Film: Thirst (2009)

Film: Thirst
Year: 2009
Director: Chan-Wook Park
Source: "Acquired"
Viewings: 1
Runtime: 130mins

Thoughts:

My relationship with Park's work has been a tumultuous one. My first viewing of the widely-acclaimed Oldboy left me with a bad taste and worse opinion, and I didn't care who I told. But then again, those of you who know me know that my first experience and usually my no experience with something results in an opinion of "Hate it. Never liked it." Well, I'll tell you what. After hunting down and viewing Oldboy again recently, my opinion of the director and his work changed very dramatically, and I knew it was love. I watched all 3 of the Vengeance films and haven't looked back in anger since. So, with my newfound admiration of Park, I awaited with bated breath and anticipation his latest release, with vampires no less. And here I sit, after the fact. What's my verdict? Read on.

Thirst touches on many aspects at once and at any given time, whether you are expecting it or not. Korean superstar Kang Ho-Song plays Sang-Hyeon; a devout but outspoken and under appreciated catholic priest who, with the world's best interests in mind, elects to receive a vaccine for a virus that is plaguing what I think was Africa. It doesn't work (just like the 50 attempted cases before him) and Sang-Hyeon ends up dead. But not quite. It would appear the blood transfusion he received just before death had something a little off in it's genetic strains, and now Sang-Hyeon can smell like a spaniel, hear like a dolphin and seems unable to control his hunger for blood. Yup, he's a vampire.

Despite my relatively long summary, that's just the first 20 minutes. This film covers so much ground, introducing us to the sensual, passionate awakening of a celibate, restrained man, a very, VERY dysfunctional family unit, the small but important difficulties and differences that are unearthed when you can't stand in sunlight, or eat normal food. And even then, that's just the first hour! Just when you think it's gotta be wrapping up, or closing down, or preparing the 3 acts, it just continues to evolve, like our protagonist. And I haven't even touched on the many facets of his doomed relationship with the astounding Ok-vin Kim as his illicit lover Tae-Joo. The rounds and changes that affect her character, and how Kim handles them are just mind boggling. Tae-Joo morphs from timid, beaten sex-kitten to fully-fledged femme-fatale, amidst the chaos that surrounds. Honestly, my review can't do the many tendrils of this film justice.

And Park's direction. Seriously, like his fellow Korean compadre Joon-Ho Bong (The Host, Memories Of Murder), there is just this constant flow of confidence that just oozes from every frame, every densely-lit corridor, every gout of blood, every twitch and moment. To describe it to someone who isn't watching is criminal, and is nigh impossible. You have to see it to understnad. Filled with the director's trademark flourishes, visual gags and unpredictable awesome, it's difficult to find more brazen director's these days (No Michael Bay, brazen with TALENT, not just brash and balls-out. Literally. Stupid constructicon.). There are so many little things, and combined with the fact that there are vampires- VAMPIRES- means that Park had so much to play with that it is almost impossible to not be transfixed.

All this said, Thirst still demands some legitimate choice from the viewer. Obviously sex is an inherent part of the vampire mythos these days, so Park weaves that in almost too powerfully. I'm sure I didn't blink during the countless extended sex scenes (charting every moment, from awkward foreplay right through to pillow talk and subsequent shocking revelations), and yeah, I usually had a broad smile plastered on my face during due to Park's unmatched skill for weaving styles together (in this case, humour and sensuality and violence and, oh I give up. All in the same goddamn scene!) but sometimes it got a bit much. And the constant jumping between story types can be jarring and throw you off a bit, but with most of Park's work, stay on your game, and you will be justly rewarded.

And good god, are there some funny scenes. After a character, well, DIES, Park's trademark twisted, macabre humour goes fucking ballistic, putting the characters through their paces without pause. Funny and thrilling.

All in all, I guess if you're a potential viewer of Thirst, you already know it. I can't exactly recommend it to anyone who hasn't watched a Park film, and I probably couldn't recommend it to a general audience like I could Let The Rate One In, Eh (*sigh*. I want that on Blu-Ray.) but those who wish to tread the path should be happy they did.

In Ads' Nutshell: Thirst provides a humourous, violent, incisive, sensual, fantastically lensed dive into the nature of lust, control, piety, faith and other nouns that can't be pigeonholed.

Would He Blu It?: Negatory. Unless it's super cheap with some rad as hell bonus features, its DVD fo' me.

Score: 3.5/5.