Thirst - 蝙蝠:血色情慾

Thirst (蝙蝠:血色情慾) is a 2009 film out of Korea. The movie stars Song Kang-ho and Kim Ok-bin. The film was directed by Park Chan-wook of Oldboy fame.

The movie is about Song Kang-ho as Sang-hyun. Sang was brought up in an catholic orphanage and went into the priesthood in Korea. A devote man of faith, he truly wants to help others. Sang signs up as an volunteer for a experiment for the Emmanuel Virus (EV) vaccine somewhere in Europe or Africa. Like the other volunteers, he falls victim to the deadly outcome of EV. However, during this death experience, he receives a blood transfusion. That blood was that of a vampire. The blood helps Sang recover completely from EV. Sang goes back to Korea and starts to go back to normal priesthood duties. Including praying for the healing of others. On one such trip, he heals the cancer of a childhood friend. Thus begins Sang's relation with his friends wife, Kim Ok-bin as Tae-ju. At the same time, the effects of the blood makes a complete transformation of Sang into an vampire. Including super strength, fast healing, and an appetite for sin. Which includes a adulteress affair with Tai-ju. Sang eventually converts Tai-ju into a vampire so they could be together forever.

The movie itself explores many things that is labeled taboo in human nature. It also takes bits and pieces of vampire mythos that are convenient for the story.

In the end, the movie was not able to live up the hype. Maybe I needed to watch the movie with no preconceptions. However, at the end, I was ultimately let down. The story is unconventional and the subject matter is very specific. Maybe if I had some background on catholic traditions, I may have thought more of it.