PARK Chan-wook’s most ambitious film: Perfecting his 10-year long dream project

THIRST is the film that PARK Chan-wook–the master director who received the world’s attention for his unique storylines and images–has been trying to perfect for a long time.

In his previous films, like OLD BOY, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, and SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE, PARK has highlighted characters that faced ethical dilemmas. By capturing characters that commit crimes and their fight for redemption, PARK has repeatedly explored the questions of human existence. In that sense, PARK’s THIRST could be considered the apex of his film style. The irony of a priest, the ultimate symbol of humanism, in a situation where he must drink others’ blood to survive as a vampire best illustrates the relationship between sin and redemption that PARK has long been exploring.

To perfect his dream project, PARK has been planning THIRST for 10 years. He asked SONG Kang-ho to star in it back when he directed JOINT SECURITY AREA. And in THREE…EXTREMES he created the character of a film director who makes a vampire film to further test out the possibilities for THIRST. The bold editing style, extreme camera work, and other cinematic techniques refined through his previous works are expected to reach new heights in THIRST.

Simply put, THIRST is a film that has the message, the style, and every aspect of PARK Chan-wook’s film world combined into one. The audience will finally have a chance to experience a true taste of “PARK Chan-wook’s World” through THIRST.

Rick Swift says, “Old Boy!  Hard to top, this is his final piece in the dream work, his culmination of an idea, sharing his darkest thoughts with his eager audience.  Let’s see if he can meet the challenge and surpass his masterpiece.”

Synopsis

A priest becomes a vampire!

Sang-hyun, a priest who believes that life is precious, volunteers for a secret vaccine development project to help save lives from a deadly virus. But during the experiment, he is infected by the virus and dies. When some unidentified blood is transfused into him, he miraculously comes back to life, but the blood has turned him into a vampire. Sang-hyun is now conflicted between the carnal desire for blood and his faith, which forbids him to kill. But if he cannot survive without feasting on human blood, how can he get it without resorting to murder?

Coveting a friend’s wife

Miraculously returning home alive, Sang-hyun meets a childhood friend, Kang-woo, and his wife, Tae-ju, among a crowd of people asking for his blessing. Tae-ju’s mysterious appeal arouses yearnings in Sang-hyun he has never felt before, and she in turn is drawn to Sanghyun and the desires previously oppressed by her weakly husband and hysterical mother-inlaw.
Sang-hyun falls in love with Tae-ju, enough to give up everything he is. He eventually throws off his priest’s robes and steps into her world, thirsting for all the sensual pleasures it has to offer.

Deadly seduction that triggers murder!

Sang-hyun and Tae-ju’s love becomes more and more brazen and fearless. When Tae-ju finds out that Sang-hyun is a vampire, she backs away-but not for long. Eventually, Tae-ju seduces Sang-hyun into using his power to kill her husband. Although Sang-hyun wants desperately to avoid committing the sin, he ends up compromising his own principles and accepts Tae-ju’s request to kill Kang-woo…

What will become of their doomed affair?

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 9:31 pm and is filed under Previews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.