Original Title: 박쥐 | Thirst
Release: 2009
Country: Korea
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Song Kang-ho | Kim Ok-Bin
Running Time: 145 Min.
Written by Miguel Douglas
Published: 11.28.09
Director Park Chan-wook returns with his latest film Thirst, this time delving into the realm of vampirism and its effects on a dedicated Catholic priest. Never shying away from the distinctive direction viewed in his previous films, Park delivers yet another creative and original film with Thirst.
Thirst opens to a priest by the name of Sang-hyeon (Kang-ho Song), an individual who is respected by many for his unwavering faith and dedication towards serving those around him. While cordial in his service for good, he secretly has feelings of sadness for a world in which he believes is drowning in pain and suffering. Wanting to fully divulge in his want for sacrifice and offering to redeem this suffering, he decides to volunteer for a secret vaccine experiment for a deadly disease known as the Emmanuel Virus. Willing to become a sacrificial lamb for others, he gets indoctrinated with the disease and takes the experimental vaccine in the hopes of finding a cure. He slowly begins to show signs that the cure is not effective and he nearly dies in process, saved only by having a blood transfusion. What he eventually discovers is that the transfusion has seemingly turned him into a vampire and must seek blood in order to retain the original virus from spreading within him. When Sang returns to his good services, he is claimed a miracle worker for being the only one to have survived the Emmanuel Virus. When he unexpectedly rediscovers old friends, he slowly begins to lust after that of Tae-joo (Ok-bin Kim), a woman who will eventually change his life forever.
If you are familiar with past Park Chan-wook films, then you know that he can take a rather simple plot on paper and make it entirely his own. With Thirst, Park examines a rather cliché theme such as vampires and reconstructs it in a manner that is both engaging and memorable in both its offering to the genre as well as its execution. Thirst portrays vampirism in a way that is seemingly grounded in reality; the film can be viewed as a character study of individuals gone awry. Park alludes to the disease of vampirism as a metaphor for one’s own sinful indulgences brought forth by its indoctrination, and it’s interesting to view how its powerful grasp can take a hold and redirect one’s calling. The self-sacrificing service of Sang-hyeon is explicitly at the helm of the film and his downward descent into essentially breaking every single deadly sin is impeccable to watch. At first willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of mankind, he explicitly finds himself in a predicament in which he must now prey upon those same individuals; in a sense transforming him from being a sacrificial lamb for others to becoming that of a bloodthirsty wolf. It’s this parallel that heightens the film from your standard exposé on vampirism and brings the topic into a whole new light.
The supporting cast is fantastic as well. Many of the actors from Park’s previous films have made the jump here, but the biggest surprise has to be of the character Tae-joo, played by Ok-bin Kim. She expertly transitions from being a shy and timid girl in the beginning into a coldhearted and vicious character towards the end. It’s this transformation that complements Kang-ho Song’s portrayal, and the two provide an excellent contrast to one another. The intense conflict that arises between Sang-hyeon, the respectable priest whose moral boundaries are steadily blurred and Tae-joo, an atheist who takes a rather nihilistic approach towards life, are mesmerizing to watch and really brings forth the questioning of moral judgment as a whole. Perhaps it’s this vivid comparison that offers Thirst as something more than just a movie about vampires and more akin to a classical play on self-destructiveness and what qualifies individuals as being a human or monster, and in some cases both.
To classify this film as “horror” would be a great understatement. While it certainly does contain elements of horror, the film is rather satirical and comedic at times as well. Park consistently switches in and out of genres within the film, and doesn’t hesitate to provide a little bit of something for everyone. There are explosive moments of violence, eroticism and humor presented throughout the film. As in his previous films, Park delicately measures his cinematography with the utmost importance. Each scene is highly detailed and further establishes the direction and atmosphere of the film paying careful attention to adjusting the mood visually.
What Thirst delivers is an excellent tale of lust, sacrifice and temptation all through the backdrop of vampire mythology. While sternly focused on its usage of vampirism, it presents an interesting take on this mythology as a whole. With Park Chan-wook’s direction and vivid style, we are presented a tale that is as visually stimulating as it is riveting. Through his usage of morality as a focal point we can view these characters as more realized individuals rather than your standard cliché-ridden throwaways, but what makes a majority of Park’s films so fascinating is that he’s able to blur genres together rather successfully. Thirst continues this trend and is an exhilarating journey into the world of vampire lore with engaging characters, beautiful cinematography and a compelling plot. It is what most vampire-related films are not; original.
