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A priest becomes a vampire...another man's wife is coveted...a deadly seduction triggers murder. Thirst is the new film from director Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance). Already a box-office smash in Korea, Thirst was honored with the Prix du Jury [Jury Prize] at the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival.
Continuing his explorations of human existence in extreme circumstances, the director spins a tale that he conceived and then developed over several years with co-screenwriter Chung Seo-kyung, inspired by Émile Zola's Therese Raquin. Sang-hyun (played by top Korean star Song Kang-ho, of The Good The Bad The Weird, The Host and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion is urgently ordered up for him. The blood he receives is infected, so Sang-hyun lives but now exists as a vampire. Struggling with his newfound carnal desire for blood, Sang-hyun s faith is further strained when a childhood friend's wife, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin) comes to him asking for his help in escaping her life. Sang-hyun soon plunges into a world of sensual pleasures, finding himself on intimate terms with the Seven Deadly Sins.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I watch few Korean films and my comments should be taken in that light. Thirst is a vampire film, but it is also about religion, depravity, conscience and morality. Opening with that popular device - a virus - it travels through a family that have escaped from a Zola novel, much murder, to the final very satisfying denouement. I felt it took far too long to do so, but that may simply be my western "clock". Although it was transparently not True Blood In Seoul it stuck to most of the vampire genre strengths (though Korean vampires can be seen in mirrors) while adding a very Catholic element. It is as if Graham Greene had been asked to rewrite Interview With A Vampire.
17 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Brady Orme
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Ah, Chan Park-Wook, the *primus inter pares* of South Korean film, the man behind the "Vengeance" trilogy and the legendary "Oldboy" is not a man to rest on his laurels (two Roman references - I'll stop now) after such an illustrious slew of films. Oh no. After the slightly disappointing "I'm a Cyborg - And That's OK" he's gone straight for the jugular (sorry) with this take on Vampire mythology. And it's not a film to do things by halves either.
Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) is a christian priest who wishes to uphold his strict morality and respect for human life by volunteering for research project that's attempting to destroy a lethal virus that's threatening civilisation as we know it - However, the virus contained in the vaccine starts to have untold consequences for his health.... Hence, he receives a blood transfusion. By some strange quirk of fate (very strange), he receives vampire blood by mistake. soon Sang-hyun is showing the usual bloodsucker symptoms which, let's face it, isn't something a pious priest should have to face. And as luck will have it a friend's spouse (Kim Ok-vin) approaches him for help in escaping her sorry facade of a life. Sensual experiences follow, experiences that may just launch him headlong into sin and shatter his faith. Yes, I'm not one to use the old "it's such-and-such meets such-and-such" chestnut when trying to sum up a film, but it's "Nosferatu" meets "Nine-And-A-Half Weeks" and by golly does it whip up a Kaleidoscope of tension. And, why do women find vampires so sexy? (answers please on a postcard).
The film has received praise across the board from critics, and it damn-well deserves it too.... Read more ›
Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) is a christian priest who wishes to uphold his strict morality and respect for human life by volunteering for research project that's attempting to destroy a lethal virus that's threatening civilisation as we know it - However, the virus contained in the vaccine starts to have untold consequences for his health.... Hence, he receives a blood transfusion. By some strange quirk of fate (very strange), he receives vampire blood by mistake. soon Sang-hyun is showing the usual bloodsucker symptoms which, let's face it, isn't something a pious priest should have to face. And as luck will have it a friend's spouse (Kim Ok-vin) approaches him for help in escaping her sorry facade of a life. Sensual experiences follow, experiences that may just launch him headlong into sin and shatter his faith. Yes, I'm not one to use the old "it's such-and-such meets such-and-such" chestnut when trying to sum up a film, but it's "Nosferatu" meets "Nine-And-A-Half Weeks" and by golly does it whip up a Kaleidoscope of tension. And, why do women find vampires so sexy? (answers please on a postcard).
The film has received praise across the board from critics, and it damn-well deserves it too.... Read more ›
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Oblomov
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very good movie from an excellent director. The storyline reminded me strongly of Emile Zola's Therese Raquin - except there were no vampires in Zola's story as I recall! However the story of illicit love between a priest and a woman who is unhappily married to a rather simple and crass man and also shackled to a harridan of a mother-in-law goes down the same path - lust, love, conspiracy, murder and guilt. In Therese Raquin, the lovers drown the unfortunate husband and here too a similar path is followed. Unhappiness, hatred and despair follow. This tale of domestic misery is wrapped in an occult story of accidental vampirism (the priest takes part in a clinical trial which infects him with the need to feed on human blood. without giving away too much the vampirism escalates and his wife becomes infected too - she however feels no sense of guilt regarding this and positively embraces her new found freedom. For both of them however, the "ghost" of the murdered husband and the beady eye of his stroke ridden mother remain a very disturbing presence. Conscience and guilt destroy the relationship and the priest resolves the situation in a way that is both shocking and moving - redemption of a kind. Korea produces brilliant and thought provoking movies - even when wrapped up in what is becoming a rather hackneyed vehicle for expressing ideas of alienation and illicit love.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The world cinema section released some outstanding titles during the Noughties with Korea coming to the fore and putting the usual formulaic Hollywood nonsense to shame. For me, Park Chan-Wook was one of the main highlights of the past decade and, in my opinion, any comparisons drawn between his artistic qualities and that of the late, great Kubrick wouldn't be misplaced; in a sense that both directors share that same unique ability in capturing the best possible camera angles for shooting a memorable scene: the blood spewed across the floor in the overly fluorescent apartment leaps to mind.
Thirst, centres around a suicidal priest played by Kang-Ho Song (JSA, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance) who dies after volunteering to be part of a medical experiment but a blood transfusion brings him back to life as a vampire. Initially, because of his religious background, he is reluctant on killing people for his own gratification so he resorts to siphoning blood from a coma patient. The priest then covets a lonely, unhappily married woman (stellar debut from Kim Ok-Vin adding further testament to Park's directing skills) and a deeply passionate affair between the two lost souls ensues. It's not long before the adulterous wife has tricked the priest into killing her husband, thus changing the dynamics between the forbidden lovers and paving the way for some strong bloody violence and very steamy sex scenes that have been tastefully shot by the director.
The grossly underrated chameleon actor, Shin-Ha Kyun (Save The Green Planet), is cast in quite a small role as the ill-fated husband but adds a great deal of humour with his performance in this gothic tale: the threesome bedroom scene had me howling with laughter.... Read more ›
Thirst, centres around a suicidal priest played by Kang-Ho Song (JSA, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance) who dies after volunteering to be part of a medical experiment but a blood transfusion brings him back to life as a vampire. Initially, because of his religious background, he is reluctant on killing people for his own gratification so he resorts to siphoning blood from a coma patient. The priest then covets a lonely, unhappily married woman (stellar debut from Kim Ok-Vin adding further testament to Park's directing skills) and a deeply passionate affair between the two lost souls ensues. It's not long before the adulterous wife has tricked the priest into killing her husband, thus changing the dynamics between the forbidden lovers and paving the way for some strong bloody violence and very steamy sex scenes that have been tastefully shot by the director.
The grossly underrated chameleon actor, Shin-Ha Kyun (Save The Green Planet), is cast in quite a small role as the ill-fated husband but adds a great deal of humour with his performance in this gothic tale: the threesome bedroom scene had me howling with laughter.... Read more ›
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
another great film from Korea
had high expectations after the Oldboy/Revenge trilogy and this film does not disappoint. Dark in places, great cinematography, an 'interesting' plot, superb acting with very... Read more
Published 6 months ago by P. Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars
Morality Tale With A Vampiric Twist
Park Chan-wook has set cinema alight in the past few years. Delighting many with his densely plotted and original work. Read more
Published 7 months ago by pjr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slow but excellent vampire film
starring Song Kang-Ho Shin Ha-Kyun and Kim Ok-Vin this film is around 128 minutes long in wide screen. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Harlequin
3.0 out of 5 stars
This is an odd Korean vampire movie.
Other than a strong main lead actor/character (and interesting subject matter) you would not necessarily know this is the work of genius Park Chan-wook (Old Boy, Sympathy..). Read more
Published 16 months ago by T. BROOKES
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great story revamped
One of Park Chan-Wook's best films, in this reviewer's opinion. He masterfully reworks the themes of Zola's Therese Raquin in two ways: firstly, moving the action from 19th century... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Shiro
1.0 out of 5 stars
totally drained
I am sorry but I absolutely hated this film as did the other two friends who watched it with me - totally bizzare (and not in a good way). Read more
Published 18 months ago by guitar hero
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie for fans of this guy, but movie is region B
Well I got "I am a Cyborg and I am OK" from the same company and it played great, but now it seems the region "B" has appeared to break the promises of Sony. Read more
Published on 17 July 2010 by Cannington De Ness
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, tragic, twisted, absurd and darkly comic.
If you love Chan-wook Park, you know what to expect. His films are brutal, poetic, tragic, and artistic, with splashes of very grim humor. Read more
Published on 5 July 2010 by Puzzle box
1.0 out of 5 stars
"ANOTHER" Clichéd Vampire Movie...Full Stop!!!
The only possible explanation that I can think of for why people praise the unbelievably drawn out ending of this movie is that, like the conclusion of a nightmare or a prison... Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2010 by James Uscroft
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chan-Wook Park's Vampire Opus
Firstly, if you have seen the vengence trilogy and liked it, or just love foriegn cinema in general, then this is a must buy for your collection. Read more
Published on 24 May 2010 by NeoN
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