Over the last twelve months, vampires have become the new 'it' source for entertainment. 'True Blood' and the Twilight series have opened up the fan base, giving the blood-drinkers a heart and soul on which to prey. But every now and then, a story comes along that opts to go against stereotype. In this case, the odd-man-out comes in the form of Thirst, the highly touted film by famed director Park Chan-wook which won the 2008 Cainnes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize.
The story follows a priest, Sang-hyeon, who selflessly volunteers to be a Guinea pig for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. I know, not entirely unique. However, the events that follow the blood transfusion and eventual vampire takeover are quite entertaining, especially considering the route that could have been taken - though thankfully it wasn't.
Set amongst the backdrop of rural China, Thirst carries a unique and uneasy tone all the way through its final scene. The drab colors and limited number of sets make for a condensed and controlled environment, allowing us all to feel as if we are one with our lead protagonist, Priest Sang-hyeon, played by Song Kang-ho.
Where it could have gone generic, director Park Chan-wook made sure to steer clear, often times going a bit too far off track for the sake of originality. Instead of hunting innocent humans or animals, our priest opts to volunteer at a nearby hospital and use the blood bank for his nightly feasts. The compromise seems reasonable, and quite sane for that matter. Yet, I have personally never seen anything like it in past features.
Sadly, that cleverness didn't stay, especially during its second half. It is here that the story goes a bit crazy as we see a murder, a cover-up, and an intentional transfusion of vampire blood - the latter of which finally opens a problem big enough to serve as the film's main dilemma. I am not trying to say that any of the aforementioned items made the film bad, because this isn't a bad film. Rather, Thirst is a 'different' film that can only be understood by those who want to enjoy and appreciate the art of the picture.
Both leading actors do a brilliant job at bringing their respective characters to the screen; though their intense sex scene proved to be both too long and too revealing. The constant action and groans could have sufficed; however, we are instead introduced to much more than our ticket price should cover. Calling it "˜soft-core porn' might be a stretch, but sadly, those are the only words that I can think of to describe such a scene.
Nonetheless, Thirst is still a masterful piece of art. The final scene deals with an inner struggle for understanding, a moral compass, and a vampire's worst enemy - itself. The three flow together flawlessly, making the sunrise a beautiful work of nature, destroying the very thing that it has created. Don't get me wrong, the film is weird and somewhat disturbing. Although, for those who can withstand the indecency and sluggish moments, the ending proves to be well worth the wait.
