Thirst (Bakjwi)

• Director: Chan-wook Park
• Writer: Seo-Gyeong Jeong, Chan-wook Park
• Cast: Eriq Ebouaney, Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin
• Theatrical Release Date: July 31, 2009
• Criticwire: B-
• On The Web IMDB Entry

Synopsis: Sang-hyun (played by top Korean star Song Kang-ho, of The Host) 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.

Round-up: Chan-wook Park's "Thirst" - wasn't met with overall approval. Variety's Derek Elley called the New Age vampire flick "an overlong stygian comedy that badly needs a transfusion of genuine inspirati... on," while The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo says the film "has no sense of rhythm or flow whatsoever." The Boston Globe's Wesley Morris doesn't quite dislike the film, but does note: "The South Korean's lawlessness hits a wall in "Thirst," a movie about a priest (the peerlessly great Song Kang-ho) who becomes a vampire. The movie sidesteps the moral problems of the three "Vengeance" films but glibly skates the surface as Park did in the first two." Screen's Darcy Paquet, however, significantly disagreed, saying "this complex and supremely inventive work sees the filmmaker back on top form," continuing: The first 90 minutes of Thirst is a robust display of these talents, but it is anchored in a melancholic lyricism that is new to Park’s oeuvre. Although the focus of its narrative movement is not always clear, in its best moments, Thirst offers something of the poetic force of cinema’s timeless masterpieces."