guinea pig in a dangerous medical experiment. He resists at first, but thirst has a way of overcoming both scruples and vows. It's a story about faith and redemption, a deeply romantic and moving love story ... and a story about murder, mayhem and sex. Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, I'm a Cyborg, but That's OK), won the Jury Prize at Cannes for this stylish and bloody reinvention of the vampire mythos.

This is Park Chan-Wook at the top of his game, and to my mind the very best of an outstanding resume. The acting is superb, with Korea's leading actor Kang-ho Song (The Host, and...

Thirsty For More
Favorite Movie Quote: "Ravage my body sworn to chastity leave me with no pride, and have me live in shame."

Should the name Chan-wook Park sound relatively familiar, it is. More than almost any other living Korean film-maker, Park solidified his well-earned reputation with the sleeper hit Oldboy. Although I've enjoyed & certainly respected his decisions when it comes to other works, I couldn't fathom anything so masterful nor as mature. Thirst actually exceeded every last one of my expectations & easily became my favorite film of 2009.

Thankfully, we were granted a North American release for Bakjwi although the 145 min Director's Cut is a bit more obscure & harder to find. At any rate, I am grateful to have seen the film at all & am completely excited about Park's future endeavors once again. Park has earned his weight in gold as far as I'm concerned.

Taking it's cue from the classic Emile Zola novel Therese Raquin, Wook has crafted a masterful film...

Click to Editorial Reviews