Asian Vampire
A film taking on a bloody thirsty journey into a world of vampire is only asking to be jagging through a number of clichés that would be found in many movies prior. And yet the Korean made film “Thirst” reinvents the myth while struggling to explore the savage side of human life.
It’s a beautiful film while maintains a sort of ugliness.
Yes, it’s a vampire film. But it is much more than that. The character development and slow progress of vampirism makes this one miles and miles better than anything the sappy Twilight films strive to be. The film “Thirst” is sexy and alarming, tapping into the canal feelings that may invite every one of us to visit the dark side of nature. At the same time, it tells us what limits human beings have while lusting in love.
Probably can be seen as a more mature version of Twilight.
This director already made one of my favorite all time movies called Oldboy and has an inventive way of telling the story. The director Park Chan-Wook has a way of tapping into the more crude existence of our souls. The film is savage, raw, and simply beautiful at the same time. And then it struggles to give us a peeping tom voyeurism into the creepy side of a vampire’s life.
Sang Hyun plays a Catholic priest who gives last rites to those who perish from the strange virus that attacks only Asians and Caucuasions, therefore putting himself into danger as well. But while he is determined and wants to help those in need, he is also a conflicted soul. He has self doubt and watches the troubled human souls from the edges of pain. Finally he is cast aside from mortality to shed the skins of his old life. But he becomes the only survivor of a vastness of disease. But he leaves with a survival with an founded curse. He develops a need for drinking blood to stave off the virus he has.
But this character is torn between two worlds. Of light and dark. Of righteousness and deviousness. In one world, he is a Catholic who is holding on to old traditions. In another world, he is a vampire who rushes through the night looking for ways to fuel his blood rage while not killing anyone.
There are nice touches of humor.
The Catholic priest attempts to commit suicide. This would be sin for him. And yet he can’t do it.
The spots of blood lust.
His thumb is covered with blood. You see him licking the blood a hurried and offhand way. He is like a reptile, an animal.
And he rediscovers those elements when he meets with an old childhood friend who takes care of a very pretty adopted daughter Tae-ju who is clearly one of the most beautiful Asian woman I’ve seen in films. She is wonderfully played by Kim Ok-bin. Her lovely faces traces a soothing innocence.
She is a beautiful scorn of female perfection. Yet she manipulates, a tireless selfishness burns inside her. She is married to an idiot. But she passes all her flaws to the other people around her, husband, mother, father. While she latches on to her own desires for her own satisfaction. She is like the beast of lust herself. Much like the Catholic priest she tempts. And she brings him over to a world of sex and love. And sometimes the two doesn’t even mix.
The sex scenes are pivotal to the film. They are the central role to the bestiality of humanity. They are creepy while erotic at the same time. They are lustrous while beaming with a side of savagery. It’s like lust on a burning drug. It isn’t good for either one of them. And yet they fell to the lusts of their darker desires. The woman part is a difficult one to play because she must play innocent while being a manipulate woman beneath the surface of mean spirited façade. It is a perverted Asian film that stretches the limits of beauty.
The film really does examine the guilt and ugly side of human nature once it flies into a full throttled speed. It latches onto you and lever lets you go as you are dragged deeper into the world of darkness. You find yourself nauseated with the sex scenes and yet you are intrigued by it. And the human body of the woman never looked this good. The naked appeal of her body is flawless texture. It is like seeing a porcelain stature coming to life. She drags the priest into becoming a killing machine.
The film is a strange one. But what else would you expect when it comes to vampires? And you find yourself feeling sorry for the people in this movie because they are so guilt ridden with self induced hatred. The girl who is so bored out of her mind for wanting to leave a dead end family.
And the priest who is falling deeper into the seven deadly sins. And his contempt at immortality finally brings to him a small measure of humanity in the very ending of the film.
“Thirst” has become the winner of the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and rightfully so. This also achieved critical and box-office acclaim in Asia. But I would doubt that it would see any popular reception like the Twilight series did. “Thirst” is such a strange beast.
In Twilight, you’re stuck with a bunch of perfect Hollywood looking appearances. They look like paper perfect beautiful people. And that’s no fun when they’re all so picture pretty. But “Thirst” has a way of showing an ugly side of beauty. This is where Twilight goes so wrong. You have so many hunky looking guys that teenager girls can go for. Twilight is just stupid pretty.
But in “Thirst” you have to praise the Catholic priest who isn’t a very good looking person himself. And his soul is somewhat dark as well. It’s a very different kind of exploring into the raw side of life. Something Twilight never does.
Vampires certainly rule in the Asian world. But it’s sort of sick.
"Thirst" doesn't score all the points in the beauty contest. But it is stark, raw.
Again, this one is creepy. Try to watch this one in the dark. It'll make you feel sleazy and satisfield all at once.
It’s a beautiful film while maintains a sort of ugliness.
Yes, it’s a vampire film. But it is much more than that. The character development and slow progress of vampirism makes this one miles and miles better than anything the sappy Twilight films strive to be. The film “Thirst” is sexy and alarming, tapping into the canal feelings that may invite every one of us to visit the dark side of nature. At the same time, it tells us what limits human beings have while lusting in love.
Probably can be seen as a more mature version of Twilight.
This director already made one of my favorite all time movies called Oldboy and has an inventive way of telling the story. The director Park Chan-Wook has a way of tapping into the more crude existence of our souls. The film is savage, raw, and simply beautiful at the same time. And then it struggles to give us a peeping tom voyeurism into the creepy side of a vampire’s life.
Sang Hyun plays a Catholic priest who gives last rites to those who perish from the strange virus that attacks only Asians and Caucuasions, therefore putting himself into danger as well. But while he is determined and wants to help those in need, he is also a conflicted soul. He has self doubt and watches the troubled human souls from the edges of pain. Finally he is cast aside from mortality to shed the skins of his old life. But he becomes the only survivor of a vastness of disease. But he leaves with a survival with an founded curse. He develops a need for drinking blood to stave off the virus he has.
But this character is torn between two worlds. Of light and dark. Of righteousness and deviousness. In one world, he is a Catholic who is holding on to old traditions. In another world, he is a vampire who rushes through the night looking for ways to fuel his blood rage while not killing anyone.
There are nice touches of humor.
The Catholic priest attempts to commit suicide. This would be sin for him. And yet he can’t do it.
The spots of blood lust.
His thumb is covered with blood. You see him licking the blood a hurried and offhand way. He is like a reptile, an animal.
And he rediscovers those elements when he meets with an old childhood friend who takes care of a very pretty adopted daughter Tae-ju who is clearly one of the most beautiful Asian woman I’ve seen in films. She is wonderfully played by Kim Ok-bin. Her lovely faces traces a soothing innocence.
She is a beautiful scorn of female perfection. Yet she manipulates, a tireless selfishness burns inside her. She is married to an idiot. But she passes all her flaws to the other people around her, husband, mother, father. While she latches on to her own desires for her own satisfaction. She is like the beast of lust herself. Much like the Catholic priest she tempts. And she brings him over to a world of sex and love. And sometimes the two doesn’t even mix.
The sex scenes are pivotal to the film. They are the central role to the bestiality of humanity. They are creepy while erotic at the same time. They are lustrous while beaming with a side of savagery. It’s like lust on a burning drug. It isn’t good for either one of them. And yet they fell to the lusts of their darker desires. The woman part is a difficult one to play because she must play innocent while being a manipulate woman beneath the surface of mean spirited façade. It is a perverted Asian film that stretches the limits of beauty.
The film really does examine the guilt and ugly side of human nature once it flies into a full throttled speed. It latches onto you and lever lets you go as you are dragged deeper into the world of darkness. You find yourself nauseated with the sex scenes and yet you are intrigued by it. And the human body of the woman never looked this good. The naked appeal of her body is flawless texture. It is like seeing a porcelain stature coming to life. She drags the priest into becoming a killing machine.
The film is a strange one. But what else would you expect when it comes to vampires? And you find yourself feeling sorry for the people in this movie because they are so guilt ridden with self induced hatred. The girl who is so bored out of her mind for wanting to leave a dead end family.
And the priest who is falling deeper into the seven deadly sins. And his contempt at immortality finally brings to him a small measure of humanity in the very ending of the film.
“Thirst” has become the winner of the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and rightfully so. This also achieved critical and box-office acclaim in Asia. But I would doubt that it would see any popular reception like the Twilight series did. “Thirst” is such a strange beast.
In Twilight, you’re stuck with a bunch of perfect Hollywood looking appearances. They look like paper perfect beautiful people. And that’s no fun when they’re all so picture pretty. But “Thirst” has a way of showing an ugly side of beauty. This is where Twilight goes so wrong. You have so many hunky looking guys that teenager girls can go for. Twilight is just stupid pretty.
But in “Thirst” you have to praise the Catholic priest who isn’t a very good looking person himself. And his soul is somewhat dark as well. It’s a very different kind of exploring into the raw side of life. Something Twilight never does.
Vampires certainly rule in the Asian world. But it’s sort of sick.
"Thirst" doesn't score all the points in the beauty contest. But it is stark, raw.
Again, this one is creepy. Try to watch this one in the dark. It'll make you feel sleazy and satisfield all at once.
posted by K.M. Paters at 12:07 PM
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