Thirst / Bakjwi

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: April 30, 2009 (South Korea) / July 31, 2009 (USA)

DVD Release Date: November 17, 2009

Plot 411: A priest infected with sickness discovers that a sickness of a different kind can be a temporary cure.

Review: This is another Chan-wook Park film that embodies a degree of blood and guts with which many people are not familiar. The movie causes an uneasiness within the viewer that I believe adds to the overall effect of the film. Sang-hyeon (Kang-ho Song) is a priest who volunteers for a medical trial that attempts to find the cure to a deadly disease. Unfortunately, he contracts the disease and is given a blood transfusion that turns him into a vampire. To his horror, he finds himself resorting to siphoning blood out of a comatosed patient and stealing bags of blood from hospitals where he volunteers. The public begins to worship him for his healing capabilities and he runs into Kang-woo (Ha-kyun Shin), an old friend. Sang-Hyeon is invited to Kang-woo's house and becomes infatuated with his wife Tae-ju (Ok-bin Kim). They begin an affair that leads to murder. This film is an interesting twist (or addition) to the current vampire craze that is hitting the world. It does not resemble Twilight in any form or fashion (to which many people will probably cheer for joy), but it seems to rethink the entire vampire mythology. I suppose people can interpret, alter or make up their own mythology about vampires (or werewolves for that matter), but personally I prefer the bite-you're-it theory. Overlooking that though, this film focused on Sang-hyeon's sense of honor and morality and his struggle with himself and his identity as a priest and human. Even after he becames a "monster," he still finds himself in turmoil about the right thing to do. His intense mental and emotional battle couldn't be further from the character of Tae-ju. To me, she is completely selfish and conniving. In addition to being sexually explicit and blood-and-guts gory, this movie is Park's comment on man's true behavior when given utter control and power.

Watch It: For a unique take on vampires and an intricate comparison between Korean family dynamics vs. American individualism.

Skip It: If Twilight's love story and mythology is more your speed.